Baptism

What does Baptism do?

• Remits all sins (both original sin and personal sin) and their temporal punishments. 
   
• Imprints an indelible mark on the soul of the baptized which marks him as God's, initiates him into the life of the Church, and allows him to receive the other Sacraments. It is through Baptism that we are born again -- regenerated -- of water and Spirit and receive new life.
   
• Infuses sanctifying grace, supernatural gifts, and virtues (according to the disposition of the soul receiving the Sacrament and providing he puts up no obstacles), making us true adopted children of God.

There is only one Baptism, therefore the Sacrament may be received only once. For those who have reached the age of reason, the Sacrament must also be received in faith. In the case of infants, it is the faith of the parents that operates until the child himself reaches the age of reason.

There are a two ways to enter the Church through Baptism:

• Private Baptism:
  An emergency baptism which can be performed anywhere, by anyone - Catholic, pagan, Jew, Protestant -- who uses the proper matter and form and intends to do what the Church does when She baptizes. Note that Baptism must only be administered to those who request it; Baptism must never, ever be against the will of the person to be baptized, or his parents' will if he is a child. Also, rest assured that those who, with contrite hearts, have expressed a true desire for Baptism and have vowed to receive the Sacrament, but die before receiving it are baptized "by desire."
   
• Solemn Baptism:
  Baptism by a priest, who is the usual minister of Baptism, during the Rite of Baptism which includes ceremonies such as a formal renunciation of Satan and all his works, exorcism, the use of water blessed at the Easter Vigil or Pentecost, the imposition of blessed salt, an anointing with Chrism, etc. One may be solemnly baptized as an infant; or by preparing oneself through catechesis and being baptized by a priest after a period of official catechesis.

Private Baptism

The bare necessity for Baptism -- and the procedure used to baptize someone in an emergency - is to say the following words while pouring clean water (hot or cold, fresh or salt -- though cold and fresh is preferred) over the forehead of the one to be baptized. The water must touch and flow over the skin:

I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Latin: Ego te baptizo in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

The Most Holy Trinity must be invoked using their Biblical titles, water must be used, it must be at least poured over the forehead such that it touches the skin, and the words of Baptism must be said as the water is being poured. The form written above is the precise method that every Catholic should know and teach their children in case they ever find themselves in the position of having to administer the Sacrament to someone in emergency need. Ideally, there should be a triple pouring -- once during each invocation of a Divine Person (e.g., "I baptize thee in the Name of the Father [pour] and of the Son [pour] and of the Holy [pour] Ghost").

If there is any doubt that Baptism validly took place, that is, according to the method above, a "conditional Baptism" is later administered. A conditional Baptism is also the style of private Baptism used when baptizing someone who is not sure he is baptized. 

The words of a conditional Baptism are:

If thou art not baptized, I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Latin: Si non es baptizatus (-a), ego te baptizo in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

Solemn Baptism

First things first: Catholic parents should arrange for the Baptism of their newborn as soon as possible. Do not delay! It should be the first thing on the new parents' minds.

The name you choose for your child should, ideally, be that of a Saint; at the least, they should not be given a name that conflicts with the Faith. The name you, as a Christian parent, give your child is known as his "Christian name" for a reason (note that the child will receive a new name at Confirmation as well).

Choosing Sponsors

When planning for a Baptism, sponsors (called "godparents" in the case of children) are chosen -- by the parents or by the catechumen himself, if he is of age -- to stand up for the catechumen during the Rite. There should, ideally, be one male and one female for this task, both baptized Catholics who are in good standing with the Church and who've reached the age of sixteen. Among those who may not act as sponsor are: members of religious orders, spouses in respect to each other, parents in respect to their own children, infidels, heretics, members of condemned secret societies, and public sinners.


What Sponsors Do

In the case of children, the role of the godparent is to be that of "spiritual guardian" who may help in the child's catechesis, and ensure that the godchild learns the Faith, and prays for the godchild throughout their life. 

St. Thomas Aquinas writes in his "Summa Theologica" III-67-8:

"Now it has been stated...that godparents take upon themselves the duties of a tutor. Consequently they are bound to watch over their godchildren when there is need for them to do so: for instance when and where children are brought up among unbelievers. But if they are brought up among Catholic Christians, the godparents may well be excused from this responsibility, since it may be presumed that the children will be carefully instructed by their parents. If, however, they perceive in any way that the contrary is the case, they would be bound, as far as they are able, to see to the spiritual welfare of their godchildren."

This is a very solemn obligation, not one to be entered into lightly. Parents should choose their child's godparents very carefully and select traditional Catholics who know the Faith, understand the obligations of god parenting, and are willing and able to live up to them. Parents and godparents should work together for the goal of helping the child to know, love, and serve God! During the Rite of Baptism, the godparents will answer for the child, that is, they will make the replies to the questions asked by the priest of the one to be baptized.

