infant christening with non-Catholic mother
My son is Catholic and unmarried. He has had a beautiful baby boy with his
Thank you very much.
QUESTION from Kathleen on May 10, 2004
girlfriend who is not Catholic and who I believe is an agnostic. She has agreed to raise their son Catholic and they will be married within the year. My question is this: his brother and wife are encouraging him to have a joint
chistening with their new baby. What is the protocol for the non-Catholic
mother at the ceremony?
ANSWER by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM on May 11, 2004
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Dear Kathleen: If by "joint christening" you mean a combined interdenominational ceremony (a Catholic ceremony with a non-Catholic ceremony), this is forbidden. Depending upon how one defines "christening", the Catholic ceremony is not a christening, but a baptism. A person can only be validly baptized once (regardless of whether that valid Baptism is done in a Protestant fellowship or the Catholic Church). The baptism of the child will have to wait until the couple are married. The Church wants to ensure that the child will be raised in the faith. That assurance is certainly lacking if the couple is not married and not living a Christian life (fornication is sinful). Once the couple are married, even though the mother is not Catholic, if there is a promise to raise the children Catholic then the baby can be Baptized. The Godparents, however, must be Catholics. Witnesses can be anyone.
God Bless, |