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Baptism |
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The first of the seven sacraments, Baptism is “the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments” (CCC 1213). Baptism (from the Greek baptizein) remits the guilt of original sin, that is, human nature in the fallen state resulting from the willful disobedience of Adam and Eve, and incorporates one into the Church founded by Jesus Christ. It infuses sanctifying grace into the soul of the recipient and imparts an indelible character. Various titles are used for this sacrament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions two: the “washing and regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit” and “enlightenment” (CCC 1215-1216). It also quotes St. Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329-390), who called Baptism “gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift.” The Old Testament offers several prefigurings of Baptism: the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at the beginning of the world; Noah’s ark and the Great Flood; the journeys through the Red Sea and the Jordan River; the foretelling of the divine cleansing mentioned in Ezekiel (36:25). Jesus began his public ministry only after having voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism offered to sinners by St. John the Baptist (which, according to the Council of Trent, did not share the same effective power that the Baptism instituted by Christ enjoys). Before ascending to his Father, Jesus exhorted the Eleven to make disciples of all people by baptizing them in the name of the Blessed Trinity (cf. Mt 28:19). Throughout the New Testament, especially in the Acts of the Apostles, there are many references to the sacrament of Baptism. In a famous passage in his Letter to the Romans (6:3-4), St. Paul draws a parallel between Christ’s redemptive death and Resurrection and Baptism. Theologians are divided as to precisely when Christ established the sacrament. St. Thomas Aquinas believed the institution occurred when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, while St. Bernard of Clairvaux pointed to the conversation with Nicodemus (cf. Jn 3:1-15). Hugh of St. Victor (c. 1090-1141) believed the divine mandate given before Jesus’ Ascension instituted Baptism. According to St. Bonaventure, the sacrament was established in its form just before the Ascension (Mt 28:19), in its matter when Christ was baptized (Lk 3:21-22), and in its purpose when Jesus spoke about its necessity to Nicodemus (Jn 3:5). The Celebration of Baptism • Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist comprise the Sacraments of Initiation. Baptism is celebrated by washing with water, either by immersion in natural water or by pouring such water over the candidate’s head, while the Trinitarian formula (“N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”) is pronounced. The requisite intention in baptizing is “to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes” (CCC 1256). The ordinary ministers of Baptism are bishops, priests, and deacons. An “extraordinary” minister is anyone else, even someone who is unbaptized or who has deliberately rejected the faith, provided the necessary intention, form, and matter are present, and the situation is one of real necessity. Both adults and infants may be baptized. Adults preparing to receive the sacrament are to enter into a formal period of conversion, prayer, and study, often referred to as the catechumenate. This preparation helps dispose one to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. Infants, because they are tainted with original sin, are able to receive this sacrament, and Christian parents should ensure that their children do not lack Baptism. The long-standing practice of infant Baptism has a cherished place in the Church; arguments to the contrary, especially as advanced by the Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century, have been roundly rejected. For an adult to be baptized, he must have the intention to receive the sacrament, be instructed adequately in the teaching of the Christian faith and the duties incumbent on the faithful, have participated in the catechumenate preparation, and be sorry for his personal sins. For an infant to be baptized licitly, at least one of the parents or a guardian must give consent, and there must be a “realistic” hope that the child will be reared in the Catholic faith. In danger of death, an infant is lawfully baptized even if its parents are opposed (Canons 865.1, 868.1-2). Each person to be baptized is to have a sponsor. The Code of Canon Law succinctly states the sponsor’s role: “To assist an adult in Christian initiation, or, together with the parents, to present an infant at the baptism, . . . [to] help the baptized to lead a Christian life in harmony with baptism, and to fulfill faithfully the obligations connected with it” (Canon 872). Effects of Baptism • The sacrament of Baptism has many effects, especially “purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1262). All sins are remitted – whether original sin or actual sins (i.e., mortal and venial); the temporal and eternal punishments due to sin are also extinguished. As the Council of Trent taught, nothing that is hateful to God remains in the souls of those who have been spiritually reborn in Baptism. But certain earthly consequences of sin remain after Baptism: character flaws, death, disease, illness, suffering. A powerful reminder of our human weakness is concupiscence, that tendency to sin which plagues even the baptized. The grace of justification is conferred through Baptism if the proper dispositions of faith and the detestation of sin are present. Justification enables one to be sanctified by the infusion of sanctifying grace, along with the three theological virtues (faith, hope, charity), the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord) and the moral virtues, to which the four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance) belong. Furthermore, the recipient enjoys a claim to those actual graces essential for fulfilling all baptismal obligations. The Holy Spirit forms in the baptized the beginning of eternal glory by virtue of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity). “Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church” (CCC 1271). One who has been incorporated into the Mystical Body of Christ by virtue of Baptism shares in the priesthood of Christ; he is related to the members of the Catholic Church as well as to those who belong to other Christian churches that enjoy valid Baptism. An indelible spiritual mark, or character, imprinted on the soul configures each baptized person closely to Jesus Christ the High Priest. This is what St. Augustine, quoted by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1274), calls “the seal of the Lord.” Baptism, which cannot be repeated, signifies