Conditional baptism

friendlymomma · #1 May 13, '12, 8:04 pm

What is conditional baptism?

**Bookcat** · #2 May 13, '12, 8:22 pm

It is a when a persons baptism is in doubt -- so the Church does privately a conditional baptism --"If you are not baptized...I baptize you in the Name...."

So as to make sure they are validly baptized into Christ Jesus.

YoungTradCath · #3 May 13, '12, 8:59 pm

It is baptism in which the formula is slightly altered to accommodate a possible previous baptism, in case that baptism is either not concretely remembered or is suspected of being invalid.

Elizium23 · #4 May 13, '12, 9:24 pm

It is to avoid the unwanted sacrilege of simulating a sacrament. "I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." Baptism cannot be repeated, so a person who is already validly baptized would not be able to undergo the sacrament another time. So in cases of doubt, the Church in her wisdom has provided us with this conditional formula.

friendlymomma · #5 May 14, '12, 7:24 am

Makes sense. Thanks.

thequeen · #6 May 14, '12, 10:04 pm

I was conditionally baptised because the pentecostal church of god that I was raised in would not let me have my baptismal record it is doubtful that they ever had it anyway because they did not keep very good records.

hannajomar · #7 May 15, '12, 10:22 pm

Our parish recently had a conditional Baptism during a Sunday Mass. The man is an immigrant from a developing country. He's always been going to the Catholic Church, but he just wasn't sure if he was ever actually Baptized. He never went to Catholic school, CCD, or any kind of preparatory classes to receive his first Holy Communion, but has been receiving for years. He said where he's from, there's basically a lot of disorder and not good record-keeping. So, the priest suggested he be conditionally Baptized, just to make certain. It was very nice for me to witness.