Do babies receive the Holy Spirit at baptism?

[johnnydigit]

would it be wrong to baptize your baby immediately at birth for fear that something may happen? is it better to trust that God will allow your baby to live until the official date of baptism in the Church? what if the baby doesn’t survive, but you sincerely intended for it to be baptized, are you held accountable, or does the baptism by intention kick in?

 

[itsjustdave1988]

JustDave,

The catechism does not state that one receives the Holy Spirit at baptism, considered apart from the other elements of Christian Initiation.

I disagree. The Catechism states:

**985 *Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit.1241 The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one “anointed” by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king.1242 In the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, the post-baptismal anointing is the sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation). In the Roman liturgy the post- baptismal anointing announces a second anointing with sacred chrism to be conferred later by the bishop Confirmation, which will as it were “confirm” and complete the baptismal anointing. ***So, in the Latin Rite, the post-baptismal annointing with sacred chrism occurs during the Rite of Baptism, and does indeed signify the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the context which CCC 985 was written. Consequently, CCC 985 states explicitly that “Baptism is the first and chief sacrament…and gives us the Holy Spirit.”

In the Latin Rite, there is a “second annointing with sacred chrism” by the Bishop (normatively) at the Sacrament of Confirmation, which “‘confirm’ and completes” this first annointing at Baptism.

The liturgical customs differ, but the Catechism does indeed teach to the universal Church that the at baptism, a non-Confirmed Latin Rite infant has “received the Holy Spirit.” This is why the baptized (to include Latin Rite Catholics who are not yet confirmed) are called the “temple of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1265), because they do indeed have the Holy Spirit indwelling within their hearts.

The idea that one does not receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism is contrary to universal Catholic doctrine. You have absolutely no magisterial text supporting such a claim.

Contemporary practice has nothing to do with it. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, “all those who are baptized with the baptism of Christ recieve the Holy Ghost, unless they approach unworthily” (*Summa Theologica, *III, 39, 6). According to St. Augustine, “those who are baptized receive the Holy Ghost in a special manner” (De Trin., XV).

The consequence is that it’s difficult anymore to make any theological sense of confirmation as a sacrament

I have no difficulty making sense of it. My bishop and my post-graduate theology professors seem to be able to explain it very well, congruent with Catholic doctrine. They teach as I presented here on the forum, that with every sacrament, the recipient receives the Holy Spirit, as do the pious in prayer.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

would it be wrong to baptize your baby immediately at birth for fear that something may happen?

No.

is it better to trust that God will allow your baby to live until the official date of baptism in the Church?

You should consult your priest.

what if the baby doesn’t survive, but you sincerely intended for it to be baptized, are you held accountable, or does the baptism by intention kick in?

The Catechism calls baptism of infants “urgent” (CCC 1261), because it is the only means known to the Church for infants to be “born from above” in Christ.

However, it also states:**1261 **As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

To say that not believing that we receive the Holy Spirit in baptism is NOT Catholic seems a little extreme.

Not at all. To state the opposite, WITHOUT MAGISTERIAL EVIDENCE is extreme. To be clear, I didn’t call anybody “not Catholic.” I called the denial of this doctrine, not Catholic.

Does your Bishop teach you this? Are are you using your own private lights to establish what Catholic doctrine is? Catholic doctrine comes from the magisterium, so the measure of what is “Catholic” or not is not up to our own opinion.

To conclude “Your Latin Rite babies do not receive the Holy Spirit at baptism and are therefore without the Holy Spirit” is not only absurd, but offensive to pious ears.

There are many wild accusations about Catholic doctrine being presented without any magisterial support. Does anybody here have the credentials to teach contrary to what is plainly stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church? What I’ve presented, is straight from the Catechism, as well as from John Paul II’s catechetical address.

I don’t argue against Augustine’s Catholicism. I argue against really bad interpretations of Augustine’s Catholicism.

My bishop teaches me Catholic doctrine. If you are doubtful as to Catholic doctrine on this matter, then consult your bishop. I think you’ll find that this teaching is not a matter of personal opinion.

 

[Marc_Hanna]

I think there’s a difference in aspect of what some of us are talking about. There is the initial receipt of the Holy Spirit and continual/continuous receiving of Him or His gifts.

Surely one does not initially receive Him time and time again.

