Dear Catholic Exchange:
If a woman has a late-pregnancy miscarriage and the baby is baptized, should and could the parents of the child have a funeral Mass for the baby?
Thank you very much,
Art Remmrt
Dear Art,
The baptized child has the assurance of being with the angels and the saints in heaven. There would seem to be no reason why a public Mass could not be celebrated in commemoration of the new saint. In obedience to Vatican II, the 1969 Ritual (Rite for Funerals) devotes its 5th, 7th, and 8th chapters to the ceremonies, readings and prayers for the funerals of children who were baptized or who died before Baptism.
See your pastor for the arrangements to be made.
United in the Faith,
Jim Likoudis
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
May Anyone Perform a Baptism?
Dear Catholic Exchange:
I just read in the Truth Tracts, that ANYONE can perform a Baptism provided they use the correct words, etc. The Truth Tract explained that anyone may administer Baptism because it is really Jesus Christ who performs the Baptism through them. With this reasoning, why can’t just anyone administer Holy Communion or any other sacrament since they all are coming from Christ?
Thanks for explaining this to me.
Debra
Dear Debra,
Our tendency is to speak of the sacraments as if they are more similar than dissimilar. We use a single definition (“efficacious signs of grace. . . .” see Catechism of the Catholic Church 1131). We say that a sacrament has an identifiable matter and form.
The sacraments, however, are very dissimilar. The minister of a validly administered sacrament is largely determined by the nature of the sacrament. A clear example is found in the sacrament of Matrimony, which is essentially a covenant. It is fitting that the ministers for this sacrament are the ones creating the covenant by their consent. In the case of Baptism, it is the only sacrament necessary for salvation. It is fitting, then, that when a person seeks Baptism, especially in danger of death, he not be denied the sacrament for want of a minister. Given the universal need for Baptism, Christ gave the “Great Commission” (Mt. 28:19) to the Apostles to baptize all nations. In the book of Acts we see a number of ministers providing this sacrament (cf. Acts 10:23, 48, for example). It should be stressed, by the way, that the normal minister of Baptism has received the sacrament of Holy Orders and is in Christ’s ministerial priesthood. Only in case of necessity should a layperson baptize.
United in the Faith,
Eric Stoutz
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
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