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Type of Sacrament:
'Sacrament of the
Dead' (click
here for more info.)
Is Sacrament Obligatory? Yes.
"[Jesus] said to them,
'Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.'"
(Mk. 16:15-16) Note:
As Scripture makes clear, faith & baptism are necessary first
steps to salvation. To be saved, one must also live according to
God's laws.
Recipients: Persons of all ages
(infant to aged, male and female)
Can This Sacrament Be Repeated? No When Should Sacrament Be Received? As
soon as possible after birth (for adults, as soon as possible
after proper catechetical instruction) General
Prerequisites (for adults): Proper intention, proper
instruction, faith, repentance
for past sins Ordinary
Ministers:
Priests (or Bishops)
Note: In case of necessity, even
unbaptized lay persons (who have the proper intention) can administer a valid baptism.
[Note: Therefore, it is recommended that all learn how to baptize
properly in case of emergency.]
Form /
Matter: Formula of Baptism
(e.g. "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost"), Water (natural) Chief
Effects: * Complete forgiveness of
and remission of punishment due to original sin and all actual sin
that has been committed up to that time. *
Imparts a 'Character of a Christian': "By Baptism, moreover, we are
sealed with a character that can never be effaced from the
soul." (Catechism of the Council of Trent) *
"The
sacrament of Baptism confers first sanctifying grace by which
original sin is washed away, as well as all actual sin if any such
exists; it remits all punishment due on account of such sins; it
imprints the character of a Christian; it makes us children of
God, members of the Church, and heirs to Paradise, and enables us
to receive the other sacraments." (Catechism of St. Pius X) *
"[B]y virtue of this Sacrament we are not only delivered from
what are justly deemed the greatest of all evils, but are also
enriched with invaluable goods and blessings. Our souls are
replenished with divine grace, by which we are rendered just and
children of God and are made heirs to eternal salvation"
(Catechism of the Council of Trent) * "[T]he
waters of which not only wash away all the stains and defilements
of past sins, but also enrich us with divine grace which enables
us to avoid sin for the future and preserve righteousness and
innocence, which constitute the sum of a Christian life"
(Catechism of the Council of Trent) *
Regenerates in Christ (gives us a 'second birth'): "The
water, therefore, manifesting exteriorly the sacrament of grace,
and the Spirit effecting interiorly the benefit of grace, both
regenerate in one Christ that man who was generated in one
Adam." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 408 A.D.) *
Imparts the Holy Spirit: "The beginnings of this
regeneration and renovation of man are by Baptism. In this
sacrament, when the unclean spirit has been expelled from the
soul, the Holy Ghost enters in and makes it like to Himself. 'That
which is born of the Spirit, is spirit' (John iii., 6). The same
Spirit gives Himself more abundantly in Confirmation,
strengthening and confirming Christian life; from which proceeded
the victory of the martyrs and the triumph of the virgins over
temptations and corruptions." (Pope Leo XIII, "Divinum
Illud Munus", 1897 A.D.) * "[I]t
opens to us the portals of heaven which sin had closed against us"
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
Additional
Information:
* Baptism is the
first Sacrament and is called the "gate" to the other
sacraments
* Those baptized should be given a Christian
name (e.g. a saint's name)
*
Requires appropriate Sponsor(s)/Godparent(s) ["The duty of
a godparent after Baptism is to see that the child is brought up a
good Catholic, if this is not done by the parents."
(Baltimore Catechism)]
* Baptism makes us members of Christ's Church *
Baptism allows us to receive the other Sacraments
* Jesus Himself was baptized
(see Mt. 3:13-15)
*
Parents must be certain that their children are baptized in the
Catholic Church. "Can. 1366 Parents, or those who take the
place of parents, who hand over their children to be baptized or
educated in a non-Catholic religion are to be punished with a
censure or other just penalty." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
*
"[Baptized persons are] bound to always
profess the faith and observe the Law of Jesus Christ and of His
Church" (Catechism of St. Pius X)
*
It is of great importance that infants be baptized without delay. The necessity of infant baptism can be demonstrated by recalling
the fact that all persons are conceived with the guilt of Original
Sin (Click
Here For 'Original Sin' Reflections). In the Old Testament, we know
that male infants were circumcised and in the New Testament, we
can see that whole households were baptized (cf. Acts 16:15, Acts 16:33). It has always been the practice of the Church
to baptize infants. The Church teaches us that since Adam & Eve,
the only human being ever conceived immaculately (besides
Jesus) was the Blessed Virgin Mary. All other infants are
conceived stained by original sin, which has always been held
to prevent persons from seeing the Beatific Vision. In Scripture,
we see that St. John the Baptist was the only infant sanctified in
his mother's womb - but before his sanctification even he was
stained with original sin. We see clearly therefore that baptism
is necessary for salvation, and those who deny their children this
necessary sacrament jeopardize their salvation. Any who think
infant Baptism is unnecessary should consider the constant
teaching of the Church, indicated by quotations such as the
following:
"Since
infant children have no other means of salvation except baptism,
we may easily understand how grievously those persons sin who
permit them to remain without the grace of the Sacrament longer
than necessity may require, particularly at an age so tender as
to be exposed to numberless dangers of death." (Catechism
of the Council of Trent)
"'If
anyone denies that infants newly born from their mothers' wombs
are to be baptized,' even though they be born of baptized
parents, 'or says they are baptized indeed for the remission of
sins, but that they derive nothing of original sin from Adam,
which must be expiated by the laver of regeneration' for the
attainment of life everlasting, whence it follows, that in them
the form of baptism for the remission of sins is understood to
be not true, but false: let him be anathema. For what the
Apostle has said: 'By one man sin entered into the world, and by
sin death, and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have
sinned' (Rom. 5:12), is not to be understood otherwise than as
the Catholic Church spread everywhere has always understood it.
