One-word gaffe invalidates thousands of US baptisms

Warrigal said:
Let me see, as far as I recall Jesus baptised no-one. John the Baptist did in a river to symbolise the washing away of sins. Jesus did, according to one of the post resurrection stories, command his followers to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".

Rather apocryphal given that Jesus did not claim to be the Son of God. He referred to himself as the Son of Man (happy to be corrected by more knowledgeable biblical scholars) and highly unlikely that the words 'Holy Ghost' ever came from his lips.

To claim that thousands of baptisms are invalid for such a trivial reason is to fly in the face of the words "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven".
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Ah, someone who has done their research instead of blindly believing what someone else tells them!
What many people don't seem to realise is that anyone can baptise a baby. It happens in hospitals when a baby's life is at risk. A bit of spit, making the sign of the cross on the forehead, and uttering the words, 'I baptise thee in the name etc'.
 

With the world is on its knees I’m sure God has more important issues to worry about

I doubt most people would’ve even noticed this ‘gaffe’....ridiculous
 
Lavinia said:
Ah, someone who has done their research instead of blindly believing what someone else tells them!
What many people don't seem to realise is that anyone can baptise a baby. It happens in hospitals when a baby's life is at risk. A bit of spit, making the sign of the cross on the forehead, and uttering the words, 'I baptise thee in the name etc'.
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My sister's first baby was stillborn at 30 weeks and her second, my niece, was even more premi at 28 weeks. A priest baptised her in the humicrib with minimum ceremony. I wasn't there but I reckon it was probably as you have described, with the exception of some holy water instead of the spit.

Afterwards, I was told, he left the holy water behind and one of the nurses added it to the water in the humicrib saying something like "We're going to give this one every chance".

At the time I was an atheist but somehow I felt very touched by this gesture. She was so tiny and her little chest looked very frail, but she lived. All I could do as I watched her through the glass window was cross all of my fingers and mutter "Hang in there, Kid". Atheism can be a feeling of emptiness at times like these but even such unlikely forms of prayer do not go unheard.
 
raybar said:
Amusing that this article about something from Arizona is reported by the BBC.

As I recall from my long abandoned Catholic upbringing, only those both baptized and in a state of grace may take sacraments. So I wonder how many confessions, communions, confirmations, and marriages have been invalidated by the cancellations of these baptisms. How many children are now born out of wedlock since the parents were never really married?

For a more inclusive religious experience, join the Church of Ray. We have no rules and no services, and all donations go to the party fund. And best of all, we offer a full refund of any and all donations should you fail to get into heaven.
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the BBC covers world wide news..albeit that's it's a British Corporation:)
 
So does the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), our national broadcaster.
It has a huge online footprint, national wide radio and TV coverage.
We have our eyes and ears on the world.
 
I once attended a Catholic wedding where the priest had been drinking beforehand, and I was told botched some of the lines of the ceremony, even omitting part of the ritual. I guess that means that everyone was darned to heck, although marriage comes close enough to that… 😇
 
hollydolly said:
the BBC covers world wide news..albeit that's it's a British Corporation
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I like the BBC's coverage of the US, a bit more balanced and less political than some of our home grown networks.

I used to listen to the CBC (Canadian) for the same reason, but can't seem to get it any more.

I think news networks outside of the country that don't have a dog in our fights can be less biased.
 
Somehow, this news story seems unbelievable. I wonder about its veracity. This sounds way too legalistic for God. I don't think Christ had to fill out Form G-27A-233 in triplicate .or he couldn't die on the cross. Instead of the right words, I think it's the right intent is what matters to God. You can say the right words, and not mean a damn thing.
Knowing the Catholic Church, why do I get the feeling that the real reason was this "priest" wasn't really ordained, and was just some guy posing. He's quietly out of the picture.????????
 

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