baptism during Lent

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Assuming there is no life or death issue at stake, can an infant be baptised during Lent? I know you’re supposed to do it within the first few weeks, but if your kid is due on, say, Ash Wednesday, do you have to wait til after Easter to baptize?

Thanks.
 
kristie_m said:
Assuming there is no life or death issue at stake, can an infant be baptised during Lent? I know you’re supposed to do it within the first few weeks, but if your kid is due on, say, Ash Wednesday, do you have to wait til after Easter to baptize?

Thanks.
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There is nothing in Church law that forbids or discourages Baptisms during Lent so if you’ve already received the preparation prescribed by your parish you shouldn’t have to wait until Easter.

Unfortunately, some parishes and even some dioceses have a policy of not celebrating baptisms during this time.

Our parish generally provides Baptismal Preparation every 8-10 weeks and encourages parents to take advantage of these sessions before their baby is born. If they do so they can present their baby for baptism on the first weekend home from the hospital if they wish.
 
Phemie said:
There is nothing in Church law that forbids or discourages Baptisms during Lent so if you’ve already received the preparation prescribed by your parish you shouldn’t have to wait until Easter.

.
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lol…I asked my pastor if we should take the classes and he laughed and replied “You could probably TEACH the classes!”

I thought I remembered hearing something about no weddings or baptisms during Lent, though. 🤷
 
kristie_m said:
lol…I asked my pastor if we should take the classes and he laughed and replied “You could probably TEACH the classes!”

I thought I remembered hearing something about no weddings or baptisms during Lent, though. 🤷
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My wedding was in Lent, back in 1976. Neither the pastor and my cousin who was a monsignor had a problem with it. I don’t remember ever going to another wedding during Lent, but there are a lot of anniversaries in March and April. SOME of them must have been married in a Catholic church.
 
kristie_m said:
lol…I asked my pastor if we should take the classes and he laughed and replied “You could probably TEACH the classes!”

I thought I remembered hearing something about no weddings or baptisms during Lent, though. 🤷
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Baptisms are fine. Weddings ARE discouraged during Lent – and Advent. If they do take place the bride and groom are to be reminded that those are penitential times and they must abide by the seasons: no flowers in the church & no Alleluia during Lent, no great festivity, etc.

I’m sure there are pastors who won’t care, I had one of those: the bride and groom could have turned the church into a veritable greenhouse during Holy Week and he wouldn’t have said a word. Anything the couple wanted they got: music, decor, etc.

Others will make very sure that the Liturgical Seasons are respected.
 
My youngest was baptized on Easter along with her Godparents’ youngest child. I had never heard of that happening before, but it was very beautiful and I will always remember it.
 
kristie_m said:
Assuming there is no life or death issue at stake, can an infant be baptised during Lent? I know you’re supposed to do it within the first few weeks, but if your kid is due on, say, Ash Wednesday, do you have to wait til after Easter to baptize?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Baptism during Lent would be hard at my parish, since we drain the baptismal fount during Lent and it remains dry until Easter.
 
Cathh(name removed by moderator) said:
My youngest was baptized on Easter along with her Godparents’ youngest child. I had never heard of that happening before, but it was very beautiful and I will always remember it.
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The Easter Vigil is a prime time for Baptisms. Often though, parents of infants don’t want to be out with the baby at that time of night so we end up having a Baptism or two on Easter morning.

To this day in my baptismal parish the old folk talk of the first time babies were baptized at the Easter Vigil. It was 1953 and the babies were twin girls. The parents were old pros as these babies were the 4th birth for this couple: triplets / twins (♂♀) / twins (♂♀) / twins (♀♀). Unfortunately the triplets and the ♀ of the first set of twins didn’t survive very long.
 
CalCatholic said:
Baptism during Lent would be hard at my parish, since we drain the baptismal fount during Lent and it remains dry until Easter.
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That has been prohibited by the Vatican for quite awhile now (March 2000)
Prot. N. 569/00/L
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Dear Father:
This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.
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This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:
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The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.
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The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of her sacraments is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The “fast” and “abstinence” which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturda).
Hoping that this resolves the question with every good wish and kind regard, I am,
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Sincerely yours in Christ,
Mons. Mario Marini
Undersecretary
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adoremus.org/HolyWater.html

BTW, the bolded part also addresses the topic at hand. The Church does not abstain from offering the Sacraments during Lent.
 
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