Catholic Baptism
Catholic rite of baptism is the first of three sacraments of Christian initiation, with the Eucharist (Communion) and Confirmation. For people over the age of reason (children and adults), it is preceded by a period of preparation, called the catechumenate , during which the future baptized the catechumen, discovered the faith for which he requested baptism. For newborns, the parents follow a preparation for baptism that helps them understand the meaning of this sacrament. For adults, baptism itself often takes place during the vigil of Easter.
Summary |
The celebration is similar for all the baptisms, infants, children or adults. Parents of very young children speak on their behalf. The Catholic Church, the Eastern Churches and Ecclesial Communities of the Reformation mutually recognize the same baptismal sacrament, following progress in ecumenical dialogue, in spite of differences in the rites.
The celebration begins by tracing the sign of the cross on the forehead of the future baptized, baptism marks the sign of the baptism of Christ. Then, later baptized into the church, symbolizing that through his baptism, he will enter the Christian community. The rite of baptism itself begins with a profession of faith of the catechumens and their renunciation of Satan and evil. It continues with the rite of water which is the heart of the sacrament.
Three times the priest (or deacon) pours water on the forehead of the catechumen in the words: "No, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." If baptism is by immersion, the priest (or deacon) plunges the catechumen three times in water. Then the celebrant affix the Holy chrism (holy oil) on the forehead of the baptized. This oil, which originally was used for anointing kings, priests and prophets, said that the baptized person has a triple vocation as priest, prophet and king. " The water and the Holy Chrism signify that the Christian is baptized "in the water and the Spirit. " Then is called a white garment (often a cap, a jacket or possibly a christening gown for babies, a scarf for youth and adults), a sign of purity found. Indeed, in the Catholic faith, baptism removes all sins. The celebrant gives the baptized or the parents a candle, lit from the paschal candle, symbolizing Christ's light.
It is traditional to refer to named a godfather and a godmother , individuals themselves baptized and confirmed. Historically, their function was primarily to be witnesses of this sacrament, on behalf of the Christian community. The tradition has also conveyed the role of hosting the child in case of death of parents and to ensure a Christian life. Today they are people with whom have called a special relationship during her childhood and are responsible to help the baptized to grow in Christian faith. Following the ceremony, the sponsor, the sponsor and the baptized (or his parents if it is too small) sign the "register of baptisms," which certifies the sacrament. This register is kept in duplicate, one copy remains in the parish, the other is kept at the palace. These records, kept since the fifteenth century , are mines of information for genealogists.
Other forms of Catholic baptism
Called a baptism undulation reduces the shedding of water , without any of the other forms. It is often reserved for cases of emergency (life threatening). Although canonically valid, it must then be supplemented by other ceremonies, if one has enough time. Traditionally in France , to the modern age , the children of the royal family and the royal princes were privately baptized at birth and then once baptized children.
The Church Catholic also recognizes the baptism in the martyrdom or baptism of blood: a person who has not been baptized by the water but died because of his Christian convictions is fully known.
Baptism through the ages
By its action of cleansing (remission of sins ), the early Christians often waited the end of their life to be baptized, the most famous case was that of the Emperor Constantine. The catechumenate is taking place in the late fourth century. There's no godfather in the ceremony, a devotee known and respected as a guarantor for catechumens and is called the "sponsor", "one that grows."
The baptism of Clovis , about 496 , is one of the founding events of the French national identity. Until the ceremony, Clovis is pagan, and he believes in many Germanic gods of his ancestors. This is probably the result of a vow made during a battle against the Alemanni the king of the Franks converted to Catholicism. His wife Clotilde, very religious, the pressure of the bishops of Gaul and political motives have also come into play historian Gregory of Tours tells us the ceremony in his History of the Franks, written in the sixth century. Clovis was baptized by the bishop of Reims , Remi , with several thousands of its soldiers in the baptistery of the cathedral. This event marks the marriage of royal power and the Church. The Franks converted but practices pagan subsisted for a long time.
The rites of baptism bind progressively to time Merovingian. At the time of Clovis, it was practiced even in adulthood after the period of the catechumenate. Only the bishop can administer this sacrament. The baptized entered a large baptismal font located in the baptistry and plunged three times into the water. This triple immersion remember that baptism is received "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (see the dogma of the Trinity ). The baptized should declare his profession of faith (the creed ). Then, a mass was in the church.
With the spread of Christianity, churches multiply and each contains a baptistery (or fonts). Symbolically, the baptistery is near a door, for we must be baptized to approach the church choir. With the spread of the baptismal font, the priests will then give the sacrament of baptism, often spray. For emergencies, even baptism can be given by a non-baptized person, without special ceremony. In 314 , the Council of Arles , confirmed in 1439 by the Council of Florence , admitted the validity of baptism administered by a pagan: the Church does not reject the donor, nor investigates the castaway on his rescuer.
