Baptism of a non-catholic

[son_of_angels]

I know that the baptism of other Christian denominations is, for the most part, accepted by the Church.

However, I had a question about Churches which, while using the proper formula and holding to Trinitarian beliefs, do not accept the efficacy of baptism in regards to salvation.

For example, in the Baptist church one is baptized by this formula "Upon your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus, and your desire to follow his command to be baptized, I baptize you my brother/sister in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

This seems like a valid formula. Considering the fact that, while in the Baptist Churches they consider Baptism to obtain sacramental graces, it does not itself forgive original sin, nor is required for salvation, would an aspiring Catholic need to be conditionally baptized?

[cappie]

This is a difficult question with a difficult answer, because the Church is reluctant to re-baptise. I would err on the side of acceptance unless something of an un-christian nature is offered

The following is offered. I quote the Code of Canon Law with some commentary regarding Baptism in Protestant Churches.

also offered is a quote from the document from the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and finally from the USBCC. These are for information.

Code of Canon Law
TITLE I: BAPTISM
Can. 849 Baptism, the gateway to the sacraments, is necessary for salva-tion, either by actual reception or at least by desire. By it people are freed from sins, are born again as children of God and, made like to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated into the Church. It is validly conferred only by a washing in real water with the proper form of words.
Can. 869 §1 If there is doubt as to whether a person was baptised or whether a baptism was conferred validly, and after serious enquiry this doubt persists, the person is to be baptised conditionally.
§2 Those baptised in a non-catholic ecclesial community are not to be baptised conditionally unless there is a serious reason for doubting the validity of their baptism, on the ground of the matter or the form of words used in the baptism, or of the intention of the adult being baptised or of that of the baptising minister.
§3 If in the cases mentioned in §§1 and 2 a doubt remains about the conferring of the baptism or its validity, baptism is not to be conferred until the doctrine of the sacrament of baptism is explained to the person to be baptised, if that person is an adult. Moreover, the reasons for doubting the validity of the earlier baptism should be given to the person or, where an infant is concerned, to the parents.
In 1949 the Holy Office now the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that, assuming the necessary matter and form “..baptism given by the Disciples of Christ,the Presbyterians, the Congregationalists, the Baptists, the Methodists…is to be presumed valid, unless the contrary is proved in a particular case.” i.e. unless it can be proved the ministers intention is defective.
The rule is that those already baptized are not to be baptized conditionally UNLESS there is serious doubt about the validity of their baptism arising from a) the matter (water) or the form of words used which must expressly refer to the three persons of the Trinity. b) the intention of the person to be baptized, if that person was an adult. c) the intention of the minister


PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM AD CHRISTIANORUM UNITATEM FOVENDAM
DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF
PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
COMMUNION IN LIFE AND SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY AMONG THE BAPTIZED
A. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
92. By the sacrament of baptism a person is truly incorporated into Christ and into his Church and is reborn to a sharing of the divine life.103 Baptism, therefore, constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn. Baptism, of itself, is the beginning, for it is directed towards the acquiring of fullness of life in Christ. It is thus ordered to the profession of faith, to the full integration into the economy of salvation, and to Eucharistic communion.104 Instituted by the Lord himself, baptism, by which one participates in the mystery of his death and resurrection, involves conversion, faith, the remission of sin, and the gift of grace.
93. Baptism is conferred with water and with a formula which clearly indicates that baptism is done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is therefore of the utmost importance for all the disciples of Christ that baptism be administered in this manner by all and that the various Churches and ecclesial Communities arrive as closely as possible at an agreement about its significance and valid celebration.
94. It is strongly recommended that the dialogue concerning both the significance and the valid celebration of baptism take place between Catholic authorities and those of other Churches and ecclesial Communities at the diocesan or Episcopal Conference levels. Thus it should be possible to arrive at common statements through which they express mutual recognition of baptisms as well as procedures for considering cases in which a doubt may arise as to the validity of a particular baptism.
95. In arriving at these expressions of common agreement, the following points should be kept in mind:
a) Baptism by immersion, or by pouring, together with the Trinitarian formula is, of itself, valid. Therefore, if the rituals, liturgical books or established customs of a Church or ecclesial Community prescribe either of these ways of baptism, the sacrament is to be considered valid unless there are serious reasons for doubting that the minister has observed the regulations of hisher own Community or Church.
b) The minister's insufficient faith concerning baptism never of itself makes baptism invalid. Sufficient intention in a minister who baptizes is to be presumed, unless there is serious ground for doubting that the minister intended to do what the Church does.
c) Wherever doubts arise about whether, or how water was used,105 res- pect for the sacrament and deference towards these ecclesial Communities require that serious investigation of the practice of the Community concerned be made before any judgment is passed on the validity of its baptism.
96. According to the local situation and as occasion may arise, Catholics may, in common celebration with other Christians, commemorate the baptism which unites them, by renewing the engagement to undertake a full Christian life which they have assumed in the promises of their baptism, and by pledging to cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit in striving to heal the divisions which exist among Christians.
97. While by baptism a person is incorporated into Christ and his Church, this is only done in practice in a given Church or ecclesial Community. Baptism, therefore, may not be conferred jointly by two ministers belonging to different Churches or ecclesial Communities. Moreover, according to Catholic liturgical and theological tradition, baptism is celebrated by just one celebrant. For pastoral reasons, in particular circumstances the local Ordinary may sometimes permit, however, that a minister of another Church or ecclesial Community take part in the celebration by reading a lesson, offering a prayer, etc. Reciprocity is possible only if a baptism celebrated in another Community does not conflict with Catholic principles or discipline.106
98. It is the Catholic understanding that godparents, in a liturgical and canonical sense, should themselves be members of the Church or ecclesial Community in which the baptism is being celebrated. They do not merely undertake a res- ponsibility for the Christian education of the person being baptized (or confirmed) as a relation or friend; they are also there as representatives of a community of faith, standing as guarantees of the candidate's faith and desire for ecclesial communion.
a) However, based on the common baptism and because of ties of blood or friendship, a baptized person who belongs to another ecclesial Community may be admitted as a witness to the baptism, but only together with a Catholic godparent.107 A Catholic may do the same for a person being baptized in another ecclesial Community.
b) Because of the close communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, it is permissible for a just cause for an Eastern faithful to act as godparent; together with a Catholic godparent, at the baptism of a Catholic infant or adult, so long as there is provision for the Catholic education of the person being baptized, and it is clear that the godparent is a suitable one.
A Catholic is not forbidden to stand as godparent in an Eastern Orthodox Church, if heshe is so invited. In this case, the duty of providing for the Chris- tian education binds in the first place the godparent who belongs to the Church in which the child is baptized.108
99. Every Christian has the right for conscientious religious reasons, freely to decide to come into full Catholic communion.109 The work of preparing the reception of an individual who wishes to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church is of its nature distinct from ecumenical activity.110 The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults provides a formula for receiving such persons into full Catholic communion. However, in such cases, as well as in cases of mixed marriages, the Catholic authority may consider it necessary to inquire as to whether the baptism already received was validly celebrated. The following recommendations should be observed in carrying out this inquiry.
a) There is no doubt about the validity of baptism as conferred in the various Eastern Churches. It is enough to establish the fact of the bap- tism. In these Churches the sacrament of confirmation (chrismation) is properly administered by the priest at the same time as baptism. There it often happens that no mention is made of confirmation in the canonical testimony of baptism. This does not give grounds for doubting that this sacrament was also conferred.
b) With regard to Christians from other Churches and ecclesial Communities, before considering the validity of baptism of an individual Christian, one should determine whether an agreement on baptism (as mentioned above, n. 94) has been made by the Churches and ecclesial Communities of the regions or localities involved and whether baptism has in fact been administered according to this agreement. It should be noted, however, that the absence of a formal agreement about baptism should not automatically lead to doubt about the validity of baptism.
c) With regard to these Christians, where an official ecclesiastical attes- tation has been given, there is no reason for doubting the validity of the baptism conferred in their Churches and ecclesial Communities unless, in a particular case, an examination clearly shows that a serious reason exists for having a doubt about one of the following: the matter and form and words used in the conferral of baptism, the intention of an adult baptized or the minister of the baptism.111
d) If, even after careful investigation, a serious doubt persists about the proper administration of the baptism and it is judged necessary to baptize conditionally, the Catholic minister should show proper regard for the doctrine that baptism may be conferred only once by explaining to the person involved, both why in this case he is baptizing conditionally and what is the significance of the rite of conditional baptism. Furthermore, the rite of conditional baptism is to be carried out in private and not in public.112
e) It is desirable that Synods of Eastern Catholic Churches and Episcopal Conferences issue guidelines for the reception into full communion of Christians baptized into other Churches and ecclesial Communities. Account is to be taken of the fact that they are not catechumens and of the degree of knowledge and practice of the Christian faith which they may have.
On March 25th, 1993, His Holiness Pope John Paul II approved this Directory, confirmed it by his authority and ordered that it be published. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.
Vatican City
March 25th, 1993
Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy
President
+ Pierre Duprey
Tit. Bishop of Thibar
Secretary


