RCC Changes Stance on LDS Baptism - Questions for Zerinus

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No relevance whatsoever to what we are talking about.

LDS baptism uses the same form and matter as Catholic baptism. That article is self-contradictory. One minute it says that differences in doctrinal belief do not invalidate baptism, and next minute it proceeds to invalidate Mormon baptisms on the basis of doctrinal belief; therefore it does not answer the question.
Yes, as I have said, intent is part of baptism, and is the reason why non-Christians can baptize, if necessary (i.e. in extraordinary situations).

What doctrine is the article talking about in the first section? In regards to the “form”, the article does have a point. If a Hindu sect that believes in Jesus decided to baptize people into the sect “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”, would that be a valid baptism? The point of that section is that because of the irregular understanding of God that LDS have (from our point of view), the invocation “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” does not refer to the same God as those that have a traditional-Christian understanding of God.
 
That is an irrelevant point you are bringing up. The question is not about why LDS has changed things. It is about the Catholic Church. If that is a satisfactory explanation for you, okay, but it isn’t for me.
It’s perfectly relevant Zerinus - I think you just don’t want to deal with it. It is abundantly clear that no explanation other than someone agreeing with all your speculations will satisfy you.
At the moment you seem to be wasting a lot of your own time and mine!
I had hoped to have a meaningful dialogue with you Zerinus. I think we started out pretty well but then you reverted to making one sided statements instead of asking questions and telling us how our theology works. I lose patience after a while
That is just a reflection of my theological analysis of the case. You are entitled to disagree if you wish.
We understood from reading your blog that it’s your theological analysis - yet it’s at surface level - it’s just a statement. You have yet to explain WHY you think we tacitly acknowledge your authority (we’ve made clear baptism is not about ‘official’ priestly authority) or how by such acknowledgment our own baptisms are negated. It’s not about me agreeing or disagreeing - I believe you’re in a quandary and can’t explain your own logic. If not, then please enlighten us.
That is the impression I get from your comments.
I’ll respond to this in a separate post.
Q: Isn’t it the official stance of the LDS church that ALL churches outside it are corrupt?
Ok - how about:
  1. There are several historical references from about 1832 - 1844 of Joseph Smith either deciding for himself, or being told by heavenly beings that all churches were corrupt, believed incorrect doctrines, none taught truth, etc, etc.
  1. Bruce McConkie - member of the Quorom, in Mormom Doctine, pg. 270 - paraphrasing - Those who believe the creeds of Christendom (I assume that means RCC) worships false gods.
  2. McConkie - in “A New Witness for the Articles of Faith”, pg 55 - “The false gods of Christendom bear the same names as the true Gods of the Bible. Beyond that they have little resemblance. They were described in the creeds that the Lord told JS were “an abomination in his sight.””
  3. Brigham Young - from Journal and Discourses: “With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world” and “Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity”.
And I could go on…
That is not the official position of the LDS Church on other churehcs.
All I can say is, if that’s how your leadership felt/feels about Christians then I’ll take those mean Protestants any day!
And near the end of your blog you cite a response from the LDS church saying “We are neither concerned nor offended that the Catholic Church has determined not to recognize Latter-day Saint baptisms, (church spokesman Michael Otterson).” You also ask the question of does anybody really care that the RCC changed its stance and have said in this thread, and implied in your blog, that you personally don’t care. Interestingly though, at least to me, you end your blog with this statement “I personally see in this a pretty damning and devastating response” – referring to the statement by Michael Otterson…I don’t know what you intention was when you wrote it but it seems to be an ‘in your face’ statement? If not, why not? If so, back to the first question – how is that friendly to the RCC and showing respect?
That was not intended as an unfriendly comment towards the Catholic Church. That is how I view that response given by the LDS Church to the RCC’s decision. I think that the RCC decision was intended as a hostile act against the LDS Church, motivated by several different factors. I think that the LDS response was appropriate and dignified, and shows up the RCC in a poorer light. That is what I meant to say.
I don’t think I’d find any objective party who’d read your blog and see it end with that and not take it as in your face and mean-spirited. And I think that’s just what you intended - but for a LDS audience.

