Baptism- Im Catholic, Wife Lutheran- Godparents Non-catholic..?

[shaweet84]

So I’ve looked around online and I havent really found any answers to this scenario.

Im Catholic- raised such my entire life (25yrs). My wife is Lutheran. We are expecting our son in a couple of weeks (Nov 1 2009) I want to baptize my son Catholic but I havent a few interesting loopholes.

1. My wife and I were married in her- Lutheran- church.
2. The godparents we’ve chosen are not Catholic, and as such, we’re gonna let them “officially” be witnesses- but will sign any type of document or whatever as Godfather/mother. (because I don’t personally agree with the idea of them not being considered as one)

My question is can our son even be baptized Catholic (it wont surprise me if he cant- since my wife and I werent married Catholic) and second- if answer to 1st question is no- I’ve heard children can be baptized “Christian” and if so, can it be done in Catholic church?

thanks in advance.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Canon law spells out the requirements for a godparent: over 16, a fully initiated Catholic (including confirmation), leads a life consistent with the function to be taken on (a practicing Catholic), not bound by any canonical penalty, and not the parent of the one being baptized source].

A non-Catholic can be a Christian witness to the baptism, but you also need someone who meets the requirements to be a godparent. It makes sense when you think about it – the godparent’s job is to support you in raising your child in the faith. How can someone who doesn’t share that faith be a role model or support you in bringing your child up as a Catholic?

It would be good for you to talk with your priest about the requirements for baptism and for the godparents. While you’re talking with him I hope you will also talk about having your marriage convalidated, that is, bringing it into the Church.

You clearly want to give the gift of faith to your son. I hope you will also give the gift to yourself and take care of issues that are separating you from the Church.

 

[shaweet84]

Ok so if i read that correctly, I cannot have witnesses (non-catholic) w/o having catholic Godparents. Is that right?

Next question: If I were to baptize him Lutheran, what does it take to convert him to Catholic, and at what age can this be done?

 

[shaweet84]

well i understand that the Catholic Church doesnt recognize my marriage. I do plan to do what it takes so that they can recognize it, provided it doesnt entail my wife coverting. (something she has no interest in doing- nor do I have any interest in pressuring her)

Because the church doesnt recognize my marriage, will they not allow us to baptize our child?

 

[puzzleannie]

So I’ve looked around online and I havent really found any answers to this scenario.

Im Catholic- raised such my entire life (25yrs). My wife is Lutheran. We are expecting our son in a couple of weeks (Nov 1 2009) I want to baptize my son Catholic but I havent a few interesting loopholes.

1. My wife and I were married in her- Lutheran- church.
2. The godparents we’ve chosen are not Catholic, and as such, we’re gonna let them “officially” be witnesses- but will sign any type of document or whatever as Godfather/mother. (because I don’t personally agree with the idea of them not being considered as one)

My question is can our son even be baptized Catholic (it wont surprise me if he cant- since my wife and I werent married Catholic) and second- if answer to 1st question is no- I’ve heard children can be baptized “Christian” and if so, can it be done in Catholic church?

thanks in advance.

pick a religion.
you were baptized Catholic, and chances are the reason you disagree with some of Catholic Church teaching is because it has never been properly taught to you. Do yourself a favor and use this as an opportunity to learn the real Truth of your Faith. If you still reject the Church and her laws for your happiness, then become Lutheran, but for heaven sake learn what that denomination teaches. Do understand that there may be formal sin involved if you voluntarily reject your own Church. Please see a priest today. If as we hope and pray you return to the practice of your Catholic Faith, you will conform your marriage to Catholic law through convalidation and return to the sacraments, and protect your own soul.

Yes, your child can be baptized Catholic even before your marriage is convalidated, but you must give the priest assurance that the child will be raised Catholic, and that intent is not evident from the little information given here. The priest would be within his rights in delaying (not denying) baptism until you give that assurance. Choosing non-Catholic godparents is not the way to give that evidence.

The role of the godparents is to model the Catholic Faith for the child and to take over in your duty to raise the child Catholic, for which you will be making a solemn vow before God and His Church when you baptize your child. This is not an empty ritual this is a commitment for life and beyond.

Please see your priest today and correct your own misapprehensions about your own faith, and make the resolution to be the best father and hero for your child you can be. God bless you all.

 

[Ocarm]

I think you may be mistaken in your first point, given the following:

Can. 1055 §1. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized.

§2. For this reason, a valid matrimonial contract cannot exist between the baptized without it being by that fact a sacrament.

(from vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3V.HTM )

In other words, a marriage contracted between two validly baptised Christians - and as you say, baptism as offered by the Lutheran church is considered to be valid - is, as stated in §2. above, always* valid* itself. It is not always licit, however. That is, it may not have been contracted with the correct permissions from the Catholic church.

An application to the necessary authority - the ordinary of the diocese - can be made to regularise the situation and confer liceity upon it (i.e. retrospectively make it licit). This is without prejudice to the fact that a sacramental marriage has indeed taken place.

Even without such regularisation, this means that were someone in your situation to divorce and request permission to remarry, it would be necessary to undergo a process of annulment before that was possible, because the sacrament was validly entered into despite the lack of proper permission.

There is always a danger when considering canon law of extracting a few canons from the code and giving them prime significance without due consideration of canon law as a whole. The canons you quote in this post don’t exist in isolation from the other canons regarding marriage that precede it, and none of the law regarding marriage exists in isolation from an understanding of the difference between validity and liceity, which is a key distinction in judging the sacramental nature of acts - the example typically quoted is that SSPX priests can offer a valid mass because they were themselves validly ordained, but such masses are not licit because they take place without the proper permissions from the local ordinary. The distinction is very important.

Hope this helps.