Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213)."
General Introduction
Through the sacraments of Christian initiation men and women are freed from the power of darkness. With Christ they die, are buried and rise again. They receive the Spirit of adoption which make them God's sons and daughters and, with the entire people of God, they celebrate the memorial of the Lord's death and resurrection.
Through baptism men and women are incorporated into Christ. They are formed into God's people, and they obtain forgiveness of all their sins. They are raised from their natural human condition to the dignity of adopted children. They become a new creation through water and the Holy Spirit. Hence they are called, and are indeed, the children of God.
Signed with the gift of the Spirit in confirmation; Christians more perfectly become the image of their Lord and are filled with the Holy Spirit. They bear witness to him before all the world and eagerly work for the building up of the body of Christ.
Finally they come to the table of the Eucharist, to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man so that they may have eternal life and show forth the unity of God's people. By offering themselves with Christ, they share in his universal sacrifice: the entire community of the redeemed is offered to God by their high priest. They pray for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that the whole human race may be brought into the unity of God's family.
Thus the three sacraments of Christian initiation closely combine to bring the faithful to the full stature of Christ and to enable them to carry out the mission of the entire people of God in the Church and in the world.
Dignity of Baptism
Baptism is the door to life and to the kingdom of God. Christ offered this first sacrament of the new law to all people that they might have eternal life. He entrusted this sacrament and the gospel to his Church when he told his apostles: "Go, make disciples of all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Therefore baptism is, above all, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit's grace, respond to the gospel of Christ. That is why the Church believes it is her most basic and necessary duty to inspire all, catechumens, parents of children still to be baptized, and godparents, to that true and living faith by which they adhere to Christ and enter into or confirm their commitment to the new covenant. To accomplish this, the Church prescribes the pastoral instruction of catechumens, the preparation of the children's parents, the celebration of God's word, and the profession of baptismal faith.
Further, baptism is the sacrament by which men and women are incorporated in the Church, built into a house where God lives, in the Sprit, into a holy nation and a royal priesthood. It is a sacramental bond of unity linking all who have been signed by it. Because of that unchangeable effect (signified in the Latin liturgy by the anointing of the baptized person with chrism in the presence of God's people), the rite of baptism is help in highest honor by all Christians. It may never lawfully be repeated once it has been validly celebrated, even if by fellow Christians from who we are separated.
Baptism, the cleansing with water by the power of the living Word, makes us sharers in God's own life and his adopted children. As proclaimed in the prayers for the blessing of the water, baptism is a cleansing water of rebirth, which makes us God's children. The blessed Trinity is invoked over those who are baptized. Signed in this name, they are consecrated to the Trinity and enter into fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are prepared for this high dignity and led to it by the scriptural readings, the prayer of the community, and the threefold profession of faith.
Far superior to the purifications of the old law, baptism produces all these effects by the power of the mystery of the Lord's passion and resurrection. Those who are baptized are engrafted in the likeness of Christ's death. They are buried with him, they are given life again with him, and with him they rise again." For baptism recalls and effects the paschal mystery itself, because by means of it men and women pass from the death of sin into life. Its celebration, therefore, should reflect the joy of the resurrection, especially when it takes place during the Easter Vigil or on a Sunday.
—From The Rite of Baptism for Children (1968)
Baptism - Frequently Asked Questions
Question:
How long after the birth of a child should the Baptism take place?
Answer:
As soon as possible after the birth: Parents are obliged to see to it that infants are baptized within the first weeks after birth; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it. Parents are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared for it properly (Code of Canon Law 867.1). An infant in danger of death is to be baptized without any delay (Code of Canon Law 867.2).
Question:
Must we give our child the name of a saint to be baptized?
Answer:
A saint's name is not a requirement. A baptismal name that is offensive to Christians is not permitted; a saint's name is not necessary. Offensive names include Lucifer, Beelzebub, Hitler, etc. Names from the Old Testament are perfectly acceptable.
Question:
We are in the process of adopting a child or have adopted a child. What steps are needed to have the child baptized?
Answer:
In the case of adoption please contact one of the priests here at St. Barnabas. Such cases require some minor paperwork.
Question:
Can I change the names one or both godparents after the baptism?
Answer:
No. Examples of changes permitted the Chancellors Office:
• Add or change to reflect the "new" legal father or mother.
• Change of last name.
• Correct the errors in original baptismal entry.
Changes do not include a change in the sponsors (godparents). The names of godparents are not erased or changed (Pastoral Manual, 1997 edition: Diocese of Rockville Centre).
Question:
What are to requirements for being a godparent (sponsor) at Baptism?
Answer:
Code of Canon Law 874.1
• One sponsor must be Catholic.
• The Catholic must be at least 16 years old and baptized and confirmed living an upright life no penalties (e.g., left the Church, etc.). Therefore, a Catholic who has left the Catholic Church cannot be a sponsor, and cannot be a "Christian Witness" if they join another Christian communion.
• Cannot be either parent
Question:
Can a baptized non-Catholic be a godparent?
Answer:
Yes. Such a person is known as a Christian witness. In this situation the godparent must be a Catholic. The Christian witness must be at least 16 years old, a validly baptized Christian, living an upright life. Cannot be either parent. Cannot be a Catholic who has left the Church.
Question:
Can a non-baptized person (i.e. a Jewish or Muslim person) be a godparent?
Answer:
No. Because of the duties of a godparent to assist the parents of the child in passing on the Christian faith. At the celebration of the sacrament parents and godparents are asked to profess publicly their faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If the person wishes to convert to Christianity in the Catholic Church, then their own reception of baptism, confirmation, and eucharist must take place prior to the child's baptism.
Question:
Can we have two godmothers or two godfathers?
Answer:
No. There may be one godfather, one godmother, or one of each (Code of Canon Law 873).
Question:
What are the duties of parents and godparents?
Answer:
In infant baptism the godparent, together with the parents, presents the child for baptism and helps the baptized to lead the Christian life in harmony with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it (Code of Canon Law 872)
Question:
What if the godparent cannot be present for the Baptism?
Answer:
If the godparent cannot be present in person, he or she may appoint another person to serve as a proxy...Ordinarily the appointment of the proxy should be made by the godparent in writing or before two witnesses, in order that there be certainty as to who is the responsible person.