that the recipient is consecrated for Christian worship and service. Those who have been baptized possess certain responsibilities and rights within the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church enumerates three: “To receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church” (CCC 1269). Accordingly, they are also called to fulfill an essential duty, namely, to “ ‘profess before men the faith they have received from God through the Church’ and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God [LG 11; cf. LG 17; AG 7; 23]” (CCC 1270). Necessity of Baptism • The necessity of Baptism has long been maintained by the Church. “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation” (CCC 1257). The Council of Trent declared that after the Gospel was preached by Christ and promulgated by the Apostles there could be no justification without Baptism by water or at least the desire to receive it. Therefore, “Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament” (CCC 1257). The Church has a positive duty to ensure that Baptism is available to all who can receive it; she is not aware of any other means that leads to everlasting life in heaven. Theologians have taught that the necessity of Baptism for salvation is a “necessity of means” (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5) and a “necessity of precept” (cf. Mt 28:19). But Baptism by water, that is, sacramental Baptism, may in an emergency be replaced by Baptism of desire or Baptism of blood. Baptism of desire is the explicit or implicit wish for sacramental Baptism, along with contrition for one’s sins based on supernatural charity (i.e., “perfect contrition”). According to Sacred Scripture, perfect love possesses the power of justification (e.g., Lk 7:47, 24:43; Jn 14:21). Both St. Ambrose and St. Augustine defended the possibility of Baptism by desire, as did such later theologians as St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Hugh of St. Victor. It is effective by virtue of the intention of the individual to receive sacramental Baptism. Baptism of desire bestows sanctifying grace; therefore, the recipient experiences the forgiveness of original sin and actual sins, and the remission of the eternal punishments attached to sin. The subjective disposition of the individual determines how many of his venial sins are forgiven and how much temporal punishment for sin is remitted. However, Baptism of desire does not imprint the indelible character nor is it the “gateway” to the other sacraments. Baptism of blood is the martyrdom of an unbaptized person that, because of the patient acceptance of a violent death or of an attack leading to death, constitutes the confessing of the Christian faith or the practice of Christian virtue. Christ himself contended that martyrdom, like perfect love, contains justifying power (e.g., Mt 10:32, 10:39; Jn 12:25). Fathers of the Church, namely, Tertullian and St. Cyprian, regarded martyrdom as a legitimate substitute for sacramental Baptism. Since infants may receive it, Baptism of blood operates somewhat differently than Baptism of desire. It is an objective confession of the Christian faith that confers justification and forgives original sin and actual sins, and remits the eternal punishments for sin; when the proper disposition is present, venial sins are forgiven and temporal punishments remitted. Like Baptism of desire, it does not impart the indelible mark. Catechumens preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation who die before receiving Baptism are considered to be saved because of their explicit desire to receive the sacrament and their repentance of their sins. The Church also teaches that those persons who are ignorant of Jesus Christ and his Church but who seek the truth and who do the will of God as they sincerely know it, can and will be saved. “It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity” (CCC 1260; emphasis in original). Children who have died without Baptism are commended to the mercy of the Lord. Throughout the centuries, some theologians have held that there exists limbo, a condition of natural happiness devoid of the beatific vision, which is experienced by children who were not baptized. This theological opinion seems to enjoy little sway among scholars today, and limbo is not mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The faithful are permitted “to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism” (CCC 1261). In any case, the Church insists that children not be prevented from being baptized. Extra-sacramental means of Baptism, such as prayer and the desire for Baptism on the part of the parents and/or the Church, should be remembered. The sacrament of Baptism is celebrated in accord with the approved liturgical rites of the Church. In the case of adults, it is administered along with the other two sacraments that form the Sacraments of Initiation: Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. In the case of infants, Baptism in the Latin Church is celebrated alone, while Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist follow some years later. The catechumenate for adults was restored by decree of the Second Vatican Council. The liturgical rite and explanation are contained in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The Latin Church differs significantly from the Eastern Churches concerning when Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist are received. The actual celebration of Baptism includes gestures and words symbolizing the sacrament’s reality and richness. Such actions and formulae are: the Sign of the Cross, the proclamation of the word of God, the exorcism, the anointing with the oil of catechumens, the consecration of the water used for the sacrament, the profession of faith, the renunciation of Satan and his influence, the washing with the blessed water and the pronouncing of the essential words, the anointing with sacred chrism, the clothing with the white garment, the lighting of the baptismal candle from the paschal candle, the ephetha prayer, the recitation of the Our Father, and the solemn blessing. In some cultures, it is the custom to take the newly baptized child to the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a prayer entrusting him or her to the Mother of God. See: Adult Baptism; Apostolate; Cardinal Virtues; Catechumen; Church, Membership in; Ecumenism; Evangelization; Faith, Act of; Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit; Grace; Infant Baptism; Justification; Limbo; Priesthood of the Faithful; Redemption; Sacramental Grace; Sacraments of Initiation.
Suggested Readings: CCC 1213-1284. Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, 14-17. Code of Canon Law, 849-878. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. L. Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, pp. 350-360. Charles M. Mangan |
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