Baptism -- Immersion

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In the Catholic Church it is by sprinkling of water. And perhaps a few other things (I haven’t yet attended a Catholic baptism).

I understand that the Catholic Church RCIA / RCIC also accepts other Baptisms.

Does the Catholic Church sometimes permit Baptism by Immersion (for example in a natural setting)? As a Baptist (soon going to RCIA / RCIC), I always thought there is nothing like watching an adult Baptism service (adult Christian conversion) in a natural setting. Such as at a river or in the Gulf of Mexico, etc. I think it was more common of Churches long ago. I once went to a Church where they typically went to a bay off the Gulf of Mexico (and some of us watching would wade in to watch).
 
The Catholic Church recognizes 3 forms of water Baptism:
  1. pouring
  2. sprinkling (as long as the water FLOWS over the head)
  3. Immersion.
And the Triditine formula:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” that is why Mormon “baptism” is not valid.
 
In the United States, Adult baptisms would normally be administered as part of the Easter Vigil for which the ‘natural setting’ is the parish church. Whether pouring, immersion, or sprinkling is used would depend on the facilities available in that church. Since such baptisms take place at night, natural settings are less practical anyways.

I can’t think of any ordinary circumstances for which baptisms would take place in an outdoor natural setting but I’m sure there are exceptional cases where they do.
 
Note that baptism by sprinkling is no longer allowed (i.e., licit) as of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.
 
I was trying to picture Acts 2:37-41. If about three thousand person were baptized on Pentecost in Jerusalem, did they get water poured on them or where they immerged? The Jordan River did not run through the City of Jerusalem. So they must have poured water over them!

Just a thought.
 
Many of the older churches in Europe—at Pisa in Italy for example, next to the Leaning Tower—have beautiful baptistries, separate builidings from the churches JUST for baptisms. They have a large pool in them where one can imagine the accepted way of administering baptism was by immersion. It is an ancient way of baptizing, very dramatic. Our Baptist friends err in saying that that is the ONLY way to baptize.
 
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