Baptism

[tmsaad]

We would like to have our child (due Dec. 8th) baptized before Lent this year. Our parish won’t let us baptise during lent, however, the priest that married us said that he would. What is the Church’s teaching of baptizing during lent? Is it just a teaching with room for pastoral interpretation, or is it a strict rule/doctrine of the Church?
Thanks in advance.

 

[kepha1]

If your baby is due in December, why on earth would you want to delay baptism until Lent?

Obviously you are friends with the priest who married you, so be his friend, be sure your not taking advantage of his loyalty to you to suit your needs, at his expense by having him stretch the rules of the Church. Baptism can be done during Lent, but only in emergencies. Make arrangements with your parish secretary NOW for a date. Circumcision, which was a type of forshadow of baptism, had to be done 8 days after birth in the Hebrew/Judaic tradition.

“Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection, is the preferred day for celebrating baptism. In case of necessity, it is possible to schedule the celebration of baptism on another day.
Because of the special character of the season of Lent as a time of preparation for the Christian initiation of adults and generally as a time of preparation for the celebration of the central mystery of the Christian faith, the celebration of infant baptism during Lent occurs only in an emergency.” members.aol.com/spfldcath/bpolicy.html

 

[moira]

My children were all baptized within a month of birth. Is there a reason you have to wait so long? If not, take whatever classes you have to take now. You don’t have to wait for the baby to be born to take the baptism classes.

 

[WBB]

My son was baptized when he was 2 weeks old. I had been looking forward to making him a part of the family of God for months. It was a wonderful experience.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

tmsaad:

We would like to have our child (due Dec. 8th) baptized before Lent this year. Our parish won’t let us baptise during lent, however, the priest that married us said that he would. What is the Church’s teaching of baptizing during lent? Is it just a teaching with room for pastoral interpretation, or is it a strict rule/doctrine of the Church?
Thanks in advance.

It was a strict rule. But I believe (off the top of my head) that this as well as certain other rules have been relaxed with the new Liturgical rules after Vatical II. Remember that these types of things are “Rules” and not Doctrines or Dogmas. They can and do change.

 

[tmsaad]

Thank you for everyone’s help. I’ve been trying to schedule the baptism for some time now. We are unable to make the only class that our Parish offers in order to have the baby baptized before Lent. And the priest that married us can’t do it until lent (this is not what we want) due to his schedule. That is why I’m asking - I don’t want to have to wait until AFTER Lent to have my baby baptized.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Can. 867 §1. Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it.

§2. An infant in danger of death is to be baptized without delay.

This would appear to preclude waiting until, or beyond, Lent, or even Advent.

 

[Detroit_Sue]

Is it an option to take the Baptism prep now? Do you have a permanent deacon in your parish who could do it for you?