Can I baptise this forgotten person?

[beencounter]

I developed a beautiful friendship with an elderly nursing home resident a few weeks ago. The poor thing has no relatives or friends. It seems unlikely that she will live more than a few more months if that long. I am concerned since she does not believe she has ever been baptised nor does she claim to been of the ‘faith.’ Some days she seems to be alert and aware, but this week I noticed a decline in her cognitive abilities. Would it be proper for me to baptize her? What are the requirements for a situation like this?

I have been teaching her about Jesus and His burning love for her soul. She seems to be absorbing this information and has been extremely attentive to our prayers of the Our Father and the Glory Be. I even prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy in hopes it could be applied at her time of death.

I would be very appreciate any advisement.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Only ordained clergy can baptize under normal circumstances, though in an emergency, say, she becomes seriously ill, you could baptize her. All that is required is that you say the correct words. However, it is best, barring a sudden, sharp decline in her condition, that you try to get a priest to do it.

 

[puzzleannie]

I developed a beautiful friendship with an elderly nursing home resident a few weeks ago. The poor thing has no relatives or friends. It seems unlikely that she will live more than a few more months if that long. I am concerned since she does not believe she has ever been baptised nor does she claim to been of the ‘faith.’ Some days she seems to be alert and aware, but this week I noticed a decline in her cognitive abilities. Would it be proper for me to baptize her? What are the requirements for a situation like this?
.

no, she is not in immediate danger of death, you may not baptize her. since you say she has a desire for baptism, contact a CAtholic priest immediately, preferably the one who is a chaplain at this facility, or in whose parish it is located, and offer to serve as her godmother, and explain why she should be baptized now.

 

[beencounter]

This will motivate me to ask our Parish priest for his help.

Thank you for your response, Tim.

Nancy

 

[Hellisreal]

The nursing home may very well have her baptism records.

You must not rush into what may be scandal and sin.

Do not baptise this beautiful person who is not forgotten, who is blessed that you will share this part of their life with them, and part of that should not include a sin of re-baptism!!!

Please, cool your well intentioned jets.

 

[Pani_Rose]

My husband is a Chaplain and also a deacon. He says that is the hardest thing of all, when people are brought over to the hospital to die from nursing homes that no longer have relatives, they have been forgotten. His heart breaks at that. Or, someone who dies without any love ones around them, though my husband doesn’t say much, he will say something like, but there was no one there, still no one came. He just kind of shakes his head.

So God has given you a burden for this person:

For you…
Lord Jesus Christ, my God, You have said, “Apart from me You can do nothing.” In faith I embrace Your words, Lord, and I entreat Your goodness. Help me to carry out the work I am about to begin, and to bring it to completion. To You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

For the lady…
Lord, Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died for our sins that we may live, if during our life we have sinned in word, deed or thought forgive us in Your goodness and love. All our hope we put in You; protect your servant from all evil. We submit to Your will and into Your hands we commend our souls and bodies. For a Christian end to our lives, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ, we pray to you O Lord. Bless us, be merciful to us and grant us life eternal. Amen.

 

[Eileen_T]

If I am sitting with someone as they are dying I pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet, and sometimes other prayers for the dying from the Pieta prayerbook. I have never thought of baptising anyone, although I did recommend to the daughter of a Catholic lady that she have her mother anointed.

 

[Hellisreal]

My husband is a Chaplain and also a deacon. He says that is the hardest thing of all, when people are brought over to the hospital to die from nursing homes that no longer have relatives, they have been forgotten. His heart breaks at that. Or, someone who dies without any love ones around them, though my husband doesn’t say much, he will say something like, but there was no one there, still no one came. He just kind of shakes his head.

So God has given you a burden for this person:

For you…
Lord Jesus Christ, my God, You have said, “Apart from me You can do nothing.” In faith I embrace Your words, Lord, and I entreat Your goodness. Help me to carry out the work I am about to begin, and to bring it to completion. To You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

For the lady…
Lord, Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died for our sins that we may live, if during our life we have sinned in word, deed or thought forgive us in Your goodness and love. All our hope we put in You; protect your servant from all evil. We submit to Your will and into Your hands we commend our souls and bodies. For a Christian end to our lives, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ, we pray to you O Lord. Bless us, be merciful to us and grant us life eternal. Amen.

