What if I Baptize My 5 Year Old Grandson?

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janman55

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…or my two year old Granddaughter?

If I pour water across their head, I baptize them in the Trinitarian formula, what happens?

Have I committed sin? Baptized them? Wasted my time?
 
My understanding is that a lay person may baptize only in an emergency situation (using water and the Trinitarian formula) and it would be valid. However, I don’t think that’s what this situation is that you’re asking about.

Is there a reason why your grandchildren cannot be baptized in the usual way?
 
janman55 said:
…or my two year old Granddaughter?

If I pour water across their head, I baptize them in the Trinitarian formula, what happens?

Have I committed sin? Baptized them? Wasted my time?
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I don’t think it would be a sin, but it would certainly be illicit.

Why would you have to do it yourself instead of your child having them baptized? If they are not likely to be raised in the faith you are not really doing them any favors, imposing on them standards that they not learn to meet.
 
janman55 said:
…or my two year old Granddaughter?

If I pour water across their head, I baptize them in the Trinitarian formula, what happens?

Have I committed sin? Baptized them? Wasted my time?
Click to expand...
Only a Priest can baptize.

But in the case of death, if no Priest is around, than a layperson may baptize.

Since you haven’t specified such a case, you may not baptize. If you do baptize, the sacrament will be invalid and you’d be committing a sin.
 
You guys have answered the question, with the answer I expected. It was merely a discussion point with my wife and I about how to get the ball rolling. and what if. Just a frustration question from a sometimes frustrated grandparent.
 
Just to back up what everyone else has said:

Code Of Canon Law Ref:

Can. 857 §1 Apart from a case of necessity, the proper place for baptism is a church or an oratory.

§2 As a rule and unless a just reason suggests otherwise, an adult is to be baptised in his or her proper parish church, and an infant in the proper parish church of the parents.

Can. 858 §1 Each parish church is to have a baptismal font, without prejudice to the same right already acquired by other churches.

§2 The local Ordinary, after consultation with the local parish priest, may for the convenience of the faithful permit or order that a baptismal font be placed also in another church or oratory within the parish.

Can. 859 If, because of distance or other circumstances, the person to be baptised cannot without grave inconvenience go or be brought to the parish church or the oratory mentioned in can. 858 §2, baptism may and must be conferred in some other church or oratory which is nearer, or even in some other fitting place.

Can. 860 §1 Apart from a case of necessity, baptism is not to be conferred in private houses, unless the local Ordinary should for a grave reason permit it.

§2 Unless the diocesan Bishop has decreed otherwise, baptism is not to be conferred in hospital, except in a case of necessity or for some other pressing pastoral reason.

Paul
 
Paul2274 said:
Just to back up what everyone else has said:

Code Of Canon Law Ref:
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And more germane to the question:
Can. 861 §1 The ordinary minister of baptism is a Bishop, a priest or a deacon, without prejudice to the provision of can. 530, n. 1.
§2 If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local Ordinary, may lawfully confer baptism; indeed, in a case of necessity, any person who has the requisite intention may do so. Pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to be diligent in ensuring that Christ’s faithful are taught the correct way to baptise.

Can. 862 Except in a case of necessity, it is unlawful for anyone without due permission to confer baptism outside his own territory, not even upon his own subjects.
If, as has been surmised, it is merely the case that the parents of your grandchildren do not seek baptism for them, that *per se *does not constitute necessity.

If a case of necessity should arise, and were your to baptize your grandchild(ren) (or anyone else), this should happen:
Can. 877 §1 The parish priest of the place in which the baptism was conferred must carefully and without delay record in the register of baptism the names of the baptised, the minister, the parents, the sponsors and, if there were such, the witnesses, and the place and date of baptism. He must also enter the date and place of birth.

Can. 878 If baptism was administered neither by the parish priest nor in his presence, the minister of baptism, whoever that was, must notify the parish priest of the parish in which the baptism was administered, so that he may register the baptism in accordance with can. 877 §1.

tee
Who Is Not A Canon Lawer
 
Nickkname said:
Only a Priest can baptize.

But in the case of death, if no Priest is around, than a layperson may baptize.

Since you haven’t specified such a case, you may not baptize. If you do baptize, the sacrament will be invalid and you’d be committing a sin.
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No, I’m sorry, you’re wrong – if OP intends to baptize, uses water and the trinitarian formula it will most certainly be VALID. Unless there is danger of death and no priest available it will be ILLICIT, but child will definitely be baptized.
 
