G
gilmore42
Guest
Is it OK for my 8 year old son to get baptized by a non Catholic preacher? Can he still get communion in the Catholic Church if he has only been baptized non-denominational?
- Status
D
Deo_Gratias42
Guest
No, it is not. As his parent, you have a grave obligation to raise him in the Catholic faith and to educate him on it. This also means that you will also have the responsibility to take him to Mass every Sunday and holy day of obligation, as well as receive all the sacraments, including being baptized in the Catholic Church.
No, he cannot receive communion if he’s been baptized non-denominational.
You list yourself as Catholic, so why do you not plan on raising him Catholic?
No, he cannot receive communion if he’s been baptized non-denominational.
You list yourself as Catholic, so why do you not plan on raising him Catholic?
G
gilmore42
Guest
I send him to Catholic School, and he WANTS to take communion. His mother was raised 7th day adventist (I know, I know) and refuses to allow him to be baptized "the Catholic way’.
R
R_C
Guest
The consent of one parent suffices for Baptism.
Besides she cannot refuse you to baptize him in the Catholic Church or educate him in the Catholic faith, because if she is a Christian then she knows that the husband is given a certain degree of authority in the family. Please do not keep your little one away from the Holy Eucharist only because she does not know about the Real Presence…you do, and that’s more than enough…and apparently your child is aware of this to some extent, which is a blessing, truly.
Please receive my prayers for the unity of your family.
Well, first off what is YOUR situation? Are you Catholic? If so, how long have you been Catholic?
P
Pilgrim1701
Guest
What about other converts baptised elsewhere?
Don’t know what the status is on SDA baptism, whether the church recognises it or not. For example, do SDA converts have to be re-baptised if they come to Catholicism. I thought the Church recognised baptism in other Churches and denominations, therefore they don’t rebaptise:shrug:
Catholic baptism is definitely preferable though, if the child is being brought up Catholic,
He identifies himself as catholic, and married to an SDA woman.
W
Wiseowl
Guest
Talk with your Priest at the Catholic school, there is likely a solution that fits all. I went to Catholic schools growing up and we had Lutheran kids in the classes. During school when we had Mass these Lutheran kids took communion.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
If your child was not baptised in the Catholic Church, he cannot receive communion in the Catholic Church.
No one other than Catholics can receive communion in the Catholic Church. It is forbidden everyone else to receive communion in the Catholic Church.
No one other than Catholics can receive communion in the Catholic Church. It is forbidden everyone else to receive communion in the Catholic Church.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
Those Lutheran kids should not have received communion. Whoever gave it to them was in grave error.
W
Wiseowl
Guest
Actually the thought process was not to embarrassed the kids, being at all same school it made sense.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
Is that what you have inferred or do you know that was the reason? I ask because when I was at school I was never privy to teachers’ decisions.
What a shame a place of education missed out on a great opportunity to educate the children and explain why the Catholic pupils can receive communion at Mass and why the Lutheran and other non-Catholic children cannot.
Even if it was for the reason you gave, that does not make it right. It is contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church. Those teachings are not there to be simply set aside when someone might feel uncomfortable with them.
If there was a serious concern for the non-Catholic children then there were other options available; for example, the Divine Office or a Liturgy of the Word.
U
UpUpAndAway
Guest
I also went to Catholic schools growing up, and each year we inevitably had at least one classmate who was not Catholic. When we had Mass at school, the non-Catholic kids did not receive Communion. The thought process was not to profane the Blessed Sacrament, and given that we were taught in catechism classes that non-Catholics cannot receive Communion it would not have made any sense whatsoever to allow in practice what was forbidden in theory.
W
Wiseowl
Guest
Humiliation and embarrassment is a poor learning tool.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
Why do you assume that it would cause humiliation and embarassment? What is a poor learning tool is teaching Catholic children that non-Catholics can receive communion in the Catholic Church. You indicate that you believe it’s OK for non-Catholics to receive communion in the Catholic Church. You have been taught badly. Do you think that’s OK?
The school incorrectly taught those Lutheran children.
If the children had had it properly explained to them they would have understood.
As I pointed out in my previous post there were other options where there would have been no need for any of the children to have been treated differently.
We always do children a disservice when they are not taught properly. This includes not teaching Catholic children their Faith correctly.
L
lizaanne
Guest
Real life is chock full of examples of “you don’t always get what you want, just because you want it”. It’s not “humiliation and embarrassment” - it is called a learning experience. And preparing children for real life is the best learning tool one can possibly provide. How horribly cruel to otherwise hide them from reality, only to be slapped across the face with it when they get outside the safe and artificial walls of school life.
They should have been taught WHY they were not allowed to receive - and possibly, quite possibly, they might have actually LEARNED something about what was lacking in their spiritual development and converted to the fullness of Truth, so they could validly receive for the right reasons.
~Liza
L
Lapey
Guest
Wiseowl, scripture teaches to fist discern the Body and Blood, and when one comes to believe as we do and receives baptism, Catholic was the only baptism, the let them partake of the Body and Blood.
Catholic Scripture and Tradition have always taught this. The people who allowed these little ones to bring judgment upon themselves own this grave sin. This was a time to teach and invite to become part of the family, not tell them it’s ok so they will not feel bad. That is not charity; this is misleading.
1 Corr. 11:27 for taking the Eucharist unworthily.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.
St. Justin Martyr 100 AD-165AD
“…the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins,…”
L
Lapey
Guest
Even if he were baptized in another tradition he would have to be taught Catholic teachings and make a profession of faith at the Easter Vigil to be allowed to partake in communion. Communion is much more than taking a piece of bread in order to fit in with his friends. You must teach him the true meaning of the Eucharist; it’s your duty as a Catholic parent.
And yes, you can have your child baptized without his mother’s permission. Not sure that’s a good idea though.
R
R_C
Guest
No it did not. It was a grave disobedience on grave matter. I wonder if it carries latae sententiae excommunication. I hope not.
P
Phemie
Guest
Here we go again. You’ve lived in some pretty weird parishes in your day.
We always had Protestant (Anglican & United Church of Canada) in our classes when I was in school and they always knew that even if they came to Mass with us they couldn’t receive Communion. It was never a source of humiliation for them. They knew and we knew that they didn’t believe the same thing we did.
G
gilmore42
Guest
Wow! Lots of comments. Thank you! For the record, I am a cradle Catholic. I’ve done my best to raise my son Catholic. It was very hard for me to get my wife to allow my son to go to Catholic School. By the Grace of God she changed her mind. The public schools here aren’t that great, so I used that as leverage. My wife is a non-practicing 7th day Adventist, but her father was a 7th day preacher, so those ideals are certainly stuck in her head. I talked to a priest about getting him baptized without the mothers consent and he advised against it. Since he is 8 now, he has a desire to get baptized. I brought home the “Rite of Baptism” booklet for her to read. I read it as well. I must say, during the Rite, it does not use the term “Catholic” it is Christian. I have read on several occasions that Catholic Baptism is one way that parents promise to raise their child Catholic, but I’m not certain that is the case. I don’t see that in the “Rite of Baptism”. I digress. The Catholic church does not re baptize. So I am going to go ahead and get him baptized non-denominational so he can start the training for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion. Catholic friends, I must tell you it was again by the grace of God through prayer that she is even allowing him to bet baptized “so young”. I believe God is showing me a path.
My initial question was “Is non-denominational baptism acceptable” and I believe it is since Catholics don’t re baptize.
Any other comments are greatly appreciated.
John
My initial question was “Is non-denominational baptism acceptable” and I believe it is since Catholics don’t re baptize.
Any other comments are greatly appreciated.
John
- Status