Baptism

[Gal. 5:22,23]

A friend gave me some information she printed off the internet to help me prepare for my first confession. The articles described mortal sins. One of them, according to the material she gave me, is not having your child baptized in a timely manner.

My older two have been baptized - at ages 8 and 10. My youngest is 5 and has not yet been baptized. When I become Catholic will I be required to baptize my son in the Catholic Church? My husband and children are still attending the Protestant church and have no intention to become Catholic. I cannot imagine that he will want to have Steven baptized in the Catholic Church, even though he has given me his blessing for me to enter the Church.

[Brother Adam]

Something like this is only true when it is applicable under canon law. For instance, it would be a mortal sin for me as a Catholic to get married in a Protestant Church without a priest present and giving his blessing. Obviously this doesn't work the same for Protestants who reject the Catholic faith today.

As far as your situation, I would talk to you priest, but I can tell you that it would hardly be a mortal sin if he is not baptized, especially if he does not want to be baptized. What you have read applies more to folks who know that their children need to be baptized as infants. It is desirable that he is baptized, but if he is at the age of reason, he can hardly be forced to be baptized. It is more his decision at this point than it is yours as his parent, but 5 is still young so it could be iffy too. I really would defer to talking to your priest about it.

[homeschoolmom]

Yep. Talk to your priest... I feel for you....

My son was five when we all entered the church. I wasn't sure if he'd go through with being baptized or not. The last thing we wanted was for him to get baptized kicking and screaming-- completely against his will. Fortunately, other than announcing that he was "too chicken" to get baptized and having to stop in the middle for him to go to the bathroom, it went fine.

Peace.