And surely one does not receive “part” of the Holy Spirit in one sacrament and then another “part” in another sacrament.

In what capacity do we receive the Holy Spirit in each of the sacraments? Do we receive Him anew each time . . . as if we had lost HIm?

Do not the scriptural accounts that we have quoted so far refer specifically to the initial receipt of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us? And while yes we continuously receive the Hoy Spirit, it is not restricted to the administration of sacraments alone, but also when we pray and in our daily lives.

And certainly there are examples of people throughout the Bible, including the OT who have been moved by the Holy Spirit (ie the prophets) who have not been baptized or confirmed. So to say that we receive the Holy Spirit in baptism may not necessarily mean the initial receipt of the Spirit indwelling in us as may be understood from the laying on of hands and annointing (confirmation).

 

[itsjustdave1988]

…In what capacity do we receive the Holy Spirit in each of the sacraments?

As I explained earlier, we receive both “Uncreated grace” and “created grace” through each of the Sacraments. We all agree that we recieve the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. It should be noted that the Church also teaches that we recieve the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Matrimony. Observe…

CCC 1624: “In the epiclesis of this sacrament [of matrimohy] the spouses receive the Holy Spirit”

One should NOT conclude that by this teaching, the Church saying that BEFORE Matrimony, the couple HAD NOT received the Holy Spirit. That would be an absurd conclusion given the entire context of the Catechism.

Instead, the Church teaches that we do indeed receive the Holy Spirit anew many times in our lives, most especially in every Sacrament, but also extra-sacramentally in our prayer life.

When one receives “Uncreated grace” this means that they do indeed have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That they may (or may not) have previously had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit does not detract from the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within anew, for a new purpose, bring also the gifts (created grace) needed for that new purpose.

Do we receive Him anew each time . . . as if we had lost HIm?

We do receive Him anew each time. We MAY have lost Him through mortal sin. However, that is not necessarily the case. If we recieve, for example, the Sacrament of Matrimony “worthily”–that is, in a state of grace–then we have already the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but upon reception of the sacrament we are annointed anew by the Holy Spirit, which means we we do receive Him as the Catechism confirms. This is a Catholic Catechism, not simply my personal theology which I’m presenting.

…So to say that we receive the Holy Spirit in baptism may not necessarily mean the initial receipt of the Spirit indwelling in us as may be understood from the laying on of hands and annointing (confirmation).

This makes no sense to me. The first sacrament in which one necessarily receives the Holy Spirit is the Sacrament of Baptism. Whether shortly thereafter (as with Eastern Rite) or many years later, we ALSO receive the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, and also with every subsequent Sacrament.

Now, the “initial” reception of the Holy Spirit may have preceded the Sacrament of Baptism, as was the case with Cornelius and his friend and family (Acts 10), however, when these do receive the Sacrament of Baptism, the receive the Holy Spirit anew, bringing a fuller blessing than any prior extra-sacramental annointing.

Paul VI affirms:

It is specially important that the baptized person should have a highly conscious esteem of his elevation, or, rather, of his rebirth to the most happy reality of being an adopted Son of God, to the dignity of being a Brother of Christ, to the good fortune, we mean to the grace and joy of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to the vocation to a new life. [Paul VI’s 1964 Encyclical *Ecclesiam Suam,

no. 39]

So, the initial reception of the Holy Spirit may certainly be extra-sacramental prior to the Sacrament of Baptism (cf. Act 10). However, the Sacrament of Baptism (received worthily) necessarily includes the reception (indwelling) of the Holy Spirit, so this reception cannot first be received at the Sacrament of Confirmation, because one of the conditions for the Sacrament of Confirmation is the prior reception of the Sacrament of Baptism.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

Here’s some more theological explanation from St. Thomas Aquinas about how we recieve both gift and the Gift-giver when we are made Justified by the sanctifying grace of God…

Regarding “the error of those who say that the Holy ghost is not given, but that His gifts are given” (Summa Theologica, I, 43, 3), St. Thomas Aquinas states:

…Augustine says (De Trin. iii, 4) that "the Holy Ghost proceeds temporally * for the creature’s sanctification."* …

I answer that, The divine person is fittingly sent in the sense that He exists newly in any one; and He is given as possessed by anyone; and neither of these is otherwise than by sanctifying grace.

For God is in all things by His essence, power and presence, according to His one common mode, as the cause existing in the effects which participate in His goodness. Above and beyond this common mode, however, there is one special mode belonging to the rational nature wherein God is said to be present as the object known is in the knower, and the beloved in the lover. And since the rational creature by its operation of knowledge and love attains to God Himself, according to this special mode God is said not only to exist in the rational creature but also to dwell therein as in His own temple. So no other effect can be put down as the reason why the divine person is in the rational creature in a new mode, except sanctifying grace. Hence, the divine person is sent, and proceeds temporally only according to sanctifying grace.

Again…the Holy Ghost is possessed by man, and dwells within him, in the very gift itself of sanctifying grace. Hence the Holy Ghost Himself is given and sent.

By the gift of sanctifying grace the rational creature is perfected so that it can freely use not only the created gift itself, but enjoy also the divine person Himself; and so the invisible mission takes place according to the gift of sanctifying grace; and yet the divine person Himself is given.

The above is “theology” (i.e., free opinion). That means not everything affirmed above by St. Thomas Aquinas is in fact Catholic “doctrine” (ie., *sententia certa *which is binding). Theology is speculative, and seeks to explain and further expound upon doctrine. The “doctrine” or certain teaching of the magisterium is that the Holy Spirit is received at baptism, at confirmation, during matrimony, and with the reception of every valid sacrament, worthily received, and also during pious prayer or meritorious works.

In fact, anytime a person is “justified” or in a “state of grace” they necessarily possess what is called “sanctifying grace,” which means they possess the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

 

[pjlagein]

I have heard it said that we are baptized as babies so that we can be restored back to having grace (sharing in God’s life) that we lost with Adam and Eve and original sin (we are born with orginal sin).

 

[oljimmyboy]

We receive the Holy Spirit again at Confirmation for a different purpose.

The Holy Spirit is planted in the infant at baptism much like a seed. Upon receiving Catechesis, the seed sprouts and begins to grow. Upon receiving the sacrament of The Eucharist, the spiritual tree of the child branches and grows tremendously. Upon Confirmation, the “tree” bears fruit as the Holy Spirit becomes fully activated and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are granted the recipient. The “fruit” is the changing from a disciple (student) to an apostle (one who is sent) and the confirmande is empowered by the Holy Spirit to “go out and preach the gospel to all nations”. If you ever received a credit card in the mail you will notice that it is not effective until you “activate” it by calling the credit card company and yadda, yadda, yadda. The Holy Spirit becomes fully activated in your soul upon Confirmation. You may carry that unactivated credit card around with you for years and not need it at all. It is upon “activation” that you can rely on the “gift” of the credit card to assist you in your need. The credit card is always in your pocket just like the Holy Spirit after Baptism. Once the recipient is fully catechised in the faith, he is ready to activate his “gift”, the gifts of the Holy Spirit at confirmation.

 

[Tom]

If the Holy Spirit is received at infant baptism, what happens at confirmation?

Baptism is the “new” and fulfillment of circumcision. Confirmation is the “new” and fulfillment of Bar/Bas Mitzvah (literally Sons/Daughters of the Law), where as a consenting adult you accept your role in Gods plan. In each we receive the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, how can the Holy Spirit enter the baptised baby without the consent of the baby? The baby has not made the choice of receiving the Spirit, the parents have.

Where does it say you must consent? Didn’t the Holy Spirit enter John in the womb of Elizabeth without his consent? Consent doesn’t seem to be a requirement which inhibits God. We can send the Holy Spirit but we do not control the Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t depend on us for His actions.
We can receive (and accept the Holy Spirit) every day of our lives! Where does it say we can control, by restriction, Gods Holy Spirit?

 

[Tom]

For example, God told Adam that if he ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that he would die, but indeed he did not die for many hundreds of years later.

A little play on Words in Scripture is at work here. If you read the Greek Genesis actually says will “die the death” and it repeats it again, it isn’t unusual for modern translations to eliminate one of the “die for death”s , but it gives a different meaning. God is here telling us we have two lives. One mortal on earth, one eternal and immortal either with Him or without Him. To the Spirit death is the absence of God. Therefore Adam did indeed “die”, in his spiritual life, when he ate of the tree.

 

[Tom]

Matthew 3,11 I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.

Acts 2, 38 But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call.

Acts 11, 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said: John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.