Baptism of child for parents in irregular marriage?

[jkleinsc]

I have two friends that were both married in the Church, then divorced. Neither one got an annulment before they married each other. Theybare expecting a child soon, and they t
Want to baptize the child Catholic. My fear is they may not be able to because of the state they are living in. Am I overeacting? Can they have their child baptized?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

I would say, yes, the child would most likely be baptized. But it is not a black and white situation. The sticky point could be:

Can. 868 §1. For an infant to be baptized licitly:

2/ there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.

When couples are in an irregular marriage this canon needs to be addressed. However it is entirely possible, and not uncommon, that parents in an irregular marriage would attend Mass each week and give Catholic religious education to their child. While their situation is wrong, it does not mean that the requirement for baptism would not be fulfilled. *Everyone *who brings their child forth to be baptized is a sinner but that doesn’t mean they have no intention of raising the child in the Catholic faith. It is **only **when such hope is “altogether lacking” that the baptism should be postponed.

If the irregular marriage is the only matter at hand then it is most probable that the child would be baptized. However, the couple should be encouraged by the priest to seek a canonical resolution to their situation.