Baptism in a church other than home parish?

[reagan2004]

I would be most grateful if anyone could help with our predicament or offer guidance on where to find answers about it. My husband and I attend the one Catholic church in our small town and to be honest, it’s a pretty terrible parish. The priest is all over the map, theologically, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. However, we don’t have much choice as the next closest church is over 45 minutes away, though we do attend there as frequently as we are able.

We are expecting our first child later this month and I was wondering if anyone here knew what the procedure would be for having our baby baptized in our home church (very out-of-state) when we return to visit early next year. Do we take the preparation classes through our current church? Are we obligated to get some sort of dispensation because the baptism will not occur at the parish to which we are technically ‘members’?

Any and all advice is much appreciated.

 

[FrDavid96]

I would be most grateful if anyone could help with our predicament or offer guidance on where to find answers about it. My husband and I attend the one Catholic church in our small town and to be honest, it’s a pretty terrible parish. The priest is all over the map, theologically, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. However, we don’t have much choice as the next closest church is over 45 minutes away, though we do attend there as frequently as we are able.

We are expecting our first child later this month and I was wondering if anyone here knew what the procedure would be for having our baby baptized in our home church (very out-of-state) when we return to visit early next year. Do we take the preparation classes through our current church? Are we obligated to get some sort of dispensation because the baptism will not occur at the parish to which we are technically ‘members’?

Any and all advice is much appreciated.

The priest of the parish where you grew up needs permission from the pastor of the place where you live now in order to do the baptism. This can be a simple letter from your current pastor allowing the other priest to perform it. This is a routine thing, and it’s done all the time, but it is necessary.

Baptism classes as such are not required for administering the Sacrament, only a founded hope that the child will be raised in the Faith. Parishes offer these classes, and for good reason. For the sake of your own convenience, you might want to sign up for those classes at your home parish just because of distance.

 

[Phemie]

The priest of the parish where you grew up needs permission from the pastor of the place where you live now in order to do the baptism. This can be a simple letter from your current pastor allowing the other priest to perform it. This is a routine thing, and it’s done all the time, but it is necessary.

Baptism classes as such are not required for administering the Sacrament, only a founded hope that the child will be raised in the Faith. Parishes offer these classes, and for good reason. For the sake of your own convenience, you might want to sign up for those classes at your home parish just because of distance.

I second the advice to take the classes at your home parish. I deal with this all the time since I’m both a member of the Baptism preparation team and the parish secretary and we have a very transient population. It’s not rare that the parents we are preparing tell us they are planning to go ‘back home’ to have their child baptized.

I simply write a letter in Fr.'s name, telling the priest who will be baptizing that he has permission to do so and that the parents have completed the preparation required by our parish.

 

[JWC]

We went through a similar thing…we had just moved, but wanted the baptism in my several-generation “home” parish. We did the courses/prep in our new parish, but the rite was back in the home parish. As others have stated it just needs to be coordinated between the two.

Keep in mind the sacramental record will be maintained in the parish where the baptism occurs.

 

[Phemie]

We went through a similar thing…we had just moved, but wanted the baptism in my several-generation “home” parish. We did the courses/prep in our new parish, but the rite was back in the home parish. As others have stated it just needs to be coordinated between the two.

Keep in mind the sacramental record will be maintained in the parish where the baptism occurs.

When our first two were born we took them back home to be baptized (back during the days of the 1917 Code of Canon Law). We were a military family and I must admit that it never even occurred to me that I needed the padre’s permission to have the babies baptized at home.

Dad just called my old pastor and said “Phemie & her DH are coming home with the baby can we have her/him baptized this Sunday?” Pastor said “Sure, give me the details and show up after Mass on Sunday.” Nary a question asked, no preparation, nothing. That was in 79 & 82 respectively.

 

[Aramis]

Baptism classes as such are not required for administering the Sacrament, only a founded hope that the child will be raised in the Faith.

Some bishops DO require them, either in the monthly group class, or in individual session with a cleric.

