It is very important for baptisms to be both valid and licit, making the form, matter, structure baptismal promises, vows of the godparents, baptismal candle, etc. According to aboutcatholic. With this initiation comes a sort of seal, St. Baptism orients the soul not only to worship God and serve him with their lives, but also to take part in his kingly, prophetic, and priestly offices.
Unpacking Confirmation, Baptism, and the Birth of the Church. Form, Intent, and Why They Matter. Here are just a couple of the biggest areas of symbolism in a Catholic baptism:. The baptismal font is the large bowl of holy water where most baptisms take place. The earliest baptismal fonts in the Western Church were found in the catacombs of Rome, where indoor baptisms would take place. Baptismal fonts were moved to churches in the fourth century A. Small baptismal fonts are located at all doors within a church, which we dip our fingers in upon entering or exiting, blessing ourselves in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Water is the essential matter within a baptism. It is so to symbolize that Jesus is living water, and as we are cleansed during the sacrament, we are welcomed both into the Church and into eternal life.
Water is also a symbol of divine life, grace, new birth, growth, deliverance, power, and the covenant God established with his people, first through Abraham. A baptismal gown is the outfit worn by the one receiving baptism. Traditionally, the gown is white. This is to signify Christian dignity, and the act of becoming a new creature through the sacrament. The color white is also to symbolize being clothed with Christ, as we are cleansed from sin. The baptismal candle that is lit during the ceremony is also used as the Easter candle.
The lighting of the candle represents the flame of faith, which is to be kept burning throughout the life of the baptized. Additionally, the candle symbolizes the risen Christ, as he is the light of the world. Two of the three holy oils are used during a baptism. The first is the oil of catechumens. This oil is used to bless the child before the actual baptism takes place, in order to strengthen the recipient and prepare them for the sacrament. The second oil used is the Sacred Chrism, which is considered the most important of the three holy oils.
The Chrism is not only used during the sacrament of baptism, but also during confirmation, holy orders, and at the consecration of a church. Early on in Church history, this olive oil was used for several different functions, such as welcoming guests into a home, cooking, medicating the ill, preparing a body for burial, and many other practices. The earliest formula of blessing the oils for sacramental use was first found during the fourth century in the Prayer Book of Serapion.
The use of the three oils comes from the instructions of Jesus himself, as we see him asking the apostles to anoint the sick Mark The apostles passed this custom on throughout the years James , giving us the practice of using them still today. Many of the Church fathers have written on the importance of blessing the newly baptized with sacred oils.
The oils are held in vessels called stocks and are placed in an ambry or cabinet until they are needed. Chrism is used to consecrate persons, setting them apart for God, while the oil of catechumens is used for those seeking baptism, and the oil of the infirm is used while anointing the sick or dying. Baptisms are a family affair, not just for the individual but for the Church as well!
Today, most people are baptized as infants by a priest or deacon, though this is not strictly necessary see below. The parents present the child for baptism while the godparents are present as witnesses. Although any lay person can baptize in certain emergency situations see FAQs below , it is preferred to have a priest administer the sacrament of baptism. In ordinary language it usually means being delegated by someone to be present in his place, to speak and act in his stead because the person he represents is absent from the practical action.
This does not mean, however, that Christ is absent in the Church and in the roles of the priest. Instead, it infers that:. It is thus believed that the priest is the best member of the Church, given practical circumstances, to administer the sacrament of baptism. John the Baptist tells the people he is baptizing in Matthew :.
It is because of Scripture and the role of the priest as persona Christi that we are baptized through priests. Through their hands, which are to represent the hands of Christ himself, we are brought into the body of the Catholic Church. If a priest in unavailable to perform a baptism for whatever reason, it is permissible for a deacon to perform one in his absence.
Because a deacon is not a priest, there are limits to what they can do in the celebration of our faith. However, baptism is a sacrament they can administer. This is because the deacon is considered a cleric and an ordinary minister of the sacrament of baptism, just as a priest or a bishop is. Baptism is an action proper to his role, and if he has the approval and knowledge of the priest at his parish, he may baptize both validly and licitly.
Parents or guardians take on the responsibility for raising the child Catholic when they ask for baptism. Before the baptism, parents will usually meet with their local priest, to make sure they fully understand the importance of the promises they will be making on behalf of their child.
They may attend a pre-baptism course. Baptisms do not take place at a public Sunday service of Mass. The ceremony is private , with only family and friends invited. The ceremony is highly symbolic and represents a journey into Christian life. The stages of the journey take place in four different parts of the church. At the door — the child, parents and godparents are greeted by the priest and welcomed into the church. To call a child by his or her name shows the uniqueness of each individual before God.
The mortal sin would remain unforgiven; the soul would remain spiritually dead. That is true, also, of the other five sacraments. None of them can mean a thing to us until first the capacity for receiving the other sacraments has been established in the soul by the character of Baptism.
It is the character of Baptism, according to St. By Baptism we are given the power—and the obligation—to share with Christ in those things which pertain to divine worship: the Mass and the sacraments. The impression of the baptismal character upon the soul also makes us members of the Church.
This means to:. But even these latter—baptized persons who are severed from actual membership in the Church—still are subject as are all people to Christ and subject to His Church as are all baptized persons. Unless specifically exempted as the Church does exempt baptized non-Catholics in regard to certain laws , they still are subject to the laws of the Church. It still would be mortal sin, for example, for an excommunicated Catholic to deliberately ignore fasting on a day like Good Friday.
Baptism is necessary for salvation for anyone who has heard the Gospel of Christ and has the possibility of requesting Baptism. Once he dies, how could health or worldly success matter at all if this person has missed out on the one thing for which he was made—eternal union with God? We can understand, then, why it is that the Church insists that babies be baptized as soon as possible after birth—as soon as the infant can safely be carried to church.
It is an article of faith that anyone who dies in the state of original sin is excluded from heaven, from the vision of God. However, the Church has never officially taught that the souls of infants who die without Baptism do not see God; it may be that God has some way of compensating in such souls for their lack of Baptism.
But if so, God has not revealed it to us. In any event, our obligation is to follow the safer course: never through our fault to let a soul enter eternity without Baptism. For parents, this means that they should not unduly delay the Baptism of their newborn child. Parents who unnecessarily delay or neglect the Baptism of their child become guilty of grave sin.
It would be very wrong, for example, for parents to put off Baptism simply because Uncle George is coming to town next month, and they want Uncle George to be godfather of the baby. Right now, the baby needs Baptism more than he needs Uncle George—and Uncle George still can be godfather by proxy.
It would be still worse to postpone Baptism so the parents can put together an elaborate party. But in an emergency, anyone can baptize—even a non-Catholic or non-Christian. All that is required is that the person baptizing:.
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