Comments on: Catholic and Reformed on Living Water

By: James B. Jordan

James B. Jordan — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:12:46 +0000

To Mr. Koehl: Many protestant churches baptize by sprinkling or pouring, since the water is from the “waters above the firmament” that are the entry into heaven. Water from above unites the baptizand with Christ in heaven, who sent down the Spirit from heaven in the first New Creation baptism in Acts 2. Psalm 77:16-18 says that while the Egyptians drowned by submersion, the Israelites were baptized by rain from above. Reformed churches will recognize baptism by submersion as valid though irregular, but only water flowing from above to below: rain, river, sprinkling, etc., is living water. (BTW: being showered upon is immersion, but not submersion. We who sprinkle immerse, but do not submerge.)

By: Richard Jizba

Richard Jizba — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:37:50 +0000

Jack,

In case of necessity someone who uses the Trinitarian formula and intends to do what the Church does when she baptizes is an authorized person. I’m not sure what is meant by necessity but I would assume that it means there is a risk of dying before an ordinary minister of baptism can arrive to administer the sacrament. You would have to ask a cannon lawyer if necessity could include simply having to wait for a very long time before an ordinary minister of baptism could be found.

By: Jack Perry

Jack Perry — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:02:02 +0000

In order for a baptism to be valid, it must be administered by someone authorized to do so… Wait. Really? What happened to this passage from the Catholic Catechism? 1256 …In case of necessity, anyone, even a nonbaptized person, with the required intention, can baptize , by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The intention required is to will to do what the church does when she baptizes. … Am I reading too much into the first statement?

By: George Sim Johnston

George Sim Johnston — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:04:45 +0000

My understanding is that the Catholic Church accepts as valid any baptism that is in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (i.e., Trinitarian) and makes use of water. Adult converts from Protestant denominations do not receive Baptism if previously baptized, while they do need to be confirmed, even if confirmed in their previous denomination. Mormons who convert (a rare breed, no doubt), do need to be baptized, since the Mormons do not understand the Trinity the way the Catholic Church does.

By: Stuart Koehl

Stuart Koehl — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:31:38 +0000

So who sprinkles? Certainly the Latin Church has abandoned this since Vatican II, and the Eastern Churches prefer full immersion.