Nickkname said:
Only a Priest can baptize.

But in the case of death, if no Priest is around, than a layperson may baptize.

Since you haven’t specified such a case, you may not baptize. If you do baptize, the sacrament will be invalid and you’d be committing a sin.
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Illcit yes, invalid, no.

Th baptism would be valid if the correct form was used.

God Bless
 
It would be valid but you will make your grandchildren targets for evil if they have not been raised with instruction on the faith.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Only a Priest can baptize.

Or Deacon in the Latin Church.
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Or a lay person appointed by the bishop. Many of the parishes in my diocese only see a priest occasionally. In several of those a lay person has been appointed to baptized. In one, that same lay person was also appointed to celebrate marriages.
 
Many of the parishes in my diocese only see a priest occasionally. In several of those a lay person has been appointed to baptized. In one, that same lay person was also appointed to celebrate marriages.

That is most unusual!
 
bpbasilphx said:
Many of the parishes in my diocese only see a priest occasionally. In several of those a lay person has been appointed to baptized. In one, that same lay person was also appointed to celebrate marriages.

That is most unusual!
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It is unusual, but fortunately Canon Law provides for the sacraments in such exceptional cases (cf [post=4259577]Can. 861[/post], above, in the case of Baptism, and Can. 1112 in the case of Marriage)

tee
 
Phemie said:
Or a lay person appointed by the bishop. Many of the parishes in my diocese only see a priest occasionally. In several of those a lay person has been appointed to baptized. In one, that same lay person was also appointed to celebrate marriages.
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If this is true then why cannot the OP baptise.

I highly doubt it takes much training to pour water and say the trinitarian forumla.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Many of the parishes in my diocese only see a priest occasionally. In several of those a lay person has been appointed to baptized. In one, that same lay person was also appointed to celebrate marriages.

That is most unusual!
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Our province is 156,453 sq mi with a population of only ~508,000. Many small communities can only be accessed by air or sea, making regular priestly visits both scarce and expensive. Many have lay pastoral workers taking care of the non-sacramental needs of the communities.

OTOH, our provincial children’s hospital, located in the capital city, has easy access to priests but has a lay ‘chaplain’ and yes, I know that term can’t be applied to a lay person. From the cert. of baptism I’ve seen, she has celebrated most if not all baptisms that occurred at that hospital in recent years.
 
Dicerning said:
If this is true then why cannot the OP baptise.

I highly doubt it takes much training to pour water and say the trinitarian forumla.
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Because, even in those parishes, the person appointed must have a reasonable certainty that the child will be raised in the faith before they baptize him/her – and they are doing it at the bishop’s invitation. Taking it upon oneself to baptize a child who is not in danger of death is not fair to him since baptism brings with it certain obligations that he will not be able to meet if his parents totally ignore his growth in faith.
 
janman55 said:
…
Have I committed sin? Baptized them? Wasted my time?
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I think that you have asked this question because the parents wont, and its already been five years. Suppose one of the kids get sick and dies un baptized; God forbid. You cant have that. Am I nor right? Not only are you not wasting your time, it just may be a sin of omission with mitigating circumstances if you dont.

I would call a un baptized five year old an emergency, and really, you feel a responsibility. I agree, you do have a responsibility.

If it cant be done the regular way, do it the irregular way.
If you can have everything, have something.
If it cant be done in the church, do it in the kitchen.
If the parents wont do it, you do it.
 
YipYupYep said:
I think that you have asked this question because the parents wont, and its already been five years. Suppose one of the kids get sick and dies un baptized; God forbid. You cant have that. Am I nor right? Not only are you not wasting your time, it just may be a sin of omission with mitigating circumstances if you dont.

I would call a un baptized five year old an emergency, and really, you feel a responsibility. I agree, you do have a responsibility.

If it cant be done the regular way, do it the irregular way.
If you can have everything, have something.
If it cant be done in the church, do it in the kitchen.
If the parents wont do it, you do it.
Click to expand...
The OP only has the right to do that if the child is in danger of death – in that case Canon Law says we have a duty to baptize even against the parents’ wishes.

But outside of danger of death, violating the parents’ right to raise their child as they wish is not the right thing to do.
 
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