Journey in Faith: Forty Years of
Reformed-Catholic Dialogue: 1965-2005

1. 1) Common baptism
From the very beginning of the dialogues Reformed and Catholics have recognized a common baptism, its sacramental character and its centrality as a foundation of our unity in Christ. While there are theological emphases that differ they have never been considered church dividing. For example, the Catholic baptismal rite clearly implies that the sacrament extends well beyond the boundaries of any particular community. Addressing the baptized, the priest says “The Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name, I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of the cross.”

The Directory for Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is explicit: “As there is one body, there is one Baptism (Eph. 4: 4-6). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognizes all Baptisms with water in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit administered by other Christian churches.” The baptismal liturgies of other Reformed Churches affirm this unity. The United Church of Christ Book of Worship says that “a person is incorporated in the universal church, the body of Christ, through baptism.” This idea is implicit in the prayer following the Baptism: “The Holy Spirit be upon you, child of God, disciple of Christ, member of the church.” In the liturgy of the Reformed Church in America the declaration following baptism says that the baptized is “received into the visible membership of the holy catholic church.”

Round six advised that in our culture “Baptism could be ‘countercultural’ in North America, challenging notions of membership and belonging that rely on market models and that reduce the understanding of ‘Church’ to narrow local expression.” It cites the declaration from Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry as a fundamental starting point:
Administered in obedience to our Lord, baptism is a sign and seal of our common discipleship. Through baptism, Christians are brought into union with Christ, with each other and with the Church of every time and place. Our common baptism, which unites us to Christ in faith, is thus a basic bond of unity. (BEM as quoted in doc 18)
In many parts of the world there have been formal agreements for the mutual recognition of baptism. In many parts of the United States there are joint baptismal agreements in which Catholic and Reformed churches participate. The present seventh round of the dialogue is expected to provide a formal articulation of common Reformed and Catholic faith in the sacrament and what gifts we receive from our different understandings. In 1990, the second round of the Reformed-Catholic International Dialogue recommended that “our churches should give expression to mutual recognition of Baptism. [This recognition] is to be understood as an expression of the profound communion that Jesus Christ himself establishes among his disciples and which no human failure can destroy.” (As quoted in doc 18, p. 21.)

Recent Catholic teaching on Baptism uses similar language. The Directory for the Application and Norms on Ecumenism says that the koinonia established in Baptism is intimately related to the Eucharistic communion that is its goal. The Church becomes not merely a community of those who have chosen to join it through the ritual of Baptism but the communion of those incorporated by the Holy Spirit through Baptism into the Paschal Mystery: the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Baptism … constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn. Baptism, of itself, is the beginning, for it is directed towards the acquiring of fullness of life in Christ. It is thus ordered to the profession of faith, to the full integration into the economy of salvation, and to Eucharistic communion. (doc 18)
A full chapter in the report of round six, Interchurch Families, is devoted to “Our Common Baptism,” and deals in some detail with Reformed and Catholic convergence and divergence. The specific focus of the report is on how this matter affects interchurch families but much of its background is of a far more general nature. It concludes with the observation that “a recognition of our unity in baptism should be a spur that reminds us of the inherent anomaly of divided churches. As call, our baptismal unity should move us to ecumenical engagement. As gift, however, our baptismal unity should give our ecumenical engagement confidence.”

(doc 18, Michael Root and Risto Saarinen, eds. Baptism and the Unity of the Church Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998] pp. 17-18, as quoted in doc 18, p. 32.)