For by reason of this rule of faith from a tradition of the
apostles even infants, who could not as yet commit any sins of
themselves, are for this reason truly baptized for the remission
of sins, so that in them there may be washed away by
regeneration, what they have contracted by generation, (see n.
102). 'For unless a man be born again of water and the Holy
Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God' (Jn. 3:5)."
(Council of Trent, Denzinger #791)
"The
souls of those who die in mortal sin, or with original sin only
[e.g. infants],
however, immediately descend to hell, yet to be punished with
different punishments." (Council of Lyons II, Denzinger
#464) [Note: Infants who die in the state of Original Sin
only (that is, unbaptized infants), are traditionally believed
to descend to the "upper regions of hell" where -
although not suffering physical torments and are in a state of
'natural happiness' - are pained by being deprived by the loss
of the Beatific Vision. Never has the Church recognized another
means of salvation for such infants besides Baptism.]
"It
(the Roman Church) teaches...that the souls...of those who die
in mortal sin, or with only original sin [e.g. infants] descend immediately
into hell; however, to be punished with different penalties and
in different places." (Pope John XXII, Denzinger #493a).
"...the
souls of those who depart [die] in actual mortal sin or in
original sin only [e.g. infants], descend immediately into hell but to undergo
punishments of different kinds." (Council of Florence,
Denzinger #693)
Note:
Even aborted babies should be baptized:
"Can. 747 Care should be taken that aborted fetuses, at
whatever time they are born, if they are certainly alive, be
baptized absolutely; if there is doubt, under condition after
(being born)." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
*
In cases of necessity, it may be possible to baptize infants in
the womb. "Can. 746 § 1 No one should be baptized in the
mother's womb so long as there is a hope that he can be baptized
correctly outside of it. § 2 If the head of an infant is exposed
and there is imminent danger of death, let him be baptized on the
head; later, if he is delivered alive, he should be baptized again
under condition. § 3 If another part of the body is exposed, and
if danger [of death] is imminent, let him be baptized under
condition, thereupon, and then, if he survives birth, he should be
once again baptized under condition. § 4 If a pregnant mother
dies, and if the fetus is delivered by those who do such things,
and if he is certainly alive, he should be baptized absolutely; if
there is doubt, [the fetus should be baptized] under condition. §
5 A fetus baptized in the womb should be baptized again under
condition after [being born]." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
*
All (valid) baptisms conducted outside the Catholic Church are actually
Catholic Sacraments "used unlawfully" (St.
Augustine, Doctor of the Church). While "the baptism of
Christ cannot be invalidated even by the perversity of heretics,
when it is given or received among them", it
"could not profit those who had received it with the guilt of
schism [or heresy]" (St. Augustine). Such baptisms, however,
would be profitable once the person converted to the true Church
of Christ, the Catholic Church.
"Baptism
is good, if a man use it lawfully. And as they who used the law
unlawfully could not in that case cause that it should not be in
itself good, or make it null and void, so any one who uses baptism
unlawfully...because he lives in heresy...yet cannot cause that
the baptism should be otherwise than good, or altogether null and
void. And so, when he is converted...to Catholic unity...he begins
to have not another and a lawful baptism, but that same baptism in
a lawful manner. Nor does the remission of irrevocable sins follow
on baptism, unless a man not only have lawful baptism, but have it
lawfully" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
* There are three kinds of Baptism: Baptism
of water (the traditional method), Baptism of desire ("an ardent wish to receive
Baptism and to do all that God has ordained for our
salvation"), and Baptism of blood ("the shedding of
one's blood for the faith of Christ"). Note: The Church holds
that Baptism of
desire and Baptism of blood are sufficient when it is impossible
to receive the Baptism of water (click
here for more information).
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not comprehensive, are subject to variation / change, and may be
based on traditional practices. Items herein may be limited to
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applicable, may be relaxed by the Church in danger of death or in
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