Divorced Couple wants to baptize newborn

[rodrigo11]

Hello everyone,

Thank you in advance with any advice you may provide …

My wife and I were married last year outside of the church. We were previously married (to other people) though the catholic church. We have plans to get our marriages annulled (we hope), but in the meantime we would like to baptize our 2 week old in the new month or so. Are we able to baptize out daughter even though we are not married in the church?

We are practicing Catholics, go to church every Sunday, and intend on raising our daughter as a Catholic.

Thank you again for your responses.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Hello everyone,

Thank you in advance with any advice you may provide …

My wife and I were married last year outside of the church. We were previously married (to other people) though the catholic church. We have plans to get our marriages annulled (we hope), but in the meantime we would like to baptize our 2 week old in the new month or so. Are we able to baptize out daughter even though we are not married in the church?

We are practicing Catholics, go to church every Sunday, and intend on raising our daughter as a Catholic.

Thank you again for your responses.

You may want to talk to a priest about this.

 

[Padres1969]

You may want to talk to a priest about this.

I’m gonna go out on a limb and predict the overall responses. From a Catholic perspective baptizing your daughter shouldn’t be a problem since you’re Catholic, she’s Catholic, and you intend to raise your daughter Catholic.

However you’re about to get a bunch of comments about how you and your “wife” need to be living as brother and sister until your previous marriages are annulled and your current “marriage” is convalidated. Or cease receiving Holy Communion until the annulments are granted and the current “marriage” convalidated if you choose to not live chastely in the interim as you’ll be committing a mortal sin every time you have relations. In either case your current “marriage” is not valid in the eyes of the Catholic Church until such time as it can be convalidated.

CAF how’d I do?

 

[rodrigo11]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and predict the overall responses. From a Catholic perspective baptizing your daughter shouldn’t be a problem since you’re Catholic, she’s Catholic, and you intend to raise your daughter Catholic.

However you’re about to get a bunch of comments about how you and your “wife” need to be living as brother and sister until your previous marriages are annulled and your current “marriage” is validated. Or cease receiving Holy Communion until the annulments are granted and the current “marriage” validated if you choose to not live chastely in the interim.

How’d I do?

Thanks for the response. We spoke to a priest about our situation before our daughter was born and he mentioned we stop receiving Holy Communion, so since that day we have not gone up to receive Holy Communion.

 

[Corki]

Thanks for the response. We spoke to a priest about our situation before our daughter was born and he mentioned we stop receiving Holy Communion, so since that day we have not gone up to receive Holy Communion.

I just want to applaud you for taking all the necessary steps to bring your daughter up in the Church despite an irregular situation. I hope everything moves along smoothly and you are able to enjoy Sacramental Matrimony soon!!

 

[pianistclare]

I just want to applaud you for taking all the necessary steps to bring your daughter up in the Church despite an irregular situation. I hope everything moves along smoothly and you are able to enjoy Sacramental Matrimony soon!!

Yes. The Church will Baptize your baby. Congratulations.

 

[Blessedwithfive]

Yup, she gets baptized. So happy to have you doing it right!

 

[WillyAL]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and predict the overall responses. From a Catholic perspective baptizing your daughter shouldn’t be a problem since you’re Catholic, she’s Catholic, and you intend to raise your daughter Catholic.

However you’re about to get a bunch of comments about how you and your “wife” need to be living as brother and sister until your previous marriages are annulled and your current “marriage” is convalidated. Or cease receiving Holy Communion until the annulments are granted and the current “marriage” convalidated if you choose to not live chastely in the interim as you’ll be committing a mortal sin every time you have relations. In either case your current “marriage” is not valid in the eyes of the Catholic Church until such time as it can be convalidated.

CAF how’d I do?

Quite impressive. You even put “wife” and “marriage” in parentheses. Are you sure you’re not Catholic?

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Hello everyone,

Thank you in advance with any advice you may provide …

My wife and I were married last year outside of the church. We were previously married (to other people) though the catholic church. We have plans to get our marriages annulled (we hope), but in the meantime we would like to baptize our 2 week old in the new month or so. Are we able to baptize out daughter even though we are not married in the church?

We are practicing Catholics, go to church every Sunday, and intend on raising our daughter as a Catholic.

Thank you again for your responses.

As long as the parish priest has a founded hope that the child will be brought up Catholic, canon law directs that the child is to be baptised…the marital status of the parents is not material. The Pope has been especially adamant on these points.

You would need to speak with the parish priest to arrange to complete the class that usually precedes a baby’s baptism, select at least one sponsor/godparent, and schedule the baptism with the parish priest, who may ask one of the deacons to do it, if your parish has deacons…sometimes the available slots are booked into the future.

As a priest, I assure you of my prayers regarding your baby’s baptism and the resolution of the marriage situations so that your own situation can be regularised as soon as possible. God bless you.

 

[LordHaveMercy]

Thanks for the response. We spoke to a priest about our situation before our daughter was born and he mentioned we stop receiving Holy Communion, so since that day we have not gone up to receive Holy Communion.

Praying for that glorious day when you receive Our Lord in Holy Comminion again, and praying for your daughter’s upcoming baptism!