I am bawling my eyes out now, reading this Pani-

I never heard this prayer, is it your own?

It is something I am going to save and keep with me in the event I shall be blessed to be sharing a moment like this with a child of God.

I am so thankful to see this, as it really speaks so loudly of God’s providence and Love.

 

[Pani_Rose]

I am bawling my eyes out now, reading this Pani-

I never heard this prayer, is it your own?

It is something I am going to save and keep with me in the event I shall be blessed to be sharing a moment like this with a child of God.

I am so thankful to see this, as it really speaks so loudly of God’s providence and Love.

You are too kind. I had always prayed my own prayers over the internet, but a few months I found this site while searching for another prayer. It is an Orthodox prayer site, but they are the same prayers we use as Byzantine (Eastern) Catholics. I just love using them. I truly am more comfortable with them. Enjoy them and share them…
transchurch.org/sguide/praybk.htm

 

[Leopard]

…You must not rush into what may be scandal and sin.

Do not baptise this beautiful person who is not forgotten, who is blessed that you will share this part of their life with them, and part of that should not include a sin of re-baptism!!! …

Attempted rebaptism is scandalous and sinful only if it is done such as to deny or duplicate a known prior valid baptism. While a conditional baptism should be ministered by an authorized minister of the sacrament to a person who may have been previously baptized, attempting in good faith to administer a regular baptism to such a person whose prior baptism was not known would not be sinful or scandalous, merely ineffective.

 

[Miserissima]

Attempted rebaptism is scandalous and sinful only if it is done such as to deny or duplicate a known prior valid baptism. While a conditional baptism should be ministered by an authorized minister of the sacrament to a person who may have been previously baptized, attempting in good faith to administer a regular baptism to such a person whose prior baptism was not known would not be sinful or scandalous, merely ineffective.

So…as I’ve heard on the radio, a re-baptism when you do not know/aren’t sure someone has been baptized already is called a conditional baptism, correct?

beencounter, please let us know what happens.

 

[Hellisreal]

Attempted rebaptism is scandalous and sinful only if it is done such as to deny or duplicate a known prior valid baptism. While a conditional baptism should be ministered by an authorized minister of the sacrament to a person who may have been previously baptized, attempting in good faith to administer a regular baptism to such a person whose prior baptism was not known would not be sinful or scandalous, merely ineffective.

Dear Leopard-

And, do we know if this person was validly baptised?

Did you read my posts?

I think the paperwork is accessible. In my MIL’s case, it was thanks be to God!

Otherwise, well intentioned persons like the OP would have been baptising her again and again and again.

She had alzhiemer’s.

 

[Hellisreal]

So…as I’ve heard on the radio, a re-baptism when you do not know/aren’t sure someone has been baptized already is called a conditional baptism, correct?

beencounter, please let us know what happens.

NO.

There is no “re baptism”

There is a conditional baptism in case of doubt.

End of story.

 

[Leopard]

…do we know if this person was validly baptised?

Did you read my posts?

I think the paperwork is accessible. In my MIL’s case, it was thanks be to God!

Otherwise, well intentioned persons like the OP would have been baptising her again and again and again.

She had alzhiemer’s.

I don’t.

I did.

It may be. That’s good.

No, as even if a record of an earlier baptism were never found, a record of the new conditional baptism would be kept.

That’s bad.

 

[beencounter]

I want to thank everyone for their responses.

I am so glad I did not go ahead and baptise her on my own. It was fear that motivated me. There is always the possibility that when I see her today she may have passed on.

Pani Rose, your response was so correct about those forgotten. I have visited other people at this nursing home and when you say hello and express interest in them they immediately tell you with urgency that their parents and brother and sisters are all dead!

Thank you for your care and your prayers. I am going to share the prayer with my friend today.

Nancy