Clerical Attire for the Sacrament of Baptism

[astroalbert]

Good evening,

I have noted that the minister of the Sacrament of Baptism may sometimes wear his respective stole, or may choose to minister the Sacrament while wearing an ab and cincture. Is there a particular reason for this?

 

[L_Marshall]

An ordained minister should always wear his stole when conferring the Sacraments, or handling the Eucharistic Species. From Redemptionis Sacramentum (with my emphasis)

1. Holy Mass and other liturgical celebrations, which are acts of Christ and of the People of God hierarchically constituted, are ordered in such a way that the sacred ministers and the lay faithful manifestly take part in them each according to his own condition. It is preferable therefore that “Priests who are present at a Eucharistic Celebration, unless excused for a good reason, should as a rule exercise the office proper to their Order and thus take part as concelebrants, wearing the sacred vestments.

Ideally, since the alb was originally a garment restricted to the Mass (this has been largely ignored), the minister should wear his choir cassock, surplice/rochet, et c. If this is unavailable, an alb & cincture is better than nothing.

 

[Gorgias]

Good evening,

I have noted that the minister of the Sacrament of Baptism may sometimes wear his respective stole, or may choose to minister the Sacrament while wearing an ab and cincture. Is there a particular reason for this?

Is the baptism immediately following Mass? Perhaps, in segueing from one to another, he is simply over-ambitious in devesting, removing not just chasuble but also stole?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Why a cleric would wear an alb and cincture but not a stole is beyond me.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

As I recall the stole is symbolic of the Priest’s power to absolve. As such it should always be worn for the Sacraments of Confession and Baptism. While not necessary for the validity of these sacraments, I think it may be necessary for licitity.

 

[Chatter163]

As I recall the stole is symbolic of the Priest’s power to absolve. As such it should always be worn for the Sacraments of Confession and Baptism. While not necessary for the validity of these sacraments, I think it may be necessary for licitity.

No, the stole is symbolic of the priest’s order and its authority to celebrate all sacraments and sacramental, and anything else germane to his order, such as preaching.

 

[L_Marshall]

Why a cleric would wear an alb and cincture but not a stole is beyond me.

This is prescribed in some cases, with additional vestiture, when the priest is leading public prayer in which no sacrament is confected, and the Eucharist is not present. For instance: if a priest were to lead Solemn Vespers (and the Blessed Sacrament was not exposed for adoration), he ought to wear a cassock and surplice (or alb, if no cassock & surplice is available), with a cope and no stole. The stole is only used when dealing with sacraments, sacramentals, or the Eucharistic Species.

 

[Chatter163]

This is prescribed in some cases, with additional vestiture, when the priest is leading public prayer in which no sacrament is confected, and the Eucharist is not present. For instance: if a priest were to lead Solemn Vespers (and the Blessed Sacrament was not exposed for adoration), he ought to wear a cassock and surplice (or alb, if no cassock & surplice is available), with a cope and no stole. The stole is only used when dealing with sacraments, sacramentals, or the Eucharistic Species.

and for preaching and, properly, when blessing objects.

 

[L_Marshall]

and for preaching and, properly, when blessing objects.

Blessing objects is filed under “sacramentals.”
A priest need not wear a stole to preach. In the event that a priest attends Mass in choir, but is the homilist, he simply preaches in cassock and surplice (with the biretta being optional). This is commonly seen in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.