Dublin archbishop wants parents educated for children's baptisms
August 17, 2010
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has instructed the pastors of his Dublin archdiocese to offer “appropriate catechesis” for parents who wish for their children to be baptized. The archbishop said that parents should be properly educated about the meaning of Baptism, and should understand that the sacrament is not merely a family celebration but an entry into an active Christian community.
Parishes should design appropriate educational offerings to avoid making parents resent the new requirement, Archbishop Martin said: “Programmes should be attractive, rather than simply compulsory.”
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Posted by: filioque -
Aug. 17, 2010 7:57 PM ET USA
A priest is not supposed to baptize a child unless there is a reasonable assurance that the child will be raised Catholic. Given that many, maybe the great majority, of young parents have scarcely been catechized and are not actively practicing the Faith, this is a prudent and necessary policy. Let's bring it to the U.S.
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Posted by: Defender -
Aug. 17, 2010 4:14 PM ET USA
Call me old school but I still believe that children should be baptized as soon after birth as possible. Though we should trust in God's grace concerning those children in Limbo (though we don't hear about it much anymore - as we don't about other things, as well), the children should be the main focal point, not the parents' lack of education, nor the lack of education given.