The contradictory nature of your statements about how LDS are friends of the RCC then combined with the snubs in your blog plus your final statement ("I personally see in this a pretty damning and devastating response”) just doesn’t add up to being friendly and respectful. Maybe in LDS-land but not in RCC-land.

Fr. Ladaria makes the case for the RCC baptism change very clearly and ends his article with a call for respect and friendship - we just disagree on baptism. You take a very different tack and then say you’re our friend - I’m having a hard time buying that.
 
in reference to the LDS Church thinking other churches are corrupt, all we have to do is look at LDS Scripture, Joseph Smith-History 1

17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than **I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
**
 
I am a little confused as to why this is considered a major event, The Church has always had doubts about the validity of Mormon baptisms requiring Mormon converts to be conditionally baptized. I see little difference between being required to be conditionally baptized or baptized-both express a profound doubt as to the validity of Mormon Baptisms.
That is not correct. The “conditional baptism” was not a universal rule. It was applied at the discretion of the local officer in the event that there was doubt regarding the “correct matter and form” having been applied at the original baptism.
 
Well, you are the one with the blog dude so will you finally tell us why you are so bothered about something that is old news?
I am not bothered about it. I am merely responding to other people’s posts. Why are you so bothered about my responding to other people’s posts?
 
This is my whole point:

“I wrote it firstly as an academic exercise.”
**
The article seems to me to be less academic and more emotional than anything. And when we try to find out why, we are told we are the ones being emotional.
I had also explained to you that that was not the only reason. The motivation behind the academic interest was the attacks against LDS made by Catholics using that decision as a launchpad; therefore the article has polemic interest as well as an academic one.
 
OT: Why can’t you narrow your signature pic down so the rest of us don’t have to scroll?
 
I kinda feel left out now. I’m going to go start a blog about why my catholic baptism is not valid in a Mormon church, even though I don’t actually ever go to a Mormon church. I think they don’t like us :confused:.

Oh, wait. Never mind. I don’t care. 😛

It’s like the child who smacks his little sister to get a response because he doesn’t get enough attention. Then when mom says, “brother, why did you smack your sister?” He says, “I didn’t, she’s crying for no reason”.
That was a pretty unintelligent comment.
 
huh? A polite request that has all to with the mods, I have no idea. If I get a mormon to ask you will you do it?
 
Converting, there were two thought I had on this. One, my mormon baptism was done by my dad. I didn’t like the idea that something so important to him (he is very mormon) was rejected. Second, I wanted to be baptized in the Catholic church as knowing mormon teaching, and Catholic doctrine, I didn’t/don’t believe my mormon baptism was valid.

IMHO, this is how the change came to be. Former mormons raising this very issue with their priests, who take it to their bishops, who take it to the USCCB, who take it to the Roman Curia.
LOL! The Dubium was put by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the United States. From my Blog:

The ruling, made on June 5 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had been in response to a question on the validity of LDS baptisms posed by the Bishops’ Conference of the United States.” Deseret News, July 18, 2001.
:rotfl:
 
LOL! The Dubium was put by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the United States. From my Blog:
The ruling, made on June 5 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, had been in response to a question on the validity of LDS baptisms posed by the Bishops’ Conference of the United States.” Deseret News, July 18, 2001.:rotfl:
There you go. 👍
 
Hi Rebecca:

How common is this? Do you know others who have experienced this same situation?

HC
Being in Utah, there are a lot of us former mormons, now Catholic. 🙂 Four of my friends from RCIA were former mormons. All of us wanted to be baptized. What did we ask from the Church? Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist!!

Prior to this ruling from the CDF, I have heard Mormon converts say they were baptized, baptized conditionally, or not baptized at all. More than one former Mormon has told me they wanted to be baptized. As the practice was not uniform, it makes sense that the USCCB asked for a clarification from the Curia.

