Baptism

[tammyb]

My niece, who was baptized Catholic when she was a baby is being baptized in a non-Catholic church. She is 19 years old. What are the rules of the Catholic Church should she decide to later return to the Catholic religion after she has been baptized in another church?

 

[Seatuck]

My niece, who was baptized Catholic when she was a baby is being baptized in a non-Catholic church. She is 19 years old. What are the rules of the Catholic Church should she decide to later return to the Catholic religion after she has been baptized in another church?

The second baptism will have no spiritual effect since we believe in only one (accurately performed) baptism for the forgiveness of sin. She will have to do what anyone who leaves the church does - go to confession .

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

When she goes to confession, the priest will let her know if she’s committed a defection of the Faith to the point where the bishop needs to be involved.

 

[tammyb]

Thank you both for the prompt responses. My sister and I are against what she is doing, but are hoping she changes her mind later in life. She has been going to a Baptist church with her boyfriend and they are both being baptized together in this church.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

She has been going to a Baptist church with her boyfriend and they are both being baptized together in this church.

She’s being dunked or sprinkled, not baptized. There is only one Baptism (and that’s straight from the Bible).

I would recommend against attending the ceremony if there is any risk of it being interpreted that you approve of what she is doing.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My niece, who was baptized Catholic when she was a baby is being baptized in a non-Catholic church. She is 19 years old. What are the rules of the Catholic Church should she decide to later return to the Catholic religion after she has been baptized in another church?

Basically her doing this is a public act showing that she no longer wishes to be Catholic. The “baptism” itself has no effect since she is already validly Baptized.

 

[IrishAm]

From our perspective, she’s just getting wet.

 

[1ke]

My niece, who was baptized Catholic when she was a baby is being baptized in a non-Catholic church. She is 19 years old. What are the rules of the Catholic Church should she decide to later return to the Catholic religion after she has been baptized in another church?

There is no such thing as rebaptism.

Your niece would need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and repent of her errors. She would then be able to resume the Sacramental life, providing that there were no other issues such as a marriage outside the Church, etc.

 

[1ke]

Basically her doing this is a public act showing that she no longer wishes to be Catholic. The “baptism” itself has no effect since she is already validly Baptized.

However, such a public act is not sufficient to be a “formal act of defection” referred to in canon law in the sections pertaining to the Church’s marriage laws. Unless she follows the Catholic Church requirements for formal defection she would still be bound by the marriage laws of the Church.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

However, such a public act is not sufficient to be a “formal act of defection” referred to in canon law in the sections pertaining to the Church’s marriage laws. Unless she follows the Catholic Church requirements for formal defection she would still be bound by the marriage laws of the Church.

I worded my response very carefully, so as to not say that by doing so she is no longer Catholic.