Provision also is made for baptism of desire. We leave to God those to whom the Gospel has never been proclaimed and those who have never seen a need to ask for baptism, but the bottom line is that in God's master plan, baptism is very important. The practice of infant baptism is an immemorial tradition in the Catholic Church. Moreover, from the beginning of apostolic preaching, whole households received baptism. The Church and parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were baptism not conferred shortly after birth.
Most parishes require parents presenting a child for baptism to attend pre-baptism sessions.
The purpose is to ascertain that parents understand the responsibilities that are theirs in presenting a child for baptism. If there is not reasonable hope the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion, the baptism is to be delayed. In such instances it is not unusual for people to protest that a priest has refused to baptize their baby. Rather, parents have failed to meet the eligibility rules. They are not prepared to accept their responsibilities.