hi i need help answering a couple questions and some thoughts on this. I will try to condense a conversation people were having.
If a baby is baptized by non-practicing parents and the chosen godparents are non-catholic does it affect in anyway the validity of the baptism?
Also, if these types of parents (and godparents) are not planning on raising catholic children I’m wondering if being baptized could potentially be a bad thing.
For example; non-catholic married couples can have valid non-sinful marriages. however, if you take a couple who was baptized, as babies, but never practiced their faith live in mortal sin. I suppose there could be more examples.
Q.If a baby is baptized by non-practicing parents and the chosen godparents are non-catholic does it affect in anyway the validity of the baptism?
A. No.
Q. Also, if these types of parents (and godparents) are not planning on raising catholic children I’m wondering if being baptized could potentially be a bad thing.
A. The Catholic Church does not baptise unlesss certain conditions are true:Latin Catholics:
**CIC
Can. 871
If aborted fetuses are alive, they are to be baptized insofar as possible.
Can. 868 **
§1. For an infant to be baptized licitly:
1/ the parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent;
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.
§2. An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents is baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents.
Can. 870 **
An abandoned infant or a foundling is to be baptized unless after diligent investigation the baptism of the infant is established.**
Can. 852 **
**§1 The provisions of the canons on adult baptism apply to all those who, being no longer infants, have reached the use of reason.
§2 One who is incapable of personal responsibility is regarded as an infant even in regard to baptism. **
Can. 865 **
§2. An infant in danger of death is to be baptized without delay.
Eastern Catholics:
**CCEO **
**Canon 680 **
An aborted fetus, if it is alive and if it can be done, should be baptized.
Canon 681
- For an infant to be licitly baptized it is necessary that:
(1) there is a founded hope that the infant will be educated in the Catholic Church, with due regard for 5;
(2) the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully takes their place, consent.
- An abandoned infant or a foundling, unless his baptism is certainly established, should be baptized.
- Those who lack the use of reason from infancy are to be baptized as infants.
- An infant either of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholics, who is in a critical situation wherein death is prudently foreseen before he or she reaches the use of reason, is licitly baptized.
- The infant of non-Catholic Christians is licitly baptized, if the parents, or one of them or the one who legitimately takes their place, request it and if it is physically or morally impossible to approach their own minister.
