Ontological character

[Spirithound]

Is there an ontological difference between a baptized by not confirmed Catholic and a baptized Protestant?

 

[Scoobyshme]

Provided that the Protestant was validly baptized, no, I don’t think there is. (Some Protestants baptize “in the name of Jesus only” which makes their baptism invalid. Those would be excluded.)

 

[DavidFilmer]

Is there an ontological difference between a baptized by not confirmed Catholic and a baptized Protestant?

No. If a person is “properly Baptized” then s/he is ontologically the same as a person baptized in the Catholic Church (CCC 1271),

For the baptism to be “proper” it must meet the same five criteria of Catholic Baptism:

• Form: The Trinitarian formula (in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit)
• Matter: clean water
• **Recipient **(subject): Any non-Baptized person
• Minister: Anybody (even a non-Christian)
• **Intent **(of the minister): to do what the Church does in Baptism (ie, to release the recipient from the bonds of original sin and make him/her part of the Body of Christ).

The Ordinary Minster of Baptism is a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon. But anyone may act as an extraordinary minister, provided everything else (including intent) is proper. A baptism conducted by an extraordinary minister (such as any protestant) would generally be illicit (ie, not performed according to the norms of the Church) but, still valid (which is all that matters, ontologically speaking).

Because the validity of protestant Baptisms are sometimes unclear, it’s not uncommon for Catholic converts to undergo “conditional Baptism,” which is the same as a regular Baptism except the minister says something such as, “in the event that you are not Baptized, I Baptize you in the name of…” In this way, the minister’s intent is clear, and God sorts out the specifics.