New baptism policy aims at uniformity

   
    The newly promulgated  policy for infant baptism is an attempt to bring more uniformity to the conferring of the sacrament throughout the archdiocese, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said Feb. 6.
    “We undertook this effort to make our pastoral practices uniform so that it would accomplish what the church requires for baptism and also be a uniform practice across the archdiocese,” Archbishop Aymond said.
    The Pastoral Care and Practices Committee of the Presbyteral Council, chaired by Auxiliary Bishop Shelton Fabre, surveyed  the baptism practices in parishes throughout the archdiocese.
    After getting feedback from all 10 deaneries (geographic clusters of parishes), the committee made recommendations for uniform practices that eventually were discussed, revised and then recommended for approval.
    The committee discovered that “the most common reason for delaying baptism”  was a concern on the part of the priest or deacon that the Catholic parent – or parents – would pledge to raise the child in the Catholic faith.
    “All that the church asks is that there be a ‘founded hope’ that the child be raised in the Catholic faith,” Archbishop Aymond said. “How each pastor interpreted what it meant to have a ‘founded hope’ could be different.”
    The new policy includes a “baptism testimonial form” that the Catholic parent or parents must sign, pledging their intention to raise their child in the Catholic faith.
    “This allows priests and deacons to take the parents ‘at the word of their sworn statements’ and fulfills the requirement for a ‘founded hope’ that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith,” the policy states.
    The policy also includes guidelines for baptismal preparation for parents, which includes information on the role of parents and godparents, the explanation of the sacrament, the importance of parents as the primary teachers of the faith to their children and the importance of a Christian name.
    Under the policy, first-time parents must attend baptismal preparation. If the parents have other children and are seeking baptism in the same parish, they should not be required to attend additional baptismal preparation classes.
    No child should be baptized unless he or she is presented by someone who is “at least a legal guardian of the child.”
    Parish registration prior to baptism can be strongly encouraged but is not a requirement.
    The children of unwed parents “should be baptized without the added requirement of marriage, or even promised marriage, on the part of the parents,” as long as all other requirements are met, the policy says.
    A birth certificate with the names of the mother and father “shall be sufficient” to enter the parents’ names in the baptismal register.
    Godparents are asked to attend baptismal preparation. Catholics who are not yet confirmed may not serve as either a godparent or as a “Christian witness.”
    The policy states that Catholics who “are not practicing their faith in any manner or who are not in ‘good standing’ cannot serve as godparents or Christian witnesses.”
    The policy leaves it to the pastor’s discretion whether or not to celebrate the sacrament of baptism during Mass.
    (See promulgation letter by Archbishop Gregory Aymond and the policy at "Archdiocese formulates infant baptism policy")
    Peter Finney Jr. can be reached at [email protected].