Baptism, please

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WatchfulPilgrim

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Can one parent ask for a child to be baptized in the Catholic Church if the other parent will not give consent? Do both parents have to agree?

The contention here is really over the godparents. I don’t want to get into it any more than that. It isn’t that either of them has a problem with the child being baptized in the church, but rather, one parent insists on the godparents being someone the other doesn’t agree with and plans were made without consent of the one who disagrees.
 
The requirement in canon law is that there must be a well-founded hope that the child will be raised Catholic. There is need for at least one parent’s consent.

See here for canon law regarding those to be baptized.

It would be up to the **priest **to conduct an interview with the parents and decide whether he can proceed with baptism at this time or if it must be postponed until the issues between the parents are dealt with.

See here for the canons regarding godparents/sponsors.
 
1ke said:
The requirement in canon law is that there must be a well-founded hope that the child will be raised Catholic. There is need for at least one parent’s consent.

See here for canon law regarding those to be baptized.

It would be up to the **priest **to conduct an interview with the parents and decide whether he can proceed with baptism at this time or if it must be postponed until the issues between the parents are dealt with.

See here for the canons regarding godparents/sponsors.
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Ok, thank you.
 
It is quite likely the issue is not who will be godparents, but something much deeper, and the parents must address it, whatever it is, but the child’s baptism should not be delayed because of it.
 
puzzleannie said:
It is quite likely the issue is not who will be godparents, but something much deeper, and the parents must address it, whatever it is, but the child’s baptism should not be delayed because of it.
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You are right, it is a deeper issue. I don’t know if any of those involved post to this forum, so I don’t want to be too revealing. But the issue is whether or not the parents fit the church’s criteria for suitable godparents. The ironic thing is that by the church’s criteria, they do. Much of the family, and one parent in particular, are pursuaded that the church either doesn’t know the situation regarding the godparent, or has misjudged the situation.

I know that ultimately the church has already given its opinion based on whatever information it was given, and so ultimately this person, according to the church, is fit to be a godparent.

Good to know that at least the child can be baptized regardless of this parent holding back consent. And the parent doesn’t have to go against their conscience in consenting.
 
WatchfulPilgrim said:
. Much of the family, and one parent in particular, are pursuaded that the church either doesn’t know the situation regarding the godparent, or has misjudged the situation.

I.
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then the parent–nobody else can arrange for baptism–should make the priest aware of all the relevant facts. the rest of the family should back off.
 
puzzleannie said:
then the parent–nobody else can arrange for baptism–should make the priest aware of all the relevant facts. the rest of the family should back off.
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It’s a situation where the church has already made its decision and I don’t know how they went about making it. But what is done is what is done already and can’t be reversed. Some people will remain in disagreement about the church’s decision though and for this reason there is disagreement with the choice of godparent. That’s about all I can say.

Ultimately I guess this parent just needs to accept the church’s decision. But regardless, the baptism will happen with or without the consent.
 
WatchfulPilgrim said:
Can one parent ask for a child to be baptized in the Catholic Church if the other parent will not give consent? Do both parents have to agree?

The contention here is really over the godparents. I don’t want to get into it any more than that. It isn’t that either of them has a problem with the child being baptized in the church, but rather, one parent insists on the godparents being someone the other doesn’t agree with and plans were made without consent of the one who disagrees.
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Technically, yes. However, most of these instances, from my experience, are when one parent isn’t Catholic. But the Catholic Church usually insists that both consent. I hope this doesn’t sound confusing. I would think they would put off the ceremony until both of you can agree and I’m sure your pastor would agree.
 
broski234 said:
Technically, yes. However, most of these instances, from my experience, are when one parent isn’t Catholic. But the Catholic Church usually insists that both consent. I hope this doesn’t sound confusing. I would think they would put off the ceremony until both of you can agree and I’m sure your pastor would agree.
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The pastor is a “by the book” kind of priest. He probably won’t want to proceed without consent of both parents.
 
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