Prayer of exorcism optional?

[blessed_R_U]

I was told that it is.
Is this optional in the rite of baptism? I thought it was an integral part being that original sin is removed. Thanks for answering!

 

[stbruno]

I perform baptisms. The prayer of exorcism is never omitted. There are two oils used during the rite of baptism…the oil of catechumens and sacred chrism. The sacred chrism can be omitted.

 

[Ad_Deum]

It should never be eliminated in any circumstances because it is an integral part of the holy baptismal rite.

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christo
Instaurare omnia in Christo

 

[John_Lilburne]

I disagree with both replies above, saying the Prayer of Exorcism can never be eliminated.

From the Rite of Baptism, Chapter V, “Rite of Baptism for Children in Danger of Death When No Priest or Deacon is Available”:
“163. If no one there is capable of directing the prayer, any member of the church may baptize, after reciting the Apostles’ Creed, by pouring water on the child while reciting the customary words (see no. 160, above). The creed may be omitted if necessary.
164. At the moment of death, it is sufficient for the minister to omit all other ceremonies and pour water on the child while saying the usual words (see no. 160, above). It is desirable that the minister, as far as possible, should use one or two witnesses.”

Do these “usual words” in n. 160 include the Prayer of Exorcism? Of course not. It has:
“160. Then the minister baptizes the child, saying:
N., I baptize you in the name of the Father,
The minister pours water upon the child.
and of the Son,
The minister pours water upon the child a second time.
and of the Holy Spirit.
The minister pours water upon the child a third time.”
(The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0. page 434).

But according to the Introduction to the Rite of Baptism for Children:
“15. Baptism, whether for one child, or several, or even for a larger number, should be celebrated by the ordinary minister and with the full rite when there is no immediate danger of death.”

For adults the baptism ceremony normally does not include a Prayer of Exorcism. Normally there are separate ceremonies, the Scrutinies, at which there is a Prayer of Exorcism. But the normal ceremony of inititiation in the Rite of Christian Initation of Adults does not include a Prayer of Exorcism.

 

[stbruno]

In emergency baptism everything but the pouring of water and the recitation of the Trinitarian formula is used.

But the typical baptism is what the o.p. asked.

 

[AlexV]

Yes, let’s avoid pedantry.

Clearly the OP wasn’t envisaging in periculo mortis situations, where the game always changes.

 

[cameron_lansing]

It should be noted by the OP that baptism, and not the invocatory prayer of exorcism, effects the cleansing from original sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church should be consulted on this rather central point.

The matter of the RCIA has been addressed already in regard to the posed question. But I have my Rite for Children handy here, so I will comment only in terms of infant/child baptism.

The rubrics for the solemn administration of the baptism of children do not contain any provision which I can find for omitting the prayer of exorcism which occurs prior to that first anointing with the oil of catechumens.

However, n. 51 of the Rite for Several Children and n. 88 in the Rite for One Child do state that such first anointing before baptism may be omitted if the conference of bishops has so provided. (According to my text, the USCCB had so provided but I do not know about elsewhere.) Then the minister must still “judge the omission to be pastorally necessary or desirable.”

I am not aware that the anointing after the baptism of an infant/child with Sacred Chrism would ever be omitted apart from the conferral of baptism in danger of death. There is no rubrical provision for doing so that I can see apart from that kind of emergency situation.