Catholic baptism in non-Catholic church

[Hesychios]

I think everyone agrees that the Baptism would be valid. However, it will make it very difficult for the OP to raise his child in the Church. The child will be a Lutheran unless the child (or the mother) converts.

You may correct me, but I thought that anyone could baptize a child into the Catholic church, provided the proper formula is followed baptizing in the Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost. It may or may not be licit, but it would be a real and true baptism into the Catholic church.

Isn’t that what is maintained?

If it was (hypothetically) one’s only option, one could baptize the child there and raise her/him in the Catholic faith anyway. The child is only a Lutheran if one thinks it to be so and acts that way as a result. When the paperwork at the Catholic parish was done, it would be recognized as a valid baptism. The sacrament is never knowingly repeated, licit or not, and no re-baptism would be attempted.

As far as I am aware, Lutherans converts to Roman Catholicism are not baptized again, this is not because they have always correctly believed Roman Catholic doctrine (they presumably have not), but because the sacrament was correct.

I am not advising that this should be done (I don’t like it myself for my own reasons), but it appears to me thus.

 

[puzzleannie]

Just wondering: Would this baptism put the child in an imperfect communion with the Catholic Church? Because although it would be valid, it wouldn’t formally be a Catholic baptism.

the thread title is wrong
if the child is baptized in the Lutheran Church the child is Lutheran
he is validly baptized but is not Catholic.
I deal with this every year. Parents have baptized the child anywhere, often in Mexico, at a Lutheran or Anglican Church, and don’t understand their child is not yet Catholic, so will be going through RCIA for that reason, and cannot simply make first communion. No of course he would not be baptized again, but baptism by a Lutheran minister with the intent to bring the child in the Lutheran church does not make the child Catholic. Yes anyone can baptize in danger of death but the intent for Catholic baptism has to be there, and if the child survives, the completion of the rite in the Catholic church.

to Dympha, the godparent IS the Church is correct, that is the purpose of the godparent, he represents the entire church and the local church community, and their support in raising this child Catholic. We don’t care what suit he wears.

 

[Corki]

You may correct me, but I thought that anyone could baptize a child into the Catholic church, provided the proper formula is followed baptizing in the Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost. It may or may not be licit, but it would be a real and true baptism into the Catholic church.

Isn’t that what is maintained?

Yes, that is true. In an emergency, anyone can Baptize a child - even if that person is not Catholic. In those cases, however, if the child if, he is brought to the Church to have the rest of the Baptism rite (especially annointing) completed and to have his Baptism recorded.

Baptism serves two purposes. Besides creating a new Christian child of God, it is the first step in a person’s intiation into the Church.

In the OP’s case, the child is being Baptized into the Lutheran Church. There is no doubt that his/her Baptism is valid but it isn’t an initation into the Catholic Church. The child is being initiated into the Lutheran community. In order to become Catholic, the child will need to be accepted into the Catholic Church before receiving more Sacraments.

If it was (hypothetically) one’s only option, one could baptize the child there and raise her/him in the Catholic faith anyway. The child is only a Lutheran if one thinks it to be so and acts that way as a result. When the paperwork at the Catholic parish was done, it would be recognized as a valid baptism. The sacrament is never knowingly repeated, licit or not, and no re-baptism would be attempted.

In your hypothetical, however, there would need to be the additional step of having the child accepted into the Catholic Church before the “paperwork at the Catholic parish” could be done. You can’t just have a Lutheran baptism and then file the paperwork at a Catholic parish.

As far as I am aware, Lutherans converts to Roman Catholicism are not baptized again, this is not because they have always correctly believed Roman Catholic doctrine (they presumably have not), but because the sacrament was correct.

You are absolutely correct. Re-Baptism would not even be considered. Since the next Sacramental step for this child would be First Confession/First Communion, the child would be considered of age by that time. He/she would come into the Church by completing the Sacraments of initiation.

Alternately, if the child’s mother was to convert to Catholicism before the child reached the age of reason, the child could be brought into the Church with the mother.