Christianity well established, the number of children baptized gradually exceeds the number of adults. The desire to baptize children is therefore becoming more acute because baptism means salvation of the soul, essential to go to heaven. At the end of the twelfth century , infant mortality is appalling. Also evolving theology and authorizes the baptism quam primum (ASAP). In the thirteenth century , the practice of baptism on infants is widespread. Then the sponsor pronouncing the profession of faith and renounces Satan for the baby. The Sacrament of Confirmation will come, as its name suggests, confirm the baptism when the child grows. Heresies were attacked at baptism and questioned.
In France , until the late eighteenth century , apart from the higher classes of society (royal family, royal princes and nobility), infant baptism usually took place within hours after birth, rarely the next day or two later, the child's father did not hesitate, whatever the weather and his schedule to travel several kilometers to baptize the child by the first priest available (usually in its own parish, if not in a neighboring parish in the absence of the priest). This precipitation, in a context of high infant mortality, was intended to allow the child if he died, to go to heaven, indeed, a dead child was deemed not baptized go to limbo , a space different from paradise where the soul wandered endlessly. Similarly, since he was not baptized, he could not receive a Christian burial.
Conditional Baptism
The basic rule is that a Christian can not be baptized twice. In all cases a priest baptizes a child under conditions when a child is found or abandoned because it is not known if he once was. So it is christened "under the condition of not having already been to the other."
Formerly, in many regions (France, and even more certainly the northern half) a child privately baptized at home because of the risk of death was baptized under condition (the undulation is not a baptism "real", but it is that if you die before "regularization by baptism" the child could be buried in "consecrated ground" and enter the eternal Hi, small children like all humanity being heirs of Original Sin, and therefore any Like adults, subjected to the purification of baptism in order to reach Paradise. The issue of small Hi unbaptized children has always been a problem. For Augustine , the Church believes that children who die without baptism can not enter the paradise, have not been washed from original sin, or go to hell, having done nothing wrong. Hence the invention of Limbo by Latin theologians of the Middle Ages to resolve the question of the fate of dead children without baptism. From the thirteenth century, we begin to talk about limbo , a place unknown but hidden from the face of God, where you can find non-baptized children. These blades , which have never been a truth of faith, therefore, dogma and did not appear in the catechism in 1904, only to disappear in the 1992, were questioned in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI has abolished the concept of Catholic theology. In this, Benedict XVI resumed number 1261 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992:
"The children who die without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who wants all men to be saved and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say 'Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them' (Mk 10, 14) give us hope that there is a way of salvation for children who die without baptism. "
This does that for centuries, from the late Middle Ages to the first part of the twentieth century, the Church argues that since the humanity is heir of Original Sin, it is extremely important to baptize children, also sinners from birth, as soon as possible. The postmortem fate promised frightening to small children unbaptized cause a real terror for parents. Thus, alternative strategies are being established, such as baptism by a member of the audience. Any baptized person can baptize another person (usually the midwife or matron officiating), provided it has a little water can baptize. This conditional baptism must however be adjusted after the fact. In some regions (northern France and the East, Italy 's northern Bavaria , Galicia in Spain ), are emerging from the late Middle Ages of respite sanctuaries where you take small children died in the hope a moment of rebirth allow their baptism. Often, it takes all the organic movements for signs of life. These shrines are very popular and allow the establishment of a popular religiosity that the Church does not see a good eye and she finally banned ( Benedict XV in the middle of the eighteenth century). However, using the sanctuary to continue clandestinely respite until the middle of the twentieth century.
There are other cases: in some wealthy families, children were privately baptized soon after birth at home by a priest or religious, but there was no mention in a register of catholicity (for good reason! ) and some years later baptism "official" was held with illustrious godparents to the Church. And as the first act had no written evidence, the second was held conditionally. These undulations, legalized later, sometimes years later, were also common in mission countries. Thus in New France in the eighteenth andnineteenth century in Canada , while Mtis families or trappers , only the middle of the forest, had to wait years the passage of a priest to regularize the situation. Finally, we can find, sometimes conditional baptisms in the case of a recantation. If you are not certain that the grantee formerly Protestant seeking to join the Catholic Church has been called, is practiced at the time of the renunciation rite of baptism conditional. These cases are rare but exist. The Catholic Church clearly recognizes the validity of baptism according to the rites Protestants ( Calvinists , Lutherans ) and never requires a "re-baptism" or second baptism in such cases.
Validity of Baptism
Baptism, however, must comply with the rites prescribed by canon law.
Thus, the priests of Brisbane ( Australia ) have baptized infants with formulas "creative" as I baptize you in the Name of the Creator and of the Redeemer Of The and sanctify and I baptize you in The In The Name and of the Creator Of The Liberator and Sustainer Of The. .
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