Advice on approach to "abnormal" baptism

[Phemie]

phemie,does not the church also allow Pouring of Living Water upon the heads of babies in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit?,.,Me thinks they do.

What’s your point? Yes, pouring is a valid way to baptize and a lot of our baptisms are by pouring, but since the Church says that immersion is a better symbol of the dying and rising in Christ and makes that the first option we also offer immersion to parents who would prefer to have their children baptized that way.

 

[love4mary]

Phemie, My only point was, that you said your priest did not know that he “Had” to immerse the infant being baptised. That left me with the impression that that was the Only form used by the church. If I msunderstood what you were trying to say, I apologize.

 

[Phemie]

Phemie, My only point was, that you said your priest did not know that he “Had” to immerse the infant being baptised. That left me with the impression that that was the Only form used by the church. If I msunderstood what you were trying to say, I apologize.

I’m sorry that I wasn’t clear. No, what he didn’t know was that if you baptize by immersion you have to immerse 3 times as opposed to just once.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

We often don’t meet the godparents until 10 minutes before the baptism. Honestly, he doesn’t care. Most of the baptisms he celebrates he knows full well he’ll never see the godparents or the parents in church again except perhaps at Christmas.

He’s been a priest 30+ years and he still didn’t know that the anointing with chrism at Baptism is done on the crown of the head and not on the forehead like at Confirmation. He also wasn’t aware that he had to immerse a baby three times for a valid baptism.

You need to speak with the Bishop about this. I know that there were several years ago in Canada an investigation into Baptismal practices at a parish by the local Bishop that found dozens if not hundreds of questionable Baptisms that needed to be celebrated again conditionally.