Baptized, non-Catholic child entering the Church

[SMHW]

I’ve seen several threads concerning children under the age of reason who are validly baptized in a non-Catholic church and are being brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.

How is such a child brought into the Catholic Church in each of the following cases? I am specifically interested in the paperwork needed and any formal promises made by the parents. In each case I am assuming that the parents intend that that child be brought up Catholic.

Case 1: Neither parent is Catholic and at least one parent will be entering the Catholic Church by making a profession of faith and being confirmed.

Case 2: At least one parent is a fully initiated Catholic but neither parent was a practicing Catholic at the time the child was baptized. Now the initiated Catholic parent wishes to be reconciled to the Church and have the child enter the Church.

Case 3: At least one parent is an uninitiated Catholic (baptized Catholic, maybe First Reconciliation/First Communion, but not confirmed) and neither parent was a practicing Catholic when the child was baptized. The uninitiated Catholic wishes to be fully initiated and have the child enter the Church.

 

[NMJenny]

When I entered the Church, my youngest was only nine. She had been baptized (validly) in the Episcopal Church and absolutely nothing was done for her in the way of paperwork, etc. – I simply started sending her to CCD and she made her First Holy Communion some months later, along with several other children who had not received the Sacrament at the usual age for some reason…

Edit: I forgot to mention, I came under the case 1 scenario–sorry…

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I don’t think there is any difference among the three scenarios in terms of what happens to the child, as long as the parents intend to raise the child in the Catholic faith.

Assuming the child has been validly baptized (using water and the Trinitarian formula), the child will probably begin catechetical instruction with children his or her own age (most parishes begin catechesis around the age of kindergarten or first grade). Usually two years of catechesis are required before receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion; most kids receive these sacraments toward the end of second grade (there is some variation by parish).

If a child newly entering the Church is already near the age of reason (around seven years old) and has had no catechesis, they might be asked to attend classes with younger children for a while, or there might be special “catch-up” classes with children in similar circumstances, to assure that they have the proper understanding of the Catholic faith and the sacraments they are about to receive.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I’ve seen several threads concerning children under the age of reason who are validly baptized in a non-Catholic church and are being brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.

How is such a child brought into the Catholic Church in each of the following cases? I am specifically interested in the paperwork needed and any formal promises made by the parents. In each case I am assuming that the parents intend that that child be brought up Catholic.

Case 1: Neither parent is Catholic and at least one parent will be entering the Catholic Church by making a profession of faith and being confirmed. When the priest or whoever he handed off catechesis is sure the person is becoming Catholic, the under the age of reason child is baptized at Easter Vigil, although it is sometimes done before or after the parent. In the Latin Rite, the child is not confirmed, but continues on in rel. ed. or Catholic school as if he or she had been Catholic since a teeny baby, making their first reconciliation, FHC and Confirmation when the other kids his or her age in rel. ed. or the school do so. The kids usually come along with the parents, as it were.

Case 2: At least one parent is a fully initiated Catholic but neither parent was a practicing Catholic at the time the child was baptized. Now the initiated Catholic parent wishes to be reconciled to the Church and have the child enter the Church.
The priest can ask for proof of “reasonable hope” the child will be raised Catholic by delaying (not denying) baptism, but for how long is anybody’s guess. When he’s got his proof the Catholic parent means business, then the child is baptized. On the other hand, the priest may not ask for proof, and just make like Nike (“do it”) and baptize the child.

Case 3: At least one parent is an uninitiated Catholic (baptized Catholic, maybe First Reconciliation/First Communion, but not confirmed) and neither parent was a practicing Catholic when the child was baptized. The uninitiated Catholic wishes to be fully initiated and have the child enter the Church. Same as #2.

Of course, the best answer will come from one of the deacons or puzzleannie.

 

[puzzleannie]

I’ve seen several threads concerning children under the age of reason who are validly baptized in a non-Catholic church and are being brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.

How is such a child brought into the Catholic Church in each of the following cases? I am specifically interested in the paperwork needed and any formal promises made by the parents. In each case I am assuming that the parents intend that that child be brought up Catholic.

Case 1: Neither parent is Catholic and at least one parent will be entering the Catholic Church by making a profession of faith and being confirmed.Case 2: At least one parent is a fully initiated Catholic but neither parent was a practicing Catholic at the time the child was baptized. Now the initiated Catholic parent wishes to be reconciled to the Church and have the child enter the Church.Case 3: At least one parent is an uninitiated Catholic (baptized Catholic, maybe First Reconciliation/First Communion, but not confirmed) and neither parent was a practicing Catholic when the child was baptized. The uninitiated Catholic wishes to be fully initiated and have the child enter the Church.

bro SFO and Deacon Ed are the experts but I will give it a shot, lets see

no 1, as I said in the recent thread to which OP refers, when adults enter the Church, their children are received at the same time. for those under the age of reason it is virtually automatic, if baptized nothing is done except that the parent(s) make a profession of faith for them at the same time as their own. If unbaptized, the child goes through the rite of baptism as usual, either at the same time the parents are received, or sooner if it can be done, no need for delay. Children over the age of reason go thru RCIA with their peers while the parents are in the adult program, and family is received together.

