Need Baptism Help Asap!

[StMichael]

I have not the slightest clue how a military post Church works. None.

From what was told to me Bragg, needs a local parish Church to sign off to let them do it.

Are you near Ft. Bragg? If so, I will relay to them this info of past history.

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' timestamp='1285915074' post='2177215']
Really? 'Cause we have LOTS of retirees at our on post parish here. Seems odd. They didn't even ask us if we were active duty, as I recall, I just filled out the registration paper and we were good to go. (My son wasn't Baptized here due to complications I briefly outlines earlier in the thread, but my daughter will be making her First Communion here.)
[/quote]

[IcePrincessKRS]

No, I am not. This is just my experience with my last two posts. We've never been stationed at Bragg. I wasn't in need of any First sacraments at my last two posts, but I know that at the last one and this one we had plenty of retirees and people who worked on post (re: non-active duty and non-military families) attending our parish. Even at this post since the school year started we have had a huge influx of "new" parishioners, including a lot of Hispanic folks who don't appear to be military (some of them probably are, but I am certain that not all of them are), and all their kids are in CCD.

[Cherie]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' timestamp='1285915074' post='2177215']
Really? 'Cause we have LOTS of retirees at our on post parish here. Seems odd. They didn't even ask us if we were active duty, as I recall, I just filled out the registration paper and we were good to go. (My son wasn't Baptized here due to complications I briefly outlines earlier in the thread, but my daughter will be making her First Communion here.)
[/quote]

Maybe each base works differently - I know ours is definitely considered more "liberal" - We're not even military (my husband is a DOD civilian) and we're able to live on post, and have our baby baptized at the parish here if we wanted.

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1285942013' post='2177268']
Maybe each base works differently - I know ours is definitely considered more "liberal" - We're not even military (my husband is a DOD civilian) and we're able to live on post, and have our baby baptized at the parish here if we wanted.
[/quote]

lol Now that strikes me as odd. I thought only active duty military personnel were allowed to live on post.

[Cherie]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' timestamp='1285942336' post='2177270']
lol Now that strikes me as odd. I thought only active duty military personnel were allowed to live on post.
[/quote]

Hehe, nope not here Active military always, but they recently opened it up to retired military and even DOD civilians. Active military get the nicer, newer housing -- the older section is the one open to retirees and civilians--but that's why most people consider our base very liberal! Apparently they're not getting enough active military to live here, so that's why they opened it up. But honestly we're so grateful for it. It's a beautiful place to live.!!!

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1285942973' post='2177271']
Hehe, nope not here Active military always, but they recently opened it up to retired military and even DOD civilians. Active military get the nicer, newer housing -- the older section is the one open to retirees and civilians--but that's why most people consider our base very liberal! Apparently they're not getting enough active military to live here, so that's why they opened it up. But honestly we're so grateful for it. It's a beautiful place to live.!!!
[/quote]

That's great for you guys. I know a lot of bases have waiting lists for military families to move into post housing. To get a house that our family actually qualifies for (they base number of bedrooms on family size) we would have had to wait 6+ months. We opted for a smaller house. My husband works literally about 3 minutes up the road (depending on traffic lights lol). I love it this way, he's so close he can come home after PT and for lunch, which means more quality time with family.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='StMichael' timestamp='1285882979' post='2177039']

Secondly, it is the God Parents who answer for the child, during the actual baptism.

The role of the God Parent is to be a living example of the Church to the child, yes I agree that the home should be solid in Catholic faith, but that is not a requirement for a child to be baptized.

[/quote]

If it's the Godparents who are speaking for the child during the actual baptism, then why is it that the priest asks the parents what they are asking of the Church, and the parents answer "Baptism?" Moreover, why, then, is it that the parents are asked if they are willing to bring the child up in the faith and informed that this is their duty, and the Godparents are only asked if they are ready to help the parents?

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1285952294' post='2177312']
If it's the Godparents who are speaking for the child during the actual baptism, then why is it that the priest asks the parents what they are asking of the Church, and the parents answer "Baptism?" Moreover, why, then, is it that the parents are asked if they are willing to bring the child up in the faith and informed that this is their duty, and the Godparents are only asked if they are ready to help the parents?
[/quote]
You asked what I was thinking.

[MithLuin]

In the case related, the children in question were 12-13 years old, and were thus not being baptized as infants. They were going through RCIA (or RCIC) and thus had their sponsors (godparents) stand up for them at their initiation into the Church, not their parents. Sounds perfectly appropriate to me.

I think it is clear that in the case of an [i]infant[/i] baptism, the intention of the parents to raise the child Catholic is of strong importance, though.

Think about it - would it be legit to 'borrow' a Muslim family's baby and get it baptized (with godparents standing in to make the promises) without the knowledge of the parents? Of course not. The parents are the ones who will be raising the child. If you're concerned about the kid's salvation, then by all means pray for the conversion of the family.



