Sacrament of Baptism

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
WHAT IS SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM?

The Sacrament of Baptism is often called "The door of
the Church," because it is the first of the seven
sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics
receive it as infants) but in priority since the reception
of the other sacraments depends on it.
It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the

other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and
the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Once baptized, a person becomes a
member of the Church. Traditionally,
the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was
held outside the doors of the main part
of the church, to signify this fact.
Most Catholic baptisms, whether of adults or of
infants, take place in a Catholic church.
Like all of the sacraments, the Sacrament of

Baptism is not merely an individual event but is
intimately tied to the broader Christian
community—the Body of Christ, which is found
in its fullness in the Catholic Church.
The Necessity of Baptism
Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to
all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of
the Gospel.
In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made

it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: "Amen,
amen I say to thee unless a man be born again of water and
the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the

very mark of a Christian because it brings us into a new
life in Christ.
What Makes a Baptism Valid?
All that is required for a baptism to be valid
(and hence to be recognized by the Catholic
Church as a true baptism) is the pouring of
water over the head of the person to be
baptized (or the immersion of the person in
water); and the words, Name, "I baptize you
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit."
The baptism does not need to be performed by a
priest; any baptized Christian (even a non-
Catholic) can perform a valid baptism.
In fact, when the life of the person being baptized is

in danger, even a non-baptized person who does
not himself believe in Christ can perform a valid
baptism, so long as he does so with the proper
intent.
In other words, if he intends what the Church
intends—to baptize the person into the fullness of
the Catholic Church—the baptism is valid.
What Is a "Case of Necessity" or a "Grave Cause"?
In general, when the Catholic Church refers to a "case of

necessity" regarding the circumstances in which a
sacrament is administered, the Church means that the
person who is to receive the sacrament is in danger of dying.
So, for instance, an adult undergoing hospice care at home

who desires to be baptized before he dies could be licitly
baptized at home by his parish priest. Or a child who was
born with a congenital defect that will not allow her to live
long outside of the womb could be licitly baptized at a
hospital.
A "grave cause," on the other hand, may refer
to circumstances that are less than life-
threatening but might make it very hard, or
even impossible, to bring the person seeking
baptism to his parish church—for instance, a
severe physical handicap, old age, or severe
illness.
Adult Baptism
Adult converts to Catholicism also receive the
sacrament, unless they have already received
a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt
about whether an adult has already been
baptized, the priest will perform a conditional
baptism.) A person can only be baptized
once as a Christian—if, say, he was baptized
as a Lutheran, he cannot be "rebaptized"
when he converts to Catholicism.
1. Baptism of Desire
While the Church has always taught that

baptism is necessary for salvation, that
doesn't mean that only those who have
been formally baptized can be saved. From
very early on, the Church recognized that
there are two other types of baptism besides
the baptism of water.
The baptism of desire applies both to those
who, while wishing to be baptized, die before
receiving the sacrament and "Those who,
through no fault of their own, do not know the
Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who
nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart,
and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do
His will as they know it through the dictates of
conscience" (Constitution on the Church,
Second Vatican Council).
2. Baptism of Blood
The baptism of blood is similar to the baptism
of desire.
It refers to the martyrdom of those believers

who were killed for the faith before they had a
chance to be baptized.
This was a common occurrence in the
early centuries of the Church, but also in
later times in missionary lands.
Like the baptism of desire, the baptism
of blood has the same effects as the
baptism of water.
The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural

graces:
1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin
imparted to all mankind by the Fall of Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden) and personal sin (the sins that
we have committed ourselves).
2. The remission of all punishment that we owe
because of sin, both temporal (in this world and in
Purgatory) and eternal (the punishment that we
3. The infusion of grace in the form of
sanctifying grace (the life of God within us);
the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; and the three
theological virtues.
4. Becoming a part of Christ.
5. Becoming a part of the Church, which is the
Mystical Body of Christ on earth.
6. Enabling participation in the sacraments,
the priesthood of all believers, and the growth
in grace.
Baptisimal Rites
In baptism , as in all sacraments, certain
signs or actions together with the formul or
words, constitute the Sacraments
1. water
-is the most important and the only
indispensable one.
-the symbol of freedom and new life
-in the water of baptism our sins are washed
away.
2. Anointing with Chrism
Chrism is consecratedoil mixed with perfume.
Anointing with Chrism in baptism is symbolizes
that we are set apart as God’s ANOINTED
PEOPLE, His royal priesthood.
3. Lighted Candle
-It symbolizes that Jesus is the light of the
world
-Through the faith of the newly baptized
must also be a light of the world
4. The imposition of the White cloth
The prayer said in during the imposition of
the white cloth explains that the newly
baptized has cloth himself with Christ.
He must let Christ live in and through Him.
The primary Ministers of the Sacraments of
Baptism
BISHOP
PRIEST
DEACON
NOTE:
Responsibilities of the baptized Christians
1. Baptism, a call to holiness
this must be answered in two ways:
a. obedience to God’s commandments
b. Faithfulness to worship and prayers
2. Baptism, a call to community life
this can be done through the practice of
Charity, unity and worship.
3. Baptism, a call to discipleship and mission.
To bring people into communion and salvation.

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SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

WHAT IS SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM?

It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the

Like all of the sacraments, the Sacrament of

In His encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), Christ made

For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the

In fact, when the life of the person being baptized is

In general, when the Catholic Church refers to a "case of

So, for instance, an adult undergoing hospice care at home

While the Church has always taught that

It refers to the martyrdom of those believers

Baptism has six primary effects, which are all supernatural

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