Can a baby be baptized without the mother's consent?

[Eternalwonder]

Can a baby be baptized without the consent of the mother? Only fathers consent. Is this even posible to do? What is the Church position on this? Does the church respect the mothers wishes or no? Babys parents are not married or even together. Daddy is semi- catholic practicioner and mommy is non-active protestant. She just wishes for child to make his own decicion when he gets to an age of reason.

 

[robwar]

since you are not married and it is the wishes of the Father, the baby can be baptized. With that baptism, the father is promising the Church to raise the child up in the faith and in the view of the Catholic Church, baptism imparts a grace, washes away original sin and is the first step in initiation to the Catholic church. Raising your children in the faith isn’t dependent on having them attain the age of reason. Parents are instructed to raise their children in the faith not wait to see if the child wants to believe or not.

 

[Eternalwonder]

Thanks for the reply ( just fyi im not the one in this situation) Mother says the baby has no sin he is only two months old and original sin never really goes away since we are still hete suffering that was Gods punishment to Adam and Eve hence us as well. Anyway thanks alot for the reply I was just really wondering about this issue.

 

[Aramis]

Can a baby be baptized without the consent of the mother? Only fathers consent. Is this even posible to do? What is the Church position on this? Does the church respect the mothers wishes or no? Babys parents are not married or even together. Daddy is semi- catholic practicioner and mommy is non-active protestant. She just wishes for child to make his own decicion when he gets to an age of reason.

for licity, there has to be the manifest hope that the child will be raised Catholic.

If the mother isn’t custodial, or the father is shared custody (including currently married), then there is a strong hope.

If the mother has sole custody, the father has little chance of raising the child Catholic, and it would take much convincing to establish the possibility sufficient for licity.

For validity, sure. But validity isn’t the only thing that matters.

 

[Eternalwonder]

for licity, there has to be the manifest hope that the child will be raised Catholic.

If the mother isn’t custodial, or the father is shared custody (including currently married), then there is a strong hope.

If the mother has sole custody, the father has little chance of raising the child Catholic, and it would take much convincing to establish the possibility sufficient for licity.

For validity, sure. But validity isn’t the only thing that matters.

Yes this makes sense. Mother has full custody dad just visits. Babys parents get along well but this subject they just can't come to an agreement.

 

[tawny]

for licity, there has to be the manifest hope that the child will be raised Catholic.

If the mother isn’t custodial, or the father is shared custody (including currently married), then there is a strong hope.

If the mother has sole custody, the father has little chance of raising the child Catholic, and it would take much convincing to establish the possibility sufficient for licity.

For validity, sure. But validity isn’t the only thing that matters.

Well stated.

 

[Eternalwonder]

Thanks everyone for their answers!

 

[thistle]

Can a baby be baptized without the consent of the mother? Only fathers consent. Is this even posible to do? What is the Church position on this? Does the church respect the mothers wishes or no? Babys parents are not married or even together. Daddy is semi- catholic practicioner and mommy is non-active protestant. She just wishes for child to make his own decicion when he gets to an age of reason.

This is not a simple issue. Although one parent can give consent the Church has to be pretty sure the child will be brought up in the Catholic faith otherwise the Church can refuse to baptise the child.

Can. 851 The celebration of baptism should be properly prepared. Accordingly:

2° the parents of a child who is to be baptised, and those who are to undertake the office of sponsers, are to be suitably instructed on the meaning of this sacrament and the obligations attaching to it. The parish priest is to see to it that either he or others duly prepare the parents, by means of pastoral advice and indeed by prayer together; a number of families might be brought together for this purpose and, where possible, each family visited.

Can. 867 §1 Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it.

**Can. 868 §1 For an infant to be baptised lawfully it is required:

1° that the parents, or at least one of them, or the person who lawfully holds their place, give their consent;

2° that there be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the catholic religion. If such hope is truly lacking, the baptism is, in accordance with the provisions of particular law, to be deferred and the parents advised of the reason for this.**

 

[Cojuanco]

On the other hand, this can be done regardless, if the child is in danger of death, as we see in the Mortara case. But this is extraordinary and I am assuming the child is not in danger of death.