REPLY FROM DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH ON BAPTISMAL FORMULAE
VATICAN CITY, 29 FEB 2008 (VIS) - Made public today were the responses of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to two questions concerning the validity of Baptism conferred with certain non-standard formulae.
The first question is: “Is a Baptism valid if conferred with the words ‘I baptise you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier’, or ‘I baptise you in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer’”?
The second question is: “Must people baptised with those formulae be baptised ‘in forma absoluta’?”
The responses are: “To the first question, negative; to the second question, affirmative”.
Benedict XVI, during his recent audience with Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved these responses, which were adopted at the ordinary session of the congregation, and ordered their publication. The text of the responses bears the signatures of Cardinal Levada and of Archbishop Angelo Amato S.D.B., secretary of the dicastery.
An attached note explains that the responses “concern the validity of Baptism conferred with two English-language formulae within the ambit of the Catholic Church. … Clearly, the question does not concern English but the formula itself, which could also be expressed in another language”.
“Baptism conferred in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, the note continues, “obeys Jesus’ command as it appears at the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew. … The baptismal formula must be an adequate expression of Trinitarian faith, approximate formulae are unacceptable.
“Variations to the baptismal formula - using non-biblical designations of the Divine Persons - as considered in this reply, arise from so-called feminist theology”, being an attempt “to avoid using the words Father and Son which are held to be chauvinistic, substituting them with other names. Such variants, however, undermine faith in the Trinity”.
“The response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith constitutes an authentic doctrinal declaration, which has wide-ranging canonical and pastoral effects. Indeed, the reply implicitly affirms that people who have been baptised, or who will in the future be baptised, with the formulae in question have, in reality, not been baptised. Hence, they must them be treated for all canonical and pastoral purposes with the same juridical criteria as people whom the Code of Canon Law places in the general category of ‘non- baptised’”.
CDF/BAPTISM FORMULAE/LEVADAVIS 080229 (420)
Filed under: Catholic, World News | Tagged: Baptism, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Catholic, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, faith, invalid Baptism, Pope Benedict XVI, religion, Vatican
This is very interesting. For some time invalid penitential rites were preformed in our parish. The Vatican did come out and say that absolution had not been granted for those who participated – at least for those who had serious sins that were not confessed.
I don’t know how many left because of it, or how many suffered in the next life. “Pre-Vatican” parishioners who were upset about it were brushed off and shunned. The whole thing was just dropped. One priest I talked to - who doesn’t believe he has the right to change the formulas for the Sacraments - said that the graces in the treasury of the Church make up for these kind of mistakes.
Now we find that the … excuse me, “Church of the True Faith” has been performing invalid Baptisms. So… many good members in full communion with the Church that our Lord founded will not be participating in the fullness of the priesthood of Christ in the next life (St. Thomas), but, many Protestants will, many Orthodox will, many Pius X will – because they have valid Sacramental Baptisms.
Traditional Catholic Bishops have said that members of their parishes who have gone to Pius X Masses need to go to confession before receiving Communion in their diocese. In one sense I understand this. On the other hand, is it a bit much to ask someone to go to Confession because they want their children to receive valid sacraments?
From what I understand it is considered poor Pastoral policy to admit that these serious mistakes were made. That it is best to just drop it. The faithful who have left will come back - if they are truly faithful. We need to be careful not to offend those who drove the faithful off because they are the “smoldering wicks”.
When I can make the long drive I attend an Eastern Rite parish. Besides their beautiful Liturgy, they seem to admit their mistakes much better than the Latin Rite. One Sunday every year the Pastor comes out and makes a required – but personal, heartfelt, and touching apology to the parishioners for his shortcomings.
No wonder JPII continually asked us to look to our Eastern Brethren!
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, Oh Savior save us!
Rick