Sponsors for adults should express the same type of concern for the newly baptized soul, helping to ease the person into Church life and answer questions that may arise. During the Rite of Baptism, the sponsors for adults stand silent, with a hand on the candidate's shoulder; the one to be baptized answers the priest's questions himself.



The Rite of Baptism Itself

If the one to be baptized enters the Church during the most gorgeous Easter Vigil, the Rite of Baptism takes place during the Vigil Service itself, after the Litany of the Saints and the Blessing of the Baptismal Waters. If the one to be baptized is an infant, the Baptism takes place as soon as possible after birth. Otherwise, Baptism may take place any time the priest agrees.

Infants are dressed in beautiful white christening gowns -- gowns which often become heirlooms and are carefully packed away to be used by future children (you might see baby boys dressed in tiny little white suits); these special christening outfits, which can be homemade or purchased at Catholic gift stores, aren't necessary, of course, but Baby should be dressed in white. Adult catechumens should wear their "Sunday best".

Baptism can take place as a "stand alone" ceremony, or in the context of a Mass. The Rite itself is divided into 4 parts with different sub-parts, each bringing the catechumen further into the church building with each step, symbolizing initiation into the Catholic Church:

Part I: In the Narthex of the Church: The Questioning, the Exsufflation, The Sign of the Cross, The Imposition of Hands, The Imposition of Salt

Part II: Admission into the Church Building: Exorcism, The Sign of the Cross, The Imposition of Hands, The Admission into the Church, The Credo and Pater

Part III: In the Nave: The Solemn Exorcism, The Ephphetha, The Renunciation of Satan, The Annointing

Part IV: At the Font: The Profession of Faith, Baptism, The Annointing with Chrism, The White Linen Cloth, The Lighted Candle, The Last Words of Good Will

[ Note: that if a person is to be baptized during the Easter Vigil, the first 3 parts above might take place some time earlier than the Vigil itself. Then, during the Vigil, the rite is continued again starting with the Part IV. ]

Thus ends the Rite of Baptism.

Renewal of Baptismal Promises

During the Easter Vigil Mass each year, all the baptized renew their Baptismal promises. At this Mass, we recite the Litany of  the Saints, but stop halfway through (after the prayer to "All ye holy Saints of God"). At this point, the Baptismal waters are blessed, and then follows the renewal of our baptismal promises. We renew our promises by answering the questions (as a group) posed in the Renunciation of Satan and in the Profession of Faith above. The Pater is recited, and then a prayer that God keeps us in Christ. This is followed by a sprinkling of the congregation with the baptismal waters, and then finishing the Litany of All Saints.

Two Other Ways the Fruits of this Sacrament may be Received

In addition to the normative Baptism by water and Spirit that Christ commands, there are also the merciful "Baptism of Desire" and "Baptism of Blood." While Christ has given us the Sacrament as outlined above, and we are bound to obey Him, the fruits of sacramental Baptism may be had through these two other means. We must remember that while we are bound by the Sacraments, God is not, and He can pour out His graces in other ways.

Baptismus flaminis sive Spiritus Sancti -- "Baptism of Desire" (also called "Baptism of Fire") -- is the supernatural benefits of the Sacrament of Baptism granted, by the grace of Christ, to someone who explicitly or implicitly vows to receive Baptism but who, through no fault of his own, is unable to receive water Baptism as Christ desires. In order to be baptized in this way, one must have faith in God, be penitent, be animated by charity, and have the will to obey God's commands (which includes the command to be baptized in water and Spirit), even if not properly catechized. The good thief who died next to Our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in this way. 

This sort of Baptism is summarized by St. Augustine (A.D. 354-430) in "City of God":

For whatever un-baptized persons die confessing Christ, this confession is of the same efficacy for the remission of sins as if they were washed in the sacred font of baptism. For He who said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," made also an exception in their favor, in that other sentence where He no less absolutely said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven;" and in another place, "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it." And this explains the verse, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." For what is more precious than a death by which a man's sins are all forgiven, and his merits increased an hundred fold?

It is formally mentioned in Session 7, Canon 4 of the Council of Trent:

If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation, but that they are superfluous; and that men can, without the sacraments or the desire of them, obtain the grace of justification by faith alone, although it is true that not all the sacraments are necessary for each individual, let him be anathema.

Baptismus sanguinis -- "Baptism of Blood" -- is the supernatural benefits of the Sacrament of Baptism granted, by the grace of Christ, to someone who is martyred in defense of the Faith. This sort of Baptism is explained by St. John Chrysostom (347-407 AD):

Do not wonder that I called martyrdom a baptism: indeed there too the Spirit comes with much abundance, and words there the remission of sins and a wonderful and astonishing purification of the soul; and as those who are baptized by waters are washed, so those who suffer martyrdom are washed in their own blood.