Infant Baptism and justification through faith?

[mikeledes]

I read a Lutheran website that reconciled justification through faith and infant baptism by saying that God miraculously creates faith in the infant’s heart after baptism. Would that be similar to the Catholic Church’s position? How is justification through faith compatible with infant baptism, since an infant technically can’t have faith?

Thanks and God Bless

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I read a Lutheran website that reconciled justification through faith and infant baptism by saying that God miraculously creates faith in the infant’s heart after baptism. Would that be similar to the Catholic Church’s position? How is justification through faith compatible with infant baptism, since an infant technically can’t have faith?

Thanks and God Bless

An infant is Baptized itno the Faith of the Church. After Baptism that same infant is a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, The Church. So in a sense after Baptism that infant participates fully in the Faith expressed by The Church until they are capable of expressing that Faith for themselves.

 

[jprioli]

When an older child or an adult is baptized, they must make their own profession (or “act”) of faith.

But when an infant is baptized, the adults responsible for its care (most often its parents and godparents) make a profession of the faith that they will raise that child within.

The righteousness (ie, justified-ness) of the baptized infant is the free gift (grace) of God, who infuses the newly-baptized with His Own life.

Not to be dogmatic, now, but to offer a bit of advice: If we place too much emphasis on the individual’s own act of faith for the efficacy of the Sacrament, we may erode the gracious nature of the infusion of righteousness. The so-called “act of faith” becomes itself a work demanding a payment, rather than a participation in the Mystery of God’s love.

The following paragraphs from the Catechism of the Catholic Church should help to make this a little more clear:

1253 Baptism is the sacrament of faith.54 But faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The catechumen or the godparent is asked: “What do you ask of God’s Church?” The response is: “Faith!”

1254 For all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism. For this reason the Church celebrates each year at the Easter Vigil the renewal of baptismal promises. Preparation for Baptism leads only to the threshold of new life. Baptism is the source of that new life in Christ from which the entire Christian life springs forth.

1255 For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents’ help is important. So too is the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized—child or adult—on the road of Christian life.55 Their task is a truly ecclesial function (officium).56 The whole ecclesial community bears some responsibility for the development and safeguarding of the grace given at Baptism.

Pax,
Deacon Joe

 

[Pax]

These are good responses and I will only add to these by way of life experience. I am a cradle Catholic and was raised by faithful Catholic parents. I cannot remember a time that I did not believe in God. I have no recollection of coming to the realization and when I look back in time I sense that I always believed.

This is what happens to us through baptism and belonging to a family that is part of the body of Christ. God’s infusion of grace at infant baptism cleanses the infant of original sin and disposes the infant to have faith. The infant is no longer born into disobedience and unbelief which is our heritage through Adam. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus.