Question about timing of Baptism for those familiar with Canon Law

[Brenda_V]

Bear with me here it takes a bit of setting up to see where the question comes from.

I was talking with a new friend yesterday and she brought up this examination of conscience at her Mom’s church. This was a list for those standing in line or otherwise preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help them in their examination. She has three new babies in her family and the question about quickly Baptizing infants was on the Examination paper - she couldn’t remember if it was 3 weeks or not but I also found a similar examination on-line that under the 4th Commandment (Honor your father and mother) had - “Failure to baptize children in a reasonable time (within a few months) after birth”

Okay, so this got all her family worried about all these babies and their parents so her sister (one of the Grandma’s) asked her Priest who told her that Canon Law says an infant must be Baptized within the first 90 days after Birth so, my question is - what if any Canon Law says this?

I for one am all for getting those Babies Baptized within weeks of birth, not months and for sure not once they are walking! Yes, when I took my various Baptismal classes the momma’s and daddy’s had to chase down the child who was being Baptized - I was the only pregnant woman at these classes!!

Brenda V.

 

[kage_ar]

vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2X.HTM

Can. 867 §1. Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Bear with me here it takes a bit of setting up to see where the question comes from.

I was talking with a new friend yesterday and she brought up this examination of conscience at her Mom’s church. This was a list for those standing in line or otherwise preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help them in their examination. She has three new babies in her family and the question about quickly Baptizing infants was on the Examination paper - she couldn’t remember if it was 3 weeks or not but I also found a similar examination on-line that under the 4th Commandment (Honor your father and mother) had - “Failure to baptize children in a reasonable time (within a few months) after birth”

Okay, so this got all her family worried about all these babies and their parents so her sister (one of the Grandma’s) asked her Priest who told her that Canon Law says an infant must be Baptized within the first 90 days after Birth so, my question is - what if any Canon Law says this?

I for one am all for getting those Babies Baptized within weeks of birth, not months and for sure not once they are walking! Yes, when I took my various Baptismal classes the momma’s and daddy’s had to chase down the child who was being Baptized - I was the only pregnant woman at these classes!!

Brenda V.

We generally think of the proper day as the “eighth day after birth”. since Jesus was presented in the temple on the “Eighth day”, We should present our children on the “Eighth day” in the Church for Baptism. So a few weeks is from 1 to 16 days after birth. So the general rule of within 3 weeks makes sense.

 

[Brenda_V]

Thank you. I thought Canon law was a bit more vague than a specific number of days. Now maybe in the past there was a specific number of days in which to get the Sacrament conferred.

Bro.Rich - that is an interesting way of looking at it. All of my babies were Baptized either at birth (chance of imminent death very real) or before they were two weeks old. Two had Proxies for their Godparents, only one had her Godparents physically present.

Thank you both again.

Brenda V.