Can we have our granddaughter Baptized?

[cleofet]

My son and his wife are not practicing Catholics and were not married in the Church. Their daughter, my grand daughter is 5 years old and is not Baptized. I have been asking them when they are going to get her Baptized for a long time. They don’t seem interested. My husband and I take her to Church with us almost every weekend. I try to teach her about God and the Blessed Mother but I know she doesn’t get much if any of that at home. Anyway I had asked our Parish Priest if we could have her Baptized and he said that the parents had to request it. This probably won’t happen. I am wondering if there is something we as her grandparents can do about this since she is getting her religious training from us at this point. Any suggestions? Thanks and God Bless!

 

[Jim_Blackburn]

Unless your granddaughter is in danger of death, canon law does not allow you to have her baptized against both her parents’ will. Code of Canon Law (CIC) states:

“For an infant to be baptized licitly: (1) the parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent; (2) there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.

“An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents is baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents” (CIC 868).

Note: Although your granddaughter is 5 years old, “A person who is not responsible for oneself… is also regarded as an infant with respect to baptism” (CIC 852.2).