When Should You Baptize?

[brianthephysicist]

I was baptized at 2.5 years old along with my brother who was 3 months old. (Today is our Baptismaversary, actually), but the reason for that is that my parents were not practising the faith, and after we were Baptized (with the urging of our Godmother to-be), my parents have been practising ever since.

 

Congrats!!!

[EmilyAnn]

I was baptised at 12 years old. :|

 

Actually it was 10 years and 2 days ago (April 20 2003). 

My old parish used to hold baptisms every few months, but that was a large parish. In my current (smaller) parish baptisms are individual and on request. So my answer would be as soon as is reasonably possible. 

[GeorgiiMichael]

Basically what we're saying here, FP, is that when to baptize is up to the parent's discretion and you should let your sister baptize her child when she wants to and not give her any grief about it.

[fides' Jack]

According to the Church, Catholics are obliged to try to get their children baptized within a few weeks of birth:

 

 

Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it. (Can. 867 Â§1)

 

 

[fides' Jack]

So if you don't, you're a bad Catholic...  :P

[PhuturePriest]

Basically what we're saying here, FP, is that when to baptize is up to the parent's discretion and you should let your sister baptize her child when she wants to and not give her any grief about it.

 

I would never give her grief about it. That never even crossed my mind, to be honest. I just wanted to know what peoples' opinions were on how early you should baptize your children.

[Slappo]

 

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.

 

§2. An infant in danger of death is to be baptized without delay.

 

Can.  868 §1. For an infant to be baptized licitly:

 

1/ the parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent;

 

2/ there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.

 

§2. An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents is baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents.

 

More context for fides' jack's canon law quote.

[Slappo]

Basically what we're saying here, FP, is that when to baptize is up to the parent's discretion and you should let your sister baptize her child when she wants to and not give her any grief about it.

 

Except if she's not living up to the requirements set forth in Canon Law... Baptism isn't some optional thing that parents can choose to do when convenient.
 

 

It used to be or possibly still is common practice in the East  (Apotheun can you comment???) for the woman to stay at home with the child for 40 days and then come to the church for the first time after giving birth to recieve a blessing and begin receving the sacraments again. At that time the child would be baptized and churched. Wikipedia has an article called Churching of Women that has information on it, but I don't how accurate it is.

 

I won't vote in the poll as the options are lacking. What about the option of 15-29 days after birth? More than two weeks but less than a month. What if I think 1 month is ok but 2 months is too long (a few weeks being 3 or more, 4-5 weeks might be considered permissable under Canon Law)?

Edited April 22, 2013 by Slappo

[PhuturePriest]

Except if she's not living up to the requirements set forth in Canon Law... Baptism isn't some optional thing that parents can choose to do when convenient.
 

 

It used to be or possibly still is common practice in the East  (Apotheun can you comment???) for the woman to stay at home with the child for 40 days and then come to the church for the first time after giving birth to recieve a blessing and begin receving the sacraments again. At that time the child would be baptized and churched. Wikipedia has an article called Churching of Women that has information on it, but I don't how accurate it is.

 

I won't vote in the poll as the options are lacking. What about the option of 15-29 days after birth? More than two weeks but less than a month. What if I think 1 month is ok but 2 months is too long (a few weeks being 3 or more, 4-5 weeks might be considered permissable under Canon Law)?

 

I knew there were more options I could have done when I was making the poll. But if I made thirty separate options, that would have been excessive. If you think one month is okay but two months isn't, vote on that one and clarify with a post.

[Slappo]

My daughter was born July 24 and baptized Sept 1. We waited for my in-laws to get into town as one of them was a Godparent. It's about the longest I'd ever wait, and I was a little uncomfortable with how long of a wait it was.

 

My daughter was a week early. If she was two or three weeks early I may have required that we baptize earlier and have a stand in for my sister in law. We could then throw a baptismal party when family came in. Our priest visted within 24 hours of the baby being born to bring communion to us. I would have loved if the baptism just happened right then! It wouldn't have been following tradition though as baptisms are meant to take place in a church not a private home. circumstances of course could warrant an at home baptism - fear of death, persecution of the Church in your country, etc.

 

 

Edit to add: I don't recall if I was aware of the canonical requirement to baptize within a few weeks when Margaret was born. That may or may not have influenced me allowing 38 days between birth and baptism.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Slappo

[HisChildForever]

I was close to 2 months old before baptized

[Apotheoun]

In Eastern Christian (Catholic and Orthodox)  practice Baptism - along with Chrismation and Holy Communion - is conferred on the eighth or more commonly the fortieth day after the birth of the child.

[PhuturePriest]

In Eastern Christian (Catholic and Orthodox)  practice Baptism - along with Chrismation and Holy Communion - is conferred on the eighth or more commonly the fortieth day after the birth of the child.

 

I can't help but note the Old Testament roots of that. Do they do eight days for men and forty for women, or is this gender-neutral and depends on which Eastern Church?

[elizabeth09]

I was about 5-6 weeks old before I was baptized.  I am thinking because my birthday is close to Mother`s Day (about 2-3 weeks).

[Basilisa Marie]

Families are different. I know mine is spread out all across the country AND would make a HUGE stink about not being present for my potential future child's baptism. It doesn't seem like waiting a couple of extra weeks is going to make any difference at all in the grad scheme of things. If my kid was having complications and was in danger of death, I'd get him or her baptized. Otherwise I'm in the "wait until your family can get there" camp. 

 

Technically the norm in the Church is still adult baptism. So... yeah.