Baptism

Baptism in the various Christian churches

The catholic rite

For the Catholic church, the baptism is the first of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, with the Eucharistie (the communion) and the Confirmation. For the people having the Age of Enlightenment (children and adults), it is preceded one period of preparation, called Catéchuménat, during which the baptized future, the catechumen, discovers the faith for which it asks the baptism. For the newborns, the parents follow a preparation to the baptism which helps them to include/understand the direction of this sacrament. For the adults, the baptism itself takes place often during taken care of Easter.

The celebration is similar for all the baptisms, babies, children or adults. The parents of very the young children speak on their behalf.

The celebration starts with the layout of the sign of the cross on the face of the baptized future: the baptism marks baptized sign of Christ. Then, the baptized future enters the church, symbolizing that by its baptism, it will enter the Christian community. The rite of the baptism itself starts with a profession of faith of the catechumens and their renouncement of Satan and the evil. It continues with the rite of the Eau which constitutes the heart of the sacrament. By three times, the priest (or the deacon) pours water on the face of the catechumen by pronouncing the words: “NR, I baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit”. If the baptism is done by immersion, the priest (or the deacon) plunges the catechumen three times in water. Then, celebrating it the Saint-Chrism (a holy oil) affixes on the face of baptized. This oil, which in the beginning was used for oiling of the kings, the priests or the prophets, reminds that baptized triple vocation of “priest, prophet and king”. The Water and Saint-Chrème mean that the Christian is baptized “in the Eau and in the Spirit”. Then baptized the revêt a white clothing (often a bonnet, a life jacket or possibly a christening robe for the babies, a scarf for the young people and adults), sign of the found purity. Indeed, in the catholic faith, the baptism erases all the Péché S. celebrating It gives to baptized or his/her parents a candle, lit with the Pascal candle, symbol of the light of Christ.

It is of tradition to designate for baptized the a godfather and a godmother, people themselves baptized and confirmed. Historically, their function was above all to be witnesses of this sacrament, in the name of the Christian community. The tradition also conveyed the role to accommodate the child in the event of death of the parents and to ensure a Christian life to him. Today they are people with whom baptized will have a privileged relation during her childhood and which is charged to help baptized to grow in the Christian faith. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the godfather, the godmother and baptized (or his/her parents if it is too small) sign the “register of the baptisms” who attest the sacrament. This register is held in double, a specimen remains with the parish, the other is preserved at évêché. These registers, held since the 15th century, are mines of information for the genealogists.

Other forms of catholic baptism

One calls undulation a baptism reduced to the overflowing of Eau, without none of the other forms. It is often reserved for the emergency cases (danger of dead). Although canonically validates, it must be then supplemented by the other ceremonies, if one has enough time. Traditionally, in France, with the modern time, the children of the royal family and the princes of blood were ondoyés with their birth then baptized once children.

The Church Catholique also recognizes the baptism in the martyrdom or baptism of blood : a person not having received the baptism by the Eau but died because of her Christian convictions is fully baptized.

Baptism during the ages

By its action of purification (remission of the Sinned S), the first Christians often awaited the end of their life to be made baptize; the most famous case was that of the Constantin emperor. The catechumenate is set up at the end of the 4th century. There is no godfather: during the ceremony, faithful known and respected goes parking of the catechumen; it is called the “ sponsor ”, “that which pushes”.

The baptism of Clovis, towards 496, is one of the events founders of the French national identity. Until the ceremony, Clovis is pagan; he believes in the multiple German gods of his ancestors. It is undoubtedly following a wish made at the time of a battle against Alamans that the king of the Francs converts with the Catholicisme. His wife Clotilde, very believing, the pressure of the de Gaulle bishops and the political motivations also could enter concerned. The historian Gregoire de Tours tells us the ceremony in his Histoire of the Francs , written at the 6th century. Clovis was baptized by the bishop of Rheims, Remi, with several thousands of its soldiers, in the baptistry of the Cathédrale. This event marks the alliance of the royal capacity and the Church. The frank people convert but the pagan practices remained still a long time.

