What are the requirements for baptizing a child?
The Church doesn’t want anything to stand in the way of a child receiving this critical sacrament and so, as my Canon Law instructor taught us, “the bar is set pretty low.” Here at St. Anne, we try to honor that intent and so, if you have a child or grandchild here’s what you would need to do to have them receive the sacrament.
- Desire: The parents must want and seek baptism for their child. In the event of divorce and joint custody, we especially want to be sure that both parents desire the sacrament.
- Paperwork: We have a short form that needs to be completed giving us the information we need to record the baptism. A copy of the birth certificate is also needed, though we can do without that, if necessary.
- Godparent(s): A child should have at least 1 and at most 2 godparents. (It is possible to baptize the child with no godparents.) Since the godparents are promising to assist the parents in raising the child in the Catholic faith, they must be confirmed Catholics who are actively living out their faith through regular Mass attendance, prayer, confession, and service. If married, that marriage must have been celebrated in the Catholic Church.
- Preparation: We ask the parents and godparents to attend a short preparation class to help them better appreciate the sacrament of baptism and their responsibilities. If necessary, a similar class can be taken at another parish.
I hope that does not appear burdensome. We want to welcome the child into God’s family and only ask for those few things required by Canon Law. It may help to point out what is not included in these requirements.
- The parents do not have to register with our parish. We’d like that, of course, but it isn’t required.
- We do not charge a fee of any kind. The offerings of our parishioners pay for the small expenses we incur.
- The parents do not have to be married in the Church or even married at all. Of course, we want couples to marry in the Church and will be happy to help them make that happen. (And, yes, it seems odd that godparents must be married in the Church and parents do not. That’s what Canon Law teaches. The Church’s primary concern is for the child, and the Church doesn’t want the circumstances of the parents to get in the way of the child’s salvation.)
If you have any questions, please contact the office. We’d be happy to clarify anything or talk you through an unusual situation.