The day I was baptized was one of the best days of my life. 🙂 Up there with the day I married and the day my daughter was born. :extrahappy:
 
And yet again Zerinus, you think you understand Catholicism and you don’t. The will and intent of the parent(s) does make a difference - not just the religious beliefs of the nurse who’s LDS. In a baptismal ceremony for an infant the priest or deacon asks the parents what they are requesting for the baby - the answer is baptism. This is done because the baby can’t answer for themselves. The parents are acting on behalf of their baby - it is their will that is being followed to bring this sacrament to the baby.

In an adolescent or adult baptism the recipient themselves are asked what their request is of the church, the answer - baptism. So the mother plays a very important role in the case cited. It is her will that’s important, not that of the LDS nurse. And based on the way this nurse was described, it appears her intent was to help the mother - not make sure the baptism was following LDS form.

That’s why, as explained multiple time to you now, the RCC recognizes as valid, baptism from non-priests/deacons, from other religions, from an atheist, if necessary, in the case of an emergency.
Sorry OHCAC, but the actions or mental assent of the mother simply has no relevance to the subject matter that is being discussed.
Below is info from the Fr. Ladaria article regarding form and matter. Regarding matter, you’re right - no problem. Regarding form, he makes it so abundantly clear that they are not the same, contradictory to your statement above.
I. The Matter. On this point there is no problem. Water is used. The Mormons practice Baptism by immersion (cf. Doctrine and Covenants [D&C] 20:74), which is one of the ways of celebrating Baptism (application of the matter) which is accepted by the Catholic Church.
II. The Form. We have seen that in the texts of the Magisterium on Baptism there is a reference to the invocation of the Trinity (to the sources already mentioned, the Fourth Lateran Council could be added here [DH 8021). The formula used by the Mormons might seem at first sight to be a Trinitarian formula. The text states: “Being commissioned by Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (cf. D&C 20:73). The similarities with the formula used by the Catholic Church are at first sight obvious, but in reality they are only apparent. There is not in fact a fundamental doctrinal agreement. **There is not a true invocation of the Trinity
because the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, according to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not the three persons in which subsists the one Godhead, but three gods who form one divinity. One is different from the other, even though they exist in perfect harmony (Joseph F. Smith, ed., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [TPJSI, Salt Lake City: Desert Book, 1976, p. 372). **The very word divinity has only a functional, not a substantial content, because the divinity originates when the three gods decided to unite and form the divinity to bring about human salvation (Encyclopaedia of Mormonism [EM], New York: Macmillan, 1992, cf. Vol. 2, p. 552). This divinity and man share the same nature and they are substantially equal. God the Father is an exalted man, native of another planet, who has acquired his divine status through a death similar to that of human beings, the necessary way to divinization (cf. TPJS, pp. 345-346). God the Father has relatives and this is explained by the doctrine of infinite regression of the gods who initially were mortal (cf. TPJS, p. 373). God the Father has a wife, the Heavenly Mother, with whom he shares the responsibility of creation. They procreate sons in the spiritual world. Their firstborn is Jesus Christ, equal to all men, who has acquired his divinity in a pre-mortal existence. Even the Holy Spirit is the son of heavenly parents. The Son and the Holy Spirit were procreated after the beginning of the creation of the world known to us (cf. EM, Vol. 2, p. 961). Four gods are directly responsible for the universe, three of whom have established a covenant and thus form the divinity.

As is easily seen, to the similarity of titles there does not correspond in any way a doctrinal content which can lead to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The words Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have for the Mormons a meaning totally different from the Christian meaning. The differences are so great that one cannot even consider that this doctrine is a heresy which emerged out of a false understanding of the Christian doctrine. The teaching of the Mormons has a completely different matrix. We do not find ourselves, therefore, before the case of the validity of Baptism administered by heretics, affirmed already from the first Christian centuries, nor of Baptism conferred in non-Catholic ecclesial communities, as noted in Canon 869 §2.

This is so clear: that the form of LDS and Catholic baptism are not the same, for a RCC baptism, as pertains to RCC theology, that for you to continue to say “LDS baptism uses the same form and matter as Catholic baptism” is simply foolish. I know you can read the words - heck, you brought up the article. It appears, (I can’t read minds) that you really have no intention to have a meaningful dialogue about your blog - you’ve made up your mind and that’s it.

