Can An Unborn Child Be Baptized?

[Chiquitunga]

If there is a threat of a miscarriage, can a priest or deacon baptize an unborn child? If so, can an unborn child be baptized without this threat of miscarriage (I guess all unborn children in the first 3 months have this threat, but I mean specifically) I should probably ask this in the Questions and Answers thread, but then only one person can answer without discussion ...

[thessalonian]

[quote name='Margaret Clare' post='1158965' date='Jan 8 2007, 02:08 PM']
If there is a threat of a miscarriage, can a priest or deacon baptize an unborn child? If so, can an unborn child be baptized without this threat of miscarriage (I guess all unborn children in the first 3 months have this threat, but I mean specifically) I should probably ask this in the Questions and Answers thread, but then only one person can answer without discussion ...
[/quote]


First of all it is not physically possible by the canonical forms of baptism currently available. The priest cannot pour water over the child's head or immerse it in water three times. The question is however somewhat interesting because John the Baptist was said to be "baptized" in his mother's womb. "He shall recieve the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" we read in Luke 1. So by the power of God it is certainly possible. Currently there is no allowance for it.

In reading your post I wonder if you realize that anyone can baptize in case of an emergency, as long as they intend to do what the Church does. It does not have to be a priest. So if there was a miscarriage, the mother of the child can immediately baptize the child when the miscarriage occurs. We should also recognize and trust in God's mercy if such a miscarriage should occur without baptism. The Church does not say that such a child goes to hell. Hope that helps.

Blessings

[Mateo el Feo]

Here is the answer given in the Summa Theologica:

[url="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4068.htm#11"]Whether a child can be baptized while yet in its mother's womb? (link)[/url]

St. Thomas answers that unborn children cannot be baptized. He writes:
[quote]Augustine says (Ep. ad Dardan.): "No one can be born a second time unless he be born first." But Baptism is a spiritual regeneration. Therefore no one should be baptized before he is born from the womb.[/quote]

Neither the Catechism nor Canon Law seem to explicitly deal with the issue of pre-born children, but it seems pretty easy to infer from the text.

[thessalonian]

This would cover the case of John the Baptist I guess:

Reply to Objection 1. Children while in the mother's womb have not yet come forth into the world to live among other men. Consequently they cannot be subject to the action of man, so as to receive the sacrament, at the hands of man, unto salvation. They can, however, be subject to the action of God, in Whose sight they live, so as, by a kind of privilege, to receive the grace of sanctification; as was the case with those who were sanctified in the womb.

It is also interesting that he notes the case of the pregnant woman in which case such a woman being baptized would not baptize the child in her womb. That makes sense. Thanks for your added info.

Edited January 8, 2007 by thessalonian

[Chiquitunga]

Thanks for the replies! Yeah, my sister, who just got married, is pregnant and for a while there was a big chance she could have a miscarriage, and had to stay in bed a few days.

She asked if my dad, a deacon, could baptize the baby, but he wasn't sure if it was possible. Yes, I have heard though, that in cases of emergency, anyone can baptize another, in the absence of the priest/deacon. But now, thank God, my sister is doing much better, and the baby is healthy and has doubled his/her size as of yesterday!

Thanks again!

[Lexi06]

I believe Mary takes care of the unborns. I believe she basically baptizes them. Ask a priest to give your sister a special blessing for the baby. Maybe an anointing would be the answer if the baby is in trouble. Have her talk to a kind priest. There are amazing priests out there.
I'm glad to read things are better. I'm sure she is still scared. A priest would help her fears.

[Resurrexi]

Unborn infants cannot be baptized because the water must flow over the head of the person being baptized. As says the Catechism:
[quote name='The Catechism of the Council of Trent'] Whichever of these rites be observed, we must believe that Baptism is rightly administered. For in Baptism water is used to signify the spiritual ablution which it accomplishes, and on this account Baptism is called by the Apostle a laver.38 Now this ablution is not more really accomplished by immersion, which was for a considerable time the practice in the early ages of the Church, than by infusion, which we now see in general use, or by aspersion, which there is reason to believe was the manner in which Peter baptized, when on one day he converted and gave Baptism to about three thousand souls.39

It is a matter of indifference whether the ablution be performed once or thrice. For it is evident from the Epistle of St. Gregory the Great to Leander that Baptism was formerly and may still be validly administered in the Church in either way.40 The faithful, however, should follow the practice of the particular Church to which they belong.

