Filipino ex-con sponsors "heavenly" mass baptism

[LaSalle]

I was quite dumbfounded when I saw this news release. Why would the Church charge so much for a baptism???

US$65 is really way too much to charge people who make less than US$200 a month! I didn’t have to pay a single cent for baptising both of my kids! I’m sure even if some charge is levied, it’s usually a token amount.

Man … and we wonder why we get bad flak.

reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSSP6994520070823

 

[jsphbeale]

Why would the Church charge so much for a baptism???

Once again it seems the media has reported a story to try and offend others about our Church. It actually never says that the RCC charges anything and I don’t believe that is the case. The ex-con is not affiliated with our Church.

 

[rpp]

The article artfully used the phrase “private baptism”. Also, notice it talks about baptismal clothing.

I am not sure what is going on here. I think I am going to show this article to my spiritual director. She is a Filipino nun. She grew up in Quezon city and would know such customs.

I wonder what is really being paid for here.

 

[geezerbob]

I was hoping some of our Filipino members would respond to this, but it hasn’t happened yet.

 

[jaaraf]

I’m a Filipino answering this thread…
I think that the cost of a private baptism may refer to having a baptism with only one’s child in question, no other children being baptized… or it may refer to the cost of the “extras” meaning new clothes, and of course the “handaan” or celebration after. I think Mark Jimenez might have footed the bill in that case. I havan’t heard of anyone paying that amount for a baptism done at the usual schedule of baptism for a parish, at least not in my diocese.