Folia Canonica 4. (2001)

STUDIES - John D. Faris: A Canonical Examination of the Acquisition, Consequences and Loss of Membership in a Church - A Catholic Perspective

MEMBERSHIP IN A CHURCH

143

late slightly different priorities in the selection of the minister of baptism in the absence of an ordained minister.27

Baptism received in the Catholic Church ordinarily, but not always, results in membership in the Catholic Church.28 29

With regard to the lawful administration of the sacrament:

A personat least seven years old19 must manifest a desire to receive baptism, be sufficiently instructed in the truths of the faith, and be proven in the Christian life; an adult must be exhorted to manifest sorrow for personal sins.30

A person under the age of seven years: The parent or person or institution in loco parentis consents and there is the founded hope that the infant will be educated in the Catholic Church.31

With regard to ascription in a specific church sui iuris ethnicity and cultural factors are also to be taken into consideration: the person should be enrolled in that church sui iuris appropriate to his or her cultural background.32

Reception of Baptized Non-Catholics into Catholic Church

Proselytism can be defined as a deliberate effort on the part of a Catholic Church to induce individual members or groups of non-Catholic Churches to sever bonds with their Churches and to join a Catholic Church.

At various points in history, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants alike have enticed persons to become members in their respective churches; it was not rare that these efforts were supported by secular authorities, which, with their coercive powers, usually sought political objectives. Proselytism motivated by amoral or, at best, non-supernatural motives, and carried out through the offering of material goods, educational opportunities, or social benefits is contrary to our moral code.33

27 CCEO cc. 677- 678 and C1C c. 861.

28 The CCEO provides for the baptism of infants (not in danger of death) of non-Catholic Christians who are unable to approach their own minister, without the requirement that the newly-baptized child be