Is faith necessary for an adult to be validly baptized? I know for infants its obviously not necessary. However, for those who have reached the age of reason, do they have to believe for the sacrament to work?
Adults must have faith for baptism to be valid but it need not be a fully developed faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) explains, “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!” For all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism” (CCC 1253-1254).
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