So be it - but then please don’t come to a RCC forum purporting to want to converse with us when really all you want to do is spout LDS theology, ignore what we (even a priest) tells you when you’re flat out wrong, and make derogatory statements about our faith - and then do it under the guise of the LDS are the mistreated ones.

That is a contrived argument. It is a convoluted and unsuccessful attempt at converting a doctrinal difference into a difference in “form,” and it doesn’t work. His own arguments refute his own attempt.
 
zerinus, you keep ignoring that intent is very much part of what is needed in baptism.
 
This is incorrect. You forget “intent”. In diana’s scenario, the intent of the Mormon nurse was to do as the Catholic Church does, in reference to the wishes of the mother. That is why even an atheist can baptize. Why would an atheist baptize someone in any situation since they don’t believe in any God? It is to do as the Church does, in accordance with the wishes of the person asking. This contrasts with the situation of an LDS baptism, where there is a difference in theology on God, which places LDS in the same category as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, and any other group that has a non-traditional Christian understanding of God.
In Catholicism a doctrinal difference does not translate into a difference in “intent”. JWs do not baptize in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
 
Sorry OHCAC, but the actions or mental assent of the mother simply has no relevance to the subject matter that is being discussed.

That is a contrived argument. It is a convoluted and unsuccessful attempt at converting a doctrinal difference into a difference in “form,” and it doesn’t work. His own arguments refute his own attempt.
Yes, intent is very much part of this discussion, seeing how diana did bring it up and asked about the logic of how a Mormon nurse can validly baptize a Catholic baby. We have responded.

If we think about doctrinal errors in the context of which baptisms the Catholic Church accepts, it is clear what the article means. Even before the Church stated that LDS baptisms are invalid, it did not accept the baptisms of other groups, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Oneness Pentecostals, etc. The striking difference between traditional Protestants and those that the Church does not accept, including Mormons, is that they all have irregular understandings of God. The doctrinal issues we have with Protestants are real and great, however they do believe in the traditional God that we believe in. The latter groups do not, and therefore can be thought of as belonging to non-Christian groups, since it really is a “different God” that we all believe in. Therefore, the doctrinal differences between Protestants and Catholics are irrelevant to baptism, as we believe in the same God. The main doctrinal difference between Catholics and JWs, OPs, and LDS is that we believe in completely different Gods. Therefore “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” is NOT referring to the same Persons that Catholics believe in and worship. Thus why Mormon baptism is not Christian baptism for the Church.

And I think Rebecca gave an interesting view on the need to regularize the practice of conditional baptism in relation to the Mormons.
 
It is relevant to Catholic doctrine, which, is what is being discussed:

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

V. WHO CAN BAPTIZE?

1256
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and priest and, in the Latin Church, also the deacon.57 In case of necessity, anyone, even a non-baptized person, with the required intention, can baptize58 , by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes. The Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation.59

footnote 58: Canon 861§2. When an ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or another person designated for this function by the local ordinary, or in a case of necessity any person with the right intention, confers baptism licitly. Pastors of souls, especially the pastor of a parish, are to be concerned that the Christian faithful are taught the correct way to baptize.

The LDS Church does not will to do what the Church does when she baptizes.
 
also, my hypothetical of a Hindu group that baptizes in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit still stands. There are quite a few Hindus, especially in India and the diaspora, that revere and worship Christ, sometimes in a syncretic form of Catholicism-Hinduism. Therefore, they see Christ as one incarnation of God, usually Vishnu, among others. So, if this group chose to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it would be an invalid baptism. They do not believe in the same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we do, therefore it is referring to completely different Persons. Likewise, LDS do not believe in the same Father, Son (obviously you’d debate that), and Holy Spirit that Catholics do. Therefore Mormon baptism is also invalid. Doctrinal differences don’t matter if we’re talking about the same God. The example given under doctrinal differences in the article was the Donatists. They still believed in the same God as Catholics do.
 
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