Adsum

June 2005

Baptism of an Unwilling Subject

Father Connell Answers Moral Questions
By Very Rev. Francis J. Connell, C.SS.R., S.T.D., LL.D., L.H.D.

Question: A girl of eight years, the child of careless parents, was brought by her mother to a pastor to be baptized. The pastor ordered his curate to baptize the girl. When the curate asked if she should first be given some instructions, the pastor replied that this could be done some time afterward. Obeying orders, the curate proceeded to baptize the child. Finding her stubborn and frightened, he tried to induce her to receive baptism willingly; but she continued to manifest her opposition, particularly while the water was being poured. Now the curate wonders if the sacrament was validly conferred — first, because the child apparently was ignorant of even the fundamental Christian truths; secondly, because she seemed to have lacked the intention of receiving baptism.

Answer: To understand the problem presented by this question we must distinguish between the merely valid and the fruitful reception of baptism. — A person receives this sacrament merely validly when it impresses its character on his soul but confers no grace. For an adult — one who has attained the use of reason, whatever may be his age in years — all that is necessary to receive baptism validly is the intention (at least habitual) of receiving it. A person may be entirely ignorant of even the fundamental Christian truths, he may have elicited the intention of being baptised from purely temporal motives, such as the desire to be free from the importunities of his family — yet, as long as he has the intention of receiving baptism, he receives this sacrament validly, though unfruitfully.

The fruitful reception of baptism is had when one receives not only the character but the grace as well. To receive this sacrament fruitfully an adult must make certain supernatural acts. First, he must make an act of faith in all that God has revealed for mankind. This act of faith must be explicit in regard to at least the four truths that are necessary necessitate medii — that God exists, that He rewards the good and punishes the wicked, that God is one in nature and three in persons, and that one of the three divine persons, the Son of God, became man and died for our salvation. (It is quite probable that only the first two of these truths need be explicitly believed. However, in a case of this kind probablism may not be employed, but the pars tuitor must be followed.)

Furthermore, one who has sinned mortally must have at least imperfect contrition for his sins, in order to receive baptism fruitfully. When there is question of baptizing a person who has come to the age of reason, a priest is obliged to give the person sufficient instruction so that there is sufficient assurance of both the intention and the requisite dispositions, before the sacred rite is conferred.

In the case presented by the questioner it is very evident that there was grave neglect. A child of eight years has presumably attained the age of reason; hence, before a priest may lawfully baptize such a child he must give at least enough instruction to enable the child to elicit the necessary intention for the valid reception of the sacrament and the required supernatural acts for its fruitfulness. Considering the opposition displayed by the child when the curate administered Baptism, it is very doubful that she had the intention of receiving it; in view of the child’s home conditions, it seems quite sure that she did not have enough knowledge to prompt her to the required acts of faith and contrition. The pastor certainly manifested a lamentable lack of theological knowledge in commanding the curate to baptize her without previous instruction; the curate was (objectively) wrong in obeying, since he was commanded to do something contrary to the law of God.

To remedy the situation, the pastor or curate should give the child a course of instruction in the chief truths of Catholic faith, explain to her especially the sacrament of Baptism, and induce her to receive it willingly. When there is sufficient assurance that she has the requisite intention and dispositions, she should be baptized again conditionally — the condition being to give the sacrament only if is was not given validly before.

Only in one supposition could this process be omitted, and the child regarded as both validly and fruitfully baptized — if the priest discovers that the girl, though eight years old, has certainly never attained the use of reason. In this event, she is an infant, theologically speaking, and an infant needs neither intention nor dispositions for the valid and fruitful reception of Baptism. But the possibility of this being established with certainty in the case submitted is so remote as to make the supposition purely speculative.

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