We usually have at least one family each Easter that fits this description.

no 2, the Catholic parent is returning to the practice of the faith, including preparing for and completing initiation if necessary (confirmation etc) and they simply arranged for the child to be baptized in the usual way. for older child, RCIA with his peers and reception when ready through full initiation.

no 3–the Catholic parent prepares for and receives whatever sacraments are lacking, the non-CAtholic parent ditto (probably in the same class, but each will celebrate only the rites that pertain to their status baptized/unbaptized etc) and the child as above in no.1. if the child was baptized in another faith.

is that clear? have I left any thing out?

there is really not much different in each case.

sacramental record keeping:
baptized adult or child, need the record, can be a letter, certificate, or if that is not available, testimony of witnesses is accepted.

for baptized non Catholic (adult or child) received into the Church notation is made in the parish sacramental record of prof. of faith and reception into the Church, with notation of other sacraments as received (Confirmation, 1st comm, marriage, ordination). Fact of reception has to be entered so that there is a place to “hang” the other sacraments.

for unbaptized child or adult, birth cert. or attestation of date and place of birth and parents’ names is needed, entry of baptism and other sacraments made in baptismal book, plus other sacraments entered in their own book. don’t know why you need to know this but particular law of the diocese specifies exactly how record keeping is to be done.

since we are speaking of a family here, parents need to present all relevant facts and documentation on their marriage as well in the initial interview so if there are problems they can be rectified (convalidation, annulment whatever) and so that the facts of the valid marriage can be entered in the sacramental record.

in all these cases, before a child is baptized the parents (even if not Catholic) must give evidence of intent to raise the child Catholic. The CAtholic parent formally promises this as part of the baptismal rite.

 

[SMHW]

…as I said in the recent thread to which OP refers, when adults enter the Church, their children are received at the same time. for those under the age of reason it is virtually automatic, if baptized nothing is done except that the parent(s) make a profession of faith for them at the same time as their own.
.
.
.
sacramental record keeping:
baptized adult or child, need the record, can be a letter, certificate, or if that is not available, testimony of witnesses is accepted.

for baptized non Catholic (adult or child) received into the Church notation is made in the parish sacramental record of prof. of faith and reception into the Church, with notation of other sacraments as received (Confirmation, 1st comm, marriage, ordination). Fact of reception has to be entered so that there is a place to “hang” the other sacraments.
.
.
.
since we are speaking of a family here, parents need to present all relevant facts and documentation on their marriage as well in the initial interview so if there are problems they can be rectified (convalidation, annulment whatever) and so that the facts of the valid marriage can be entered in the sacramental record.

Thank you Puzzleannie.

I think it’s fairly clear to most people, myself included, what needs to happen in the case of young children needing baptism or older children needing baptism or reception into the Church.

But I have heard conflicting stories about baptized children under the age of reason, which is why I asked the question.

 

[cameron_lansing]

Recall that, provided there is a well founded hope that the child under the age of reason will be raised in the Catholic faith, even non Catholic and non baptised parents or those who take their place according to the law, may present an child for baptism. By analogy, they could present for reception. However, those situations would require very careful evaluation, and would likely involve one or both parents becoming Catholic or being Catholic as your scenarios provide.

There has to be some external and valid act of receiving the child which arises from the parent’s manifestation of intention. It is not entirely automatic. However, usually that intention is at least manifested verbally when a non Catholic parent becomes Catholic by baptism or a profession of faith.

It could still be true that if the other parent remains non Catholic, that they do not intend to raise the child Catholic. So that possibility has to be kept in mind, whether we think it likely or unlikey. But the point remains, there must be a manifestation of intent.

In each of the cases above, this declaration, preferably in writing, of the parent who is or is becoming Catholic to the pastor (or his delegate) of the intention to raise the child as a Catholic would suffice to admit the child into the Catholic Church.

Alternatively, celebrating the Rite of Bringing a Baptized Child into the Church might be used. I would prefer that personally, since it adds chrismation and the other rites of baptism.

Either would constitute a valid act of reception into the Catholic Church. Either should be recorded in the baptism registry so that there is record in the external forum of the reception. This establishes the canonical status of the child with clarity.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

See, I told you puzzleannie and one of the deacons would do it up right!