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Elizabeth
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Is there an official church teaching against infant baptisms during lent?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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alicegunther
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Elizabeth, I did two separate searches, but did not find anything (except several parish websites saying no baptisms would be performed during Lent without an explanation why). If you find out the answer, please let me know. It's an interesting question.
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Angie Mc
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Hmmmm...I too thought that there were no non-emergency baptisms (or First Holy Communion, First Confession, Confirmation) during Lent because of Church teaching. I too couldn't find anything official and am curious.
Is there a search engine for the Catechism fo the Catholic Church? I've been meaning to check on that...
Love,
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Elizabeth
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Angie Mc wrote:
Hmmmm...I too thought that there were no non-emergency baptisms (or First Holy Communion, First Confession, Confirmation) during Lent because of Church teaching. I too couldn't find anything official and am curious.
Is there a search engine for the Catechism fo the Catholic Church? I've been meaning to check on that...
Love, |
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See...I can understand weddings and confirmations and such, but we're supposed to baptize a baby as expediently as possible. What if that baby is born on Ash Wednesday? I know they'd baptize if the baby were sick, but why deny the grace and the comfort to new parents of a healthy baby? I don't want to debate limbo (which isn't in the new Catechism) or anything else. I just know that I sleep much better at night after a baptism. And there is something to be said for having that prayer over mothers earlier in the postpartum than later
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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LMuse
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My third daughter was born during Lent and we had to wait until the Saturday after Easter to have her baptized. My fourth was born Holy Thursday and she was baptized the Tuesday after Easter. As you can see, I don't like to take my time with this one either. None of my children has been over 2 weeks old at baptism, even before I converted to Catholicism.
Our pastor has told me this regulation is in Canon Law, not the Catechism.
HTH,
Lara
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MaryM
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There are a couple of points in canon law that would seem to apply here. One states the obligation of parents to have their infant baptized in the first few weeks.
Can. 867 §1. Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it.
The other indicates a preference for baptisms occurring at Easter (vigil) when possible.
Can. 856. Though baptism may be celebrated on any day, it is recommended that normally it be celebrated on a Sunday or, if possible, on the vigil of Easter.
It appears from this that there is no prohibition to baptizing infants during Lent but many dioceses or parishes have adapted the policy of not having any baptisms during Lent for this reason. Since the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults became effective in 1988, most US Bishops have designated that there be no baptisms during Lent, even for infants although this Rite has nothing to do with infants. Catholics United for the Faith has a very good tract on this topic and how to approach the subject if seeking a baptism in a parish that does not do baptisms during Lent - see link. Catholics United for the Faith
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MEBarrett
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I have had four children baptized during Lent. Two of them were born very early in Lent and I would not hve wnted to wait 5 weeks for a Baptism. No one ever mentioned it to me, I can understand weddings and other celebrations but a baptism wipes away sin so in that way it fits into Lent beautifully.
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Angie Mc
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Thank you for your research, Mary.
God bless,
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Angie Mc
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Topic: Baptisms during lent