In this case, the parents are asking baptism of a church at short notice (less than 3 mo., obviously) within a narrow window. Complaining that the church can't accommodate them is fine; (we all complain when we hit less-than-ideal situations in life), but to become enraged over it is basically throwing a temper tantrum. After all, few parishes baptize babies more frequently than once or twice a month, anyway, and they all have some basic requirements to set that up ahead of time. In an emergency, the Church has all sorts of dispensations to get around these types of requirements. But for day-to-day, it's important that they do keep track of what we're doing. After all, this infant will need a copy of his/her baptismal certificate when he wants to get married in the Church some day. You do realize that a baptized Catholic who has not been confirmed can't be married in the Church, right? So, by ensuring that the family intends to stick with this Catholic thing, they are helping out with the situation later.


Does the couple honestly not know any priests that are friends-of-the-family and can help them out? Have they [i]asked[/i] Ft. Bragg to write a letter vouching for them to their new parish? I mean, if they care a lot about having a Catholic baptism on a certain day, they can probably find a way to make it happen, but it's going to take a bit of effort.

I realize that those who are caring for newborns are not under obligation to attend mass every Sunday like the rest of us (no, I'm not making this up; look it up). But, if the have been attending a parish regularly from before the baby's birth, then I would think a 'letter of introduction' to the new NC parish might smooth things over.

The father works abroad. Like it or not, he's going to miss a lot of things in this baby's life. The first time he smiles or crawls, for instance. He might miss the baptism, too. It happens. As I said earlier, my brother-in-law missed his son's baptism, because he shipped out to Afghanistan a week or so after the baby was born, and didn't return for 8 months.

[Benedictus]

Every Church in Fayetteville, NC is telling a friend that she can't get her infant baptized in the Catholic Church unless they have been practicing for 3 months at a particular Church.

Both parents are Catholic, married and her husband is a recent Vet.

Really need some advice here on how to assist them to have their child (infant, this is an infant) baptized into the Church. Their back up plan at this point is to go Lutheran or Methodist.

I will save my distain for those who are attempting to deny this child the gift of Faith.

 

They shouldn't need to wait, at least it's more unusual these days. But I suspect it's a way to try and get young families into practising. They could always give the child a provisional Baptism themselves (they can do it for peace of mind) and then wait for 3 months until the Priest does it. I don't know what kind of parish they are in but in my diocese it wouldn't be too difficult to find a parish where the priest wouldn't know if you've been there 3 months or not!  It complicates matters if they baptise the child in another church, esp on Catholic schools and other things. It also doesn't make them sound serious about church matters, so I wouldn't drop the ulterior suggestion to the priest.
 

[Basilisa Marie]

Seriously? Thread necromancy is a no-no, friend. :) 

 

:dead:

[Benedictus]

opps, just noticed. :sad:  That teaches me to never click on a link from community forum in a rush and assume it's current :paperbag:

[An Historian]

I'm sorry that your friends are struggling with this.  But I ask... how serious are they about the Catholic faith if they're willing to apostasise to a Lutheran or Methodist sect just because of a piece of legislation?

 

Ave Maria and Pax Christi.

I can sympathize with what you are saying, but please do keep in mind that if heaven forbid a little one died before Baptism even though the parents intended to do so but didn't in time that the baby would still go to heaven because that would qualify as Baptism of desire which does save.

 

I'm sorry but you just can't say this.

 

First, baptism of desire—or baptism in voto as it is properly called—being sufficient for salvation at the moment of death is an opinion, a contested one at that.  There's absolutely not theological certainty in this matter.  Secondly, such a situation would not meet the criteria of baptism of desire as defined by the likes of Saint Thomas Aquinas or Saint Robert Berllarmne and the definitions of the Council of Trent.  Baptism of desire requires an act of explicit faith animated by perfect charity.  You need the use of reason.  And, finally, baptism of desire has only ever been seriously discussed in the context of catechumens.

 

This is just the wrong advice.  It'd be better to say that if anything happens, the parents should baptise the child themselves.

[truthfinder]

I'm sorry that your friends are struggling with this.  But I ask... how serious are they about the Catholic faith if they're willing to apostasise to a Lutheran or Methodist sect just because of a piece of legislation?

 

 

I'm sorry but you just can't say this.

 

First, baptism of desire—or baptism in voto as it is properly called—being sufficient for salvation at the moment of death is an opinion, a contested one at that.  There's absolutely not theological certainty in this matter.  Secondly, such a situation would not meet the criteria of baptism of desire as defined by the likes of Saint Thomas Aquinas or Saint Robert Berllarmne and the definitions of the Council of Trent.  Baptism of desire requires an act of explicit faith animated by perfect charity.  You need the use of reason.  And, finally, baptism of desire has only ever been seriously discussed in the context of catechumens.

 

This is just the wrong advice.  It'd be better to say that if anything happens, the parents should baptise the child themselves.

Same comment as was said to Benedictus - no thread necromancy  :paperbag: