Baptism questions

[aasusiq68]

So I have some questions regarding baptism and I figured this was as good a place to start as any. I had been baptized as a Jr. High School age kid in a Free Methodist church. At the time, yes I was totally on board with God. In my early 20’s though I told God to go live with Satan and totally closed all doors and no longer gave God even a thought. Now that’s been changing. I did a “crash course” RICA through the local parish, and when I asked the Priest about the baptism if it needed redone or anything, he just dismissed it saying that it didn’t matter. Well the 5 week RICA left me deciding to not get confirmed this year.

What I am wondering is does that one baptism matter now or is that a case where due to my age and the things that followed, that I should now be baptized again or not. Just not sure. Part of me thinks it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past even though I totally turned so south from God for so long. Now on the other hand, I am thinking that because of that situation and the age I was then that maybe I didn’t know what I was really doing at the time and so now as an adult would need to be baptized. When a baby is baptized they would have to later be baptized as an adult right? Or is that the same situation?

Thanks again for your help guys and gals. You have always given me good help so far that I have been coming and asking and reading.

 

[Trishie]

Baptism in another the Free Methodist Church is valid.
You are validly baptized.
Yes, you turned from God for a time as some Catholics also do, but your Baptism is forever.
You can receive Confirmation validly.

God bless you!
And welcome to the Church and to our forums,

Kind wishes,
Trishie

When considering the validity of non-Catholic baptism, the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism instructs:

Baptism by immersion, or by pouring, together with the Trinitarian formula is, of itself, valid. Therefore, if the rituals, liturgical books, or established customs of a church or ecclesial community prescribe either of these ways of baptism, the sacrament is to be considered valid unless there are serious reasons for doubting that the minister has observed the regulations of his/her own community or church. (DE 95.a)"

catholic.com/quickquestions/why-does-the-church-recognize-protestant-baptism-if-protestantism-has-no-valid-priest

 

[Catholic1954]

So I have some questions regarding baptism and I figured this was as good a place to start as any. I had been baptized as a Jr. High School age kid in a Free Methodist church. At the time, yes I was totally on board with God. In my early 20’s though I told God to go live with Satan and totally closed all doors and no longer gave God even a thought. Now that’s been changing. I did a “crash course” RICA through the local parish, and when I asked the Priest about the baptism if it needed redone or anything, he just dismissed it saying that it didn’t matter. Well the 5 week RICA left me deciding to not get confirmed this year.

What I am wondering is does that one baptism matter now or is that a case where due to my age and the things that followed, that I should now be baptized again or not. Just not sure. Part of me thinks it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past even though I totally turned so south from God for so long. Now on the other hand, I am thinking that because of that situation and the age I was then that maybe I didn’t know what I was really doing at the time and so now as an adult would need to be baptized. When a baby is baptized they would have to later be baptized as an adult right? Or is that the same situation?

Thanks again for your help guys and gals. You have always given me good help so far that I have been coming and asking and reading.

Your priest is correct; you do not need to be rebaptized. Babies are not baptized again as adults in the Catholic Church.

 

[Jon_S_1]

So I have some questions regarding baptism and I figured this was as good a place to start as any. I had been baptized as a Jr. High School age kid in a Free Methodist church. At the time, yes I was totally on board with God. In my early 20’s though I told God to go live with Satan and totally closed all doors and no longer gave God even a thought. Now that’s been changing. I did a “crash course” RICA through the local parish, and when I asked the Priest about the baptism if it needed redone or anything, he just dismissed it saying that it didn’t matter. Well the 5 week RICA left me deciding to not get confirmed this year.

What I am wondering is does that one baptism matter now or is that a case where due to my age and the things that followed, that I should now be baptized again or not. Just not sure. Part of me thinks it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past even though I totally turned so south from God for so long. Now on the other hand, I am thinking that because of that situation and the age I was then that maybe I didn’t know what I was really doing at the time and so now as an adult would need to be baptized. When a baby is baptized they would have to later be baptized as an adult right? Or is that the same situation?

Thanks again for your help guys and gals. You have always given me good help so far that I have been coming and asking and reading.

There is ONE baptism for the forgiveness of sins. If it was done in the Trinity and with water it is a valid baptism.

You do not, cannot, should not be rebaptized.

 

[Usige]

It’s important to understand that baptism isn’t a symbolic act of dedication, so one doesn’t get rebaptised to renew that dedication. It makes a permanent change in the fundamental nature of your soul (often referred to as an ontological change). We might stumble and fall, but none of that can change what happened at baptism. That is why candidates are required to confess before being received.

 

[Joe_5859]

Baptism can only be received once. It places an indellible (i.e. permanent) mark on the soul of the person who receives it. There is no need for a “do over”. Once is enough.

That said, I did know a person who was baptized in a Protestant community and admitted that – at the time of her Baptism – she didn’t really mean it when she said she was rejecting sin. Evidently, there was enough doubt about it that the priest decided to give her what is called a “conditional” Baptism. These are done in cases where the validity of the previous Baptism is uncertain. It basically means, if you were not already validly baptized, now you are. If you were already validly baptized, then this doesn’t really do anything.

But if you talked to a priest about the situation and he told you that you didn’t need to worry about it, you should go with what he says. He knows the questions to ask to determine whether or not your previous Baptism was valid.

 

[SMHW]

…and when I asked the Priest about the baptism if it needed redone or anything, he just dismissed it saying that it didn’t matter.

I am wondering about your statement here.

I am not sure how this conversation actually went. I don’t know how you asked the question and I don’t know how the priest answered. But I’m concerned about the spin you put on what the priest’s answer.

Your baptism was extremely important. It was so important that, as others have stated, you cannot and should not be re-baptized. Catholics believe that re-baptism is a serious denial of the importance of the sacrament. Once validly baptized you will be a Christian for eternity even if you deny God afterward. You are already a Christian.

The priest dismissed your need for baptism because you have no need to receive what what you already have received.