Baptisms without joining the Church

[guanophore]

I really can’t politely say how inappropriate it is for the Catholic church to place a barrier, refusing to baptise, this young man who has been raised in the Catholic church. By his father’s account, he “loves” the church.

Well, we don’t know all the details. It should raise concern that a young adult is not ready, willing, or able to take upon themselves the responsibility for living the faith into which they are baptized.

And, in this case, only a brood of vipers would suggest that this young man is not worthy of baptism.

Yes, this is silly. None of us has ever been, or ever will be “worthy” of baptism. It is a free gift of God, which we enter by grace, through faith. This is the same principle by which we baptize infants, who could never do anything to be “worthy”!

[EDIT: Actually, as much as some posters here might wish it, I’m not sure the Catholic church would refuse to baptise the young man. I’m confident that any reasonable priest would be happy to.]

No, I am not sure that baptism would be withheld in such a circumstance, though it would be legitimate to have concern about next steps. If a person does not live their baptismal vows “their last state is worse than the first”.

Sorry, that will be decided by Jesus. Not by you, and not by the Catholic Church.

It was already decided and taught by Jesus. There is no other name under heaven by which we may be saved than Jesus Christ. If a person willfully and finally rejects Christ, there remains no sacrifice for his sins.

 

[Sy_Noe]

No one is advising that the candidate “just become Protestant”. What is being said is that any Trinitarian baptism is considered valid, therefore, one need not receive it in their local Catholic parish.

One cannot help but wonder how the son was “raised Catholic” without getting baptized, but perhaps there is a sense of parental responsibility to finally make it happen?

All the above true. I realize he would not have been introduced to receiving sacraments but perhaps by being raised Catholic the mom meant she took him to Mass on a regular basis. She did say the son has attended with her.

 

[robertmidwest]

Yes, Timothy McVeigh, Hitler, and Mussolini are all Catholics.

 

[Sy_Noe]

Yup. And beyond that, unless humankind can read hearts at the moment of death which I know is above my pedigree, we don’t know where their souls are now so I really don’t see what your post has a thing to do with this.

 

[Gorgias]

JanSobieskiIII:

PLeeD:

Keep in mind that you can baptize him yourself. This is what the Catholic Church teaches. It does not have to be done by a priest.

Only in extraordinary circumstances.

This seems like an extraordinary circumstance to me.

No, this is not what the Catholic Church teaches!

Rather, baptism by a lay person is only to be attempted in danger of death (not in “extraordinary circumstances”).

PLeeD:

Anyway, he can go to the Protestant Church down the road and be baptized just the same. It is the same baptism.

It’s a valid baptism, but it’s not the same baptism. It does not bring with it entry into the Catholic Church. And, if the OP’s son believes in what the Catholic Church teaches, then he’s not meeting the standard described in Lumen gentium. So, a “Protestant baptism” would not be an acceptable option for a person who believes with Catholic faith.

 

[twf]

To be baptized is to join the Catholic Church. When Jesus spoke there words, there was no Church save the Catholic Church. He told the apostles, the first bishops, to not only baptized but also to “make disciples of all nations”…that is, disciple them as Catholics once baptized.

 

[Gorgias]

To be baptized is to join the Catholic Church.

Really? Try walking into a Protestant congregation and convincing them of that…

(From a Catholic perspective, I think we would claim only that valid Christian baptism outside the Catholic Church creates an imperfect union between the Christian and the Catholic Church.)

 

[guanophore]

Really? Try walking into a Protestant congregation and convincing them of that…

(From a Catholic perspective, I think we would claim only that valid Christian baptism outside the Catholic Church creates an imperfect union between the Christian and the Catholic Church.)

Well, try convincing them that most of what they have received is Catholic! There is only ONE BAPTISM and therefore, all who are validly baptized are baptized into His ONE BODY, the Church. Yes, it is an imperfect union, but the CC would not accept it if it were not valid.

I agree with you that we may not be able to convince Protestants of that, but their lack of faith does not change the Truth!

 

[Gorgias]

Yes, it is an imperfect union, but the CC would not accept it if it were not valid.

True, but that doesn’t imply what you originally suggested: to be baptized (anywhere) is to join the Catholic Church.