Apparently-To: catholic@american.edu
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Date:         Sat, 12 Dec 1992 17:56:22 PST
From:         "John R. Covert 12-Dec-1992 2010" <covert@COVERT.ENET.DEC.COM>
Subject:      RE: baptismal rites for infants in the roman catholic church

>>Help: ...
>>I can find nothing in the rite or the law that describes
>>a requirement that parents be  married before a child
>>can be baptized in a regular mass.
>
>If you are being told that this is the case by your parish priest, find
>another parish!  This is not pastoral care.

Brian, the subject line does say "Roman Catholic Church", which makes
things a little bit different than they are for us.  Although my parish
priest sees a situation like this as an opportunity for evangelism, as
an opportunity to bring unmarried or unbelieving parents to repentance,
reconciliation, and the Christian life, he does spend quite a bit of
time in pastoral counseling with them to make sure they take seriously
the promises they make, both for themselves and for their child:

Roman Catholic Rite:                    |  Episcopal Rite:
                                        |
~The celebrant speaks to the parents    |  ~When all have been presented, the
 and godparents in these words:         |   Celebrant asks the parents and
                                        |   godparents:
Dear parents and godparents:  You have  |
come here to present these children for |  Will you be responsible for seeing
baptism.  By water and the Holy Spirit  |  that the child you present is
they are to receive the gift of new     |  brought up in the Christian faith
life from God, who is love.             |  and life?
                                        |
On your part, you must make it your     |  ~Parents and Godparents
constant care to bring them up in the   |
practice of the faith.  See that the    |  I will, with God's help.
divine life which God gives them is     |
kept safe from the poison of sin, to    |  ~Celebrant
grow always stronger in their hearts.   |
                                        |  Will you by your prayers and witness
If your faith makes you ready to accept |  help this child to grow into the
this responsibility, renew now the vows |  full stature of Christ?
of your own baptism.  Reject sin;       |
profess your faith in Christ Jesus.     |  ~Parents and Godparents
This is the faith of the Church.  This  |
is the faith in which these children    |  I will, with God's help.
are about to be baptized.               |
                                        |  Q: Do you renounce Satan and all
Celebrant:  Do you reject sin, so as to |  the spiritual forces of wickedness
live in the freedom of God's children?  |  that rebel against God?
Parents and godparents: I do.           |  A: I renounce them.
Celebrant:  Do you reject the glamor of |  Q: Do you renounce the evil powers
evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin? |  of this world which corrupt and
Parents and godparents: I do.           |  destroy the creatures of God?
Celebrant:  Do you reject Satan, father |  A: I renounce them.
of sin and prince of darkness?          |  Q: Do you renounce all sinful
Parents and godparents: I do.           |  desires that draw you from the
                                        |  love of God?
Celebrant:  Do you believe in God, the  |  A: I renounce them.
Father almighty, creator of heaven and  |  Q: Do you turn to Jesus Christ and
earth?                                  |  accept him as your Savior?
Parents and godparents: I do.           |  A: I do.
Celebrant:  Do you believe in Jesus     |  Q: Do you put your whole trust in
Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was |  his grace and love?
born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, |  A: I do.
died, and was buried, rose from the     |  Q: Do you promise to follow and
dead, and is now seated at the right    |  obey him as your Lord?
hand of the Father?                     |  A: I do.
Parents and godparents: I do.           |
Celebrant: Do you believe in the Holy   |  Will you who witness these vows do
Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the   |  all in your power to support these
communion of saints, the forgiveness of |  persons in their life in Christ?
sins, the resurrection of the body, and |  People: We will.
life everlasting?                       |
Parents and godparents: I do.           |  Let us join with those who are
                                        |  committing themselves to Christ
~The celebrant and the congregation     |  and renew our own baptismal
 give their assent to this profession   |  covenant.
 of faith:                              |
                                        |  [Reading of the Apostles' Creed,
Celebrant:  This is our faith.  This is |  people responding with text.]
the faith of the Church.  We are proud  |
to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.|  [Various questions, including:]
All:  AMEN.                             |  Will you persevere in resisting
                                        |  evil, and, whenever you fall into
                                        |  sin, repent and return to the Lord?

Thus, Brian, you can see that it is a difficult pastoral situation for a
priest who is asked to perform a _public_ baptism at a regular Sunday Mass,
of a child of parents who _might_appear_to_other_members_of_the_congregation_
to be merely giving lip service to these most important of Christian promises.

If unmarried parents intend to keep these promises, they should at least have
a firmly scheduled wedding date in the near future.

I would not really expect a priest to be able to go further than to offer a
private baptism, and for a Roman Catholic priest, even that is done at some
risk of discipline from his bishop.

/john
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