The rites of the baptism are fixed gradually at times Mérovingiens. At the time of Clovis, it was still practiced at the adulthood after the period of catechumenate. Only the bishop could manage this sacrament. Baptized the tie-beam in a large baptismal tank located in the Baptistry and plunged three times in the Eau. This triple immersion recalls that the baptism is received “in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (see the Dogme Trinité). Baptized was to declare its profession of faith (the creed). Then, a mass was known as in the church.

With the diffusion of Christianity, the churches multiply and each one contains a baptistry (or baptismal font). Symbolically, the baptistry is close to a door, because it is necessary to be baptized to approach the chorus of the church. With the generalization of the baptismal font, the priests then will give the sacrament of the baptism, often by sprinkling. For the emergency cases, the baptism can even be given by a not baptized person, without particular ceremony. In 314, the council of Arles, confirmed in 1439 by the Council of Florence, admitted the validity of the baptism managed by pagan: the Church does not challenge the giver, not more than the shipwrecked man does not inquire into his rescuer.

Well established Christianity, the number of children to be baptized exceeds the number of adults gradually. The concern of baptizing the children is done thus increasingly acute, because the baptism means the safety of the heart, essential to go to the paradise. At the end of the 12th century, infant mortality is alarming. Also theology evolves/moves and authorizes the baptism quam primum (as soon as possible). At the 13th century, the practice of the baptism on the newborns is generalized. It is then the godfather who pronounces the profession of faith and gives up Satan for the baby. The sacrament of Confirmation will come, as its name indicates it, to confirm the baptism when the child grows. Heresies attacked the baptism and called it in question.

In France, until the end of the 18th century, apart from the high classes of the company (royal family, princes of blood and nobility), the baptism of the children generally took place in the hours which followed the birth, more rarely the following day or two days later, the father of the child not hesitating, whatever the climatic conditions and its timetable, to traverse several kilometers to make baptize the child by the first priest available (generally in its own parish, if not a parish close in the event of absence to the priest). This precipitation, in a context of strong infant mortality, was intended to allow the child, if he would die, of going to the sky; indeed, a dead child not baptized was famous outward journey in the Limbes, space different from the paradise, where the heart wandered without end. In the same way, since he was not baptized, he could not receive Christian burial.

Baptism under conditions

The basic rule is that a Christian (roman catholic in France) cannot be baptized twice. In all the cases a priest baptizes a child under condition when it is about a child found or given up because it is not known if he already were it. Therefore, he is baptized “ under the condition not to already of having been it in addition ”.

Formerly, in many areas (of France, and even more certainly of the Northern half) a child Ondoyé at the house because of the danger of death was baptized under condition (ondoyement is not a real baptism “ ”, but it just like makes that in the event of death before “regularization by baptism” the child could be buried in “Christian ground”, and reach the Hello eternal, the small children like all humanity being heirs to the Original sin, and thus, the adults, subjected to the purification of the baptism to be able to reach the Paradise. The question of the Hello of the not baptized small children always posed problem. Since Holy Augustin, the Church considers that the dead children without baptism cannot reach the paradise, not having been washed original sin, nor to go in hell, not having still done anything evil. From where the invention of the Limbs by the Latin theologists of the Middle Ages to solve the question of the destiny of the dead children without baptism. Starting from XIIIe century, one starts to speak about the Limbes, a place unspecified but hidden face of God, where find themselves the not-baptized children. These Limbes, which was never a truth of faith thus a dogma and which appeared in catechism only in 1904, to disappear in that from 1992, was called in question in 2007 by the pope Benoît XVI who removed this concept of catholic theology. In that, Benoît XVI takes again the number 1261 of the Catechism of the Catholic church of 1992:

“As for the dead children without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, like it does it in the rite of the funeral for them. Indeed, great mercy of God which wants that all the men are saved and the tenderness of Jesus towards the children, who made him tell to `Laissez the children to come to me, do not prevent them' (Mc 10,14), enable us to hope that there is a way of hello for the dead children without baptism”.

That nevertheless during centuries, end of the Middle Ages to the first part of XXe S., the Church affirms that, since whole humanity is heiress of the Original sin, it is extremely important to baptize the children, sinners them also as of their birth, as soon as possible. The destiny alarming post-mortem promised to the not-baptized small children causes a true terror with the parents. Thus, of the strategies of substitution set up themselves, like the baptism by a member of the assistance. Any baptized person being able to baptize another person (in general, the midwife or the matron officiated) provided that it has a little Eau can baptize. This baptism under condition must on the other hand be regularized afterwards. In certain areas (France of north and Is, Italy north, Bavaria, Galicia in Spain), one sees appearing as of the end of the Middle Ages of the sanctuaries to respite where one brings the small children died in the hope which one moment of rebirth will allow their baptism. Very often, one takes all the organic movements for signs of life. These sanctuaries are very attended and allow the establishment of a popular religiosity that the Church does not see an good eye and that it ends up prohibiting (Benoît XV in the middle of XVIIIe S.). However, the recourse to the sanctuary with respite will continue clandestinely until the medium of XXe S.

There exists other case: the children (in general of rich families) were ondoyés little of time after their birth at the house by a priest or a monk, but there was no mention in a register of catholicity (due!) and a few years later the official baptism “ ” took place with famous godfather and godmother with the Church. And like the first act did not have documentary evidence, the second took place under condition. These undulations, legalized later, sometimes of the years after, were current also in the countries of mission. Thus in News-France with XVIIIe S., or XIXe S. with the Canada, whereas mongrel families or of Runners of wood, only in the middle of the forest, were to await years the passage of a priest to regularize the situation. Lastly, one can find, sometimes, of the baptisms under condition in the case of an abjuration. If one is not certain only impétrant it in the past Protestant who asks to integrate the Catholic church was baptized, one practices at the time of abjuration the rite of the baptism under condition. These cases are rare, but exist. The Catholic church however recognizes the validity of the baptism according to the Protestant rites (Calvinistes, Luthériens) and never requires a “Re-baptism” or second baptism.

Baptism in the Baptists and other Évangéliques

“No one is not born Christian but each one is invited to become it. ” This is why these Christians practice the baptism of the believers on personal profession of their faith, i.e. the believer must be able to explain why it takes this action. This baptism is carried out by complete immersion. They do not practice the baptism of the small children, because the latter cannot be full aware with what is the baptism. It concerns a decision taken following Safety by grace. The baptism does not have any salutary capacity, and does not purify. Let us recall that according to the Word of God, the baptism “is not the purification of the stains of the body, but the engagement of a clear conscience towards God”. 1 Pierre 3:21.

Baptism in the Church of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days

The term “baptism” comes from a Greek word meaning “to plunge” or “to immerse”. The baptism by immersion in water by somebody holding the authority is the first sacrament of the Gospel and is necessary to become member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days. It is preceded by the faith as a Jesus-Christ and the repentance. It must, to be complete, be followed reception of the Holy Spirit (2 Néphi 31:13 - 14, in the Livre of Mormon). The baptism of water and the Spirit is necessary to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Adam was the first with being baptized (Brace 6:64 - 65, in the Perle of Grand Prix). Jesus was also baptized to achieve all that is right and to show the way with all humanity (Matthieu 3:13 - 17; 2 Néphi 31:5 - 12).

Baptism for deaths: Catholic Point of view (Mormon?) : Owing to the fact that everyone on the ground does not on the occasion to accept the Gospel during the mortal existence, the Lord authorized the baptisms achieved by procuration for deaths. This is why, those which accept the Gospel in the world of the spirits can be qualified to enter the kingdom of God. Point of view evangelic: “It east gives to the man of living only one only life, then comes the judgment. ” known as the bible. For the evangelic confessions, deceased is already fixed on its fate, the baptism for deaths useless, and not is thus practiced.

Baptism of the new-born babies: Practical useless to baptize the new-born babies and the children who do not have the age of responsibility, which is eight years. The Lord condemns the baptism of the new-born babies (Moroni 8:10 - 21, in the Book of Mormon). The children are born innocent and without sin. Satan has the capacity to try the small children only when they start to become responsible (D&A 29:46 - 47, in Doctrine and Alliances), so that they do not need repentance or to be baptized. The children must be baptized at the eight years age (D&A 68:25 - 27).

Baptism at the Witnesses of Jéhovah

To be able to be baptized, the candidate must initially be himself dedicated with Jéhovah in the Prière, then to make of it the request mainly with the supervisor-president of his congregation. Three old will visit successively the applicant in order to ask him the 104 questions appearing in the book Organisés to make the will of Jéhovah , those having for goal to check knowledge of the future baptized about the Doctrine of the movement. The old will also make sure that the applicant leads a life in conformity to the directives of the organization. If its answers are considered to be satisfactory, it will be allowed with the baptism.

The baptism represents for the future Witnesses of Jéhovah in age to require it, a stage of an major importance in their religious engagement. It is for them, the only manner of positioning officially for the name of Jéhovah and of thus dedicating their life to him. It is the only way which the Witnesses of Jéhovah propose to escape the destruction from the current “system of things bad” at the time of the great battle of Har-Maguédon, that thereafter a paradise will deliver Jesus in order to found on ground. One can read in the book the knowledge which leads to the eternal life , p180: A dedicated with God and baptized person who endeavors to follow accurately the example of Jesus is invaluable with the eyes of God. (...) The biblical Prophétie S show that for God these people are marked to survive during the execution of its judgment which soon will fall down on this malicious system of things. (...) Be you “in the provision which one needs for the eternal life” (Acts 13: 48)? Do you have the sincere desire to receive the mark reserved for those which serve God? This mark includes the offering of oneself and the baptism, which are essential to be sauvés.

There is no baptism of the newborns, since the assent conscious of the candidate is necessary to his baptism. However, the children have the possibility of being made baptize, if the members of the movement estimate that they have a full knowledge of their act, and if they respect the biblical principles as taught by the Witnesses of Jéhovah.

The baptisms are practiced during the regional assemblies (three per annum), the candidate is baptized by immersion. In 2006, the annual report published by the Société Watchtower gives a report on 248.327 baptisms in the world, including 2.507 for the France.

Baptism in the Spirit

The Charismatic Renouveau put at the honor a ceremony of invocation to the Holy Spirit, called “baptism in the Spirit”. To avoid confusion with the baptism, single and final, this ceremony bears also the name of “overflowing of the Spirit”.

Other directions

The first name of the child being selected at the time of the baptism, the word “to baptize” took the direction “to give a name”. The “baptism” can also indicate “first once”: baptism of fire.

In Belgium, the “baptism of student” is a kind of Bizutage framed, which allows, this one finished, to carry a distinctive cover-chief: a Cap for the catholic schools and universities (except with Liege) or a cap with long visor, called Warp end, in the schools and or not denominational universities of the State (warp end for all the networks in Liege). To Leuwen-the-New, the right to carry cap is not connected to the baptism and is obtained at the time of corona. The purpose of this framed hazing, organized in several activities, is to transmit the eigenvalues to the school or the university.

There exists in France a civil baptism. This ceremony, born with the French revolution, quickly fell in disuse, though still occasionally practiced.

In the Buddhism, there exists a rite resembling the baptism, such as known as the formula: “I take refuge in the Buddha, his Law (dharma) and his monks (sangha)” . Contrary to the baptism, this profession of faith is not final, it can be begun again constantly.

One also speaks about baptism for the ships. This baptism takes place at the time of the setting to the Eau when the godmother gives the name, breaks a bottle of champagne on the hull and that one withdraws the holds which retain the boat so that it slips until the Eau.

A practice from Germany consists in being made “débaptiser”, for example to escape the ecclesiastical tax. In France, the motivations concern rather a setting in conformity with personal convictions. The question is open to know if the “débaptême” is possible. On the form, it is possible to be made stripe parochial registers. On the bottom, the Christian has always freedom to give up his baptism. But from a theological point of view, the divergent opinion on the possibility of reconsidering behind a received grace of God: accordingly where the gifts of God are final ( “God never takes again what it gave” ), baptized cannot be “debaptized”, it simply gives up living according to its baptism.

The step of debaptisation is especially used by the militant atheists concerned not to count more among the statistics of the Catholic church, this one evaluating the number of its members in the world according to the number of baptized.

Rites of Water and their origin

The baptism derives from the Jewish ritual bath (Mikvé) and rests on a symbolism that Carl Gustav Jung and well of others psychoanalysts brings closer to the Vie will intra uterine. Immersion evoking all at the same time the Drowning, the Purification, the Dead and Re (Birth). Cf Psychoanalyze baptismal rite

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