Using Saliva

[mysisterisalittlesister]

If there is no liquid available in the case of an emergency baptism, could you use saliva? Just curious. Thanks

[cappie]

TITLE I: BAPTISM (Cann. 849 - 878)
Can. 849 Baptism, the gateway to the sacraments, is necessary for salva-tion, either by actual reception or at least by desire. By it people are freed from sins, are born again as children of God and, made like to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated into the Church. It is validly conferred only by a washing in real water with the proper form of words.

Any real water, or even a mixture of water and other substances, provided that water predominates and the mixture would be commonly be considered as water would be sufficient for validity. I could be wrong but I don't think saliva would be commonly considered as water.

From the newadvent Catholic Encyclopedia:" Invalid matter is every liquid that is not usually designated true water. Such are oil, saliva, wine, tears, milk, sweat, beer, soup, the juice of fruits, and any mixture containing water which men would no longer call water. When it is doubtful whether a liquid could really be called water, it is not permissible to use it for baptism except in case of absolute necessity when no certainly valid matter can be obtained.”

And then baptism would have to be supplied as conditional when the emergency has passed.


Note there is still baptism of desire according to the above canon