I only had to take class once, however, despite having two children.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I would be most grateful if anyone could help with our predicament or offer guidance on where to find answers about it. My husband and I attend the one Catholic church in our small town and to be honest, it’s a pretty terrible parish. The priest is all over the map, theologically, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. However, we don’t have much choice as the next closest church is over 45 minutes away, though we do attend there as frequently as we are able.

We are expecting our first child later this month and I was wondering if anyone here knew what the procedure would be for having our baby baptized in our home church (very out-of-state) when we return to visit early next year. Do we take the preparation classes through our current church? Are we obligated to get some sort of dispensation because the baptism will not occur at the parish to which we are technically ‘members’?

Any and all advice is much appreciated.

Others have adressed the permission issue. I wish to address the delay in Baptism. The teaching and law of the Church is that the child should be Baptized soon after birth. There is no good reason (posted) to delay the Baptism several months. Having the child Baptized in your old “home” parish would be nice but it should take place within a few weeks of birth. The Baptismal preparation should have been taken care of by now.

 

[FrDavid96]

Some bishops DO require them, either in the monthly group class, or in individual session with a cleric.

I only had to take class once, however, despite having two children.

Lest people become confused, the pastor only needs to have a founded hope that the child will be raised in the faith. Baptism classes can and should be offered. Pastors can and should do everything to encourage them. But withholding or delaying the Sacrament merely because the parents have not attended classes is a violation of the Sacred Canons.

The bishop can certainly require that the pastor meet with the parents, and even if it’s not required by the bishop, the pastor has this responsibility to determine if there is a founded hope.

 

[cameron_lansing]

. . .Sacred Canons . . . .

There’s a term I haven’t heard in a few years.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Others have adressed the permission issue. I wish to address the delay in Baptism. The teaching and law of the Church is that the child should be Baptized soon after birth. There is no good reason (posted) to delay the Baptism several months. Having the child Baptized in your old “home” parish would be nice but it should take place within a few weeks of birth. The Baptismal preparation should have been taken care of by now.

I was hoping to address the delay issue, as well. Canon law includes an obligation to have the child baptized “in the first few weeks” (can. 867). This is interpreted as preferably within the first two but at the latest within the first 4 weeks. So that is the window you’re dealing with.

As far as permission goes, though, and our resident canonist can correct me if I’m wrong, I thought permission was only required to baptize in *someone else’s *territory. Pastors no longer have a strict right to baptize their subjects, and the only permission I saw listed in the canons was the above, so it may be a nicety and not a necessity. If it were strictly necessary there would be an incredible number of illicit baptisms since many people are “registered” at parishes to which they do not juridically belong.

 

[FrDavid96]

I was hoping to address the delay issue, as well. Canon law includes an obligation to have the child baptized “in the first few weeks” (can. 867). This is interpreted as preferably within the first two but at the latest within the first 4 weeks. So that is the window you’re dealing with.

As far as permission goes, though, and our resident canonist can correct me if I’m wrong, I thought permission was only required to baptize in *someone else’s *territory. Pastors no longer have a strict right to baptize their subjects, and the only permission I saw listed in the canons was the above, so it may be a nicety and not a necessity. If it were strictly necessary there would be an incredible number of illicit baptisms since many people are “registered” at parishes to which they do not juridically belong.

Well, yes. A pastor (or other priest) technically only needs permission when he baptises outside of his own territity (c. 862). However, c. 857 states that “as a rule” infants are to be baptised in the parish of their parents.

That’s why the “other” priest needs to have permission of the “home” pastor. It’s not in the most strict sense illicit, but it is unofficially a requirement. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that we don’t want to undermine the ministry of the home pastor by advising people to go outside their own parish to seek baptism. That’s why a priest who is asked to do a baptism of a non-parishioner’s child won’t agree to do so without at least some kind of permission from the proper pastor.

 

[Phemie]

Well, yes. A pastor (or other priest) technically only needs permission when he baptises outside of his own territity (c. 862). However, c. 857 states that “as a rule” infants are to be baptised in the parish of their parents.

That’s why the “other” priest needs to have permission of the “home” pastor. It’s not in the most strict sense illicit, but it is unofficially a requirement. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that we don’t want to undermine the ministry of the home pastor by advising people to go outside their own parish to seek baptism. That’s why a priest who is asked to do a baptism of a non-parishioner’s child won’t agree to do so without at least some kind of permission from the proper pastor.

I guess it depends on the priest. The one who baptized my first two children never asked for permission and the pastor we’ve had for the last 4 years baptized any child presented to him without question no matter where the parents were from.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I guess it depends on the priest. The one who baptized my first two children never asked for permission and the pastor we’ve had for the last 4 years baptized any child presented to him without question no matter where the parents were from.

Ther have been a lot of things going on and attitudes developing over the last 40 or so years that probably shouldn’t have been allowed to.

 

[Phemie]

Ther have been a lot of things going on and attitudes developing over the last 40 or so years that probably shouldn’t have been allowed to.

I only became aware of the permission thing when I stumbled on an entry in the baptismal records of one of the parishes whose registers we hold. The priest entered a baptism and then noted that the baptism had been celebrated at the shrine of St. Anne-de-Beaupré without his permission. (It’s a cultural thing, many families from that parish do a pilgrimage to the shrine for the feast of St. Anne and many have their babies baptized there at that time.) My question, why did he enter it into this register when it was celebrated in another city, another province even?

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Well, yes. A pastor (or other priest) technically only needs permission when he baptises outside of his own territity (c. 862). However, c. 857 states that “as a rule” infants are to be baptised in the parish of their parents.

That’s why the “other” priest needs to have permission of the “home” pastor. It’s not in the most strict sense illicit, but it is unofficially a requirement. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that we don’t want to undermine the ministry of the home pastor by advising people to go outside their own parish to seek baptism. That’s why a priest who is asked to do a baptism of a non-parishioner’s child won’t agree to do so without at least some kind of permission from the proper pastor.

All very true. Just to calm any scruples, though, it ought also to be mentioned that the “rule” of baptism in the home parish can be set aside for a “just cause,” about the lowest canonical standard there is. Most any reasonable sort of consideration dispenses, so the speak, from that general rule.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I only became aware of the permission thing when I stumbled on an entry in the baptismal records of one of the parishes whose registers we hold. The priest entered a baptism and then noted that the baptism had been celebrated at the shrine of St. Anne-de-Beaupré without his permission. (It’s a cultural thing, many families from that parish do a pilgrimage to the shrine for the feast of St. Anne and many have their babies baptized there at that time.) My question, why did he enter it into this register when it was celebrated in another city, another province even?

My guess is that the Shrine, since it is not a parish church does not have a Baptismal register?

 

[FrDavid96]

All very true. Just to calm any scruples, though, it ought also to be mentioned that the “rule” of baptism in the home parish can be set aside for a “just cause,” about the lowest canonical standard there is. Most any reasonable sort of consideration dispenses, so the speak, from that general rule.

Actually, it’s not so much a matter of dispensing from the rule. That much is a given, because the law itself does not strictly require it. In cases like these, it’s more the law of charity and courtesy. A priest who makes a regular habit of it, or encourages it could be called to task for it. In individual cases, it’s simply a matter of showing due respect for the proper pastor.

 

[Phemie]

My guess is that the Shrine, since it is not a parish church does not have a Baptismal register?

No, it’s also a parish with over 1600 pop. so it does have a baptismal register.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

No, it’s also a parish with over 1600 pop. so it does have a baptismal register.

Then I have no idea why a pastor of another parish would record a Baptism in his parish Baptismal register that actually took place in another parish?

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

Then I have no idea why a pastor of another parish would record a Baptism in his parish Baptismal register that actually took place in another parish?

Parishes keep sacramental records of their parishioners, even if those parishioners were baptized somewhere else. Most sacramental records, though, are done as addenda to a baptismal record.