Pastors should be particularly careful to observe that the baptismal ablution is not to be applied indifferently to any part of the body, but principally to the head, which is the seat of all the internal and external senses; and also that he who baptizes is to pronounce the sacramental words which constitute the form, not before or after, but when performing the ablution.[/quote]

[thessalonian]

While there are problems with baptism in the womb, your application of words that apply to pouring is improper. Requirements for immersion would be the proper canonical application. It doesn't work well there either so your answer is correct even if your coming to the answer is not. Lucky for you the teacher doesn't require you to show your work.

[brendan1104]

WRONG!

Older and current theology books and the catechism do teach us that unborn children can be baptized in the womb- for example water can be injected onto their body, but they should be conditionally baptized if and when they're born.

[thessalonian]

Site your sources please. Current CCC? I haven't seen it in there.

Interestingly enough according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Brendan is right.
[url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm"]http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm[/url]

By the present authorized ritual of the Latin Church, baptism must be performed by a laving of the head of the candidate. Moralists, however, state that in case of necessity, the baptism would probably be valid if the water were applied to any other principal part of the body, as the breast or shoulder. In this case, however, conditional baptism would have to be administered if the person survived (St. Alph., no. 107).[b] In like manner they consider as probably valid the baptism of an infant in its mother's womb[/b], provided the water, by means of an instrument, would actually flow upon the child. Such baptism is, however, later to be repeated conditionally, if the child survives its birth (Lehmkuhl, n. 61). It is to be noted that it is not sufficient for the water to merely touch the candidate; it must also flow, otherwise there would seem to be no real ablution. At best, such a baptism would be considered doubtful. If the water touches only the hair, the sacrament has probably been validly conferred, though in practice the safer course must be followed. If only the clothes of the person have received the aspersion, the baptism is undoubtedly void. The water to be employed in solemn baptism should also be consecrated for the purpose, but of this we shall treat in another section of this article. It is necessary in baptizing to make use of a threefold ablution in conferring this sacrament, by reason of the prescription of the Roman ritual. This necessarily refers, however, to the liceity, not to the validity of the ceremony, as St. Thomas (III:66:8) and other theologians expressly state.

Edited January 11, 2007 by thessalonian

[Mateo el Feo]

[quote name='brendan1104' post='1161684' date='Jan 11 2007, 04:42 PM']WRONG!

Older and current theology books and the catechism do teach us that unborn children can be baptized in the womb- for example water can be injected onto their body, but they should be conditionally baptized if and when they're born.[/quote]I'd also be interested in seeing a citation. In any event, the question of baptism isn't about the technical issues (i.e. getting water to the baby). The real issue is that you can't be "born again" in baptism if you haven't been born to begin with.

I think God's love extends to those babies who die because of miscarriage or abortion. But, I would side with St. Thomas, St. Augustine, and others on the issue of attempting a sacramental baptism in this case--it's not possible.

[b]Edit[/b]: Just read Thes's post...hmmm. It seems kind of tricky to attempt. It seems that it'd be hard to know if the baby was actually baptized, considering the mechanics of it all (hence, the conditional baptism after being born). Aside from the riskiness of the proceedure to attempt such a baptism, I still would be interested in seeing the theological reasoning behind its validity.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Mateo el Feo

[toledo_jesus]

When I visited the Mercedarians in Philadelphia, one of them told a terrible story. He had been called to the hospital to do a baptism, and when he got there he asked where the baby was.
Well, it was still in the womb.
So Father says he can't baptize it until it's born.
But Father, says the woman, I'm going to have an abortion.
Father was mortified and refused. Then the woman (who was in her thirties, married with maybe four kids and felt that she couldn't afford another child) got her parents to ask him.
Please, they said, can't you just do it so that she'll feel better?
Again, Father says no, and counsels them not to get an abortion.

He was furious when he got back to the friary.

Heartbreaking ignorance. This meant that the woman acknowledged that the child was a human being with a soul, and she wanted it baptized. Is that sick?

[thessalonian]

I heard on the radio last week a priest who said he had been called by an abortion clinic to come and do a baptism. (they left a message on his phone). He called and left a message that he would if he could come and speak to the couple first. They didn't call back.

Sadly as I understand some abortion clinics offer baptism services and will even dress up the aborted child in a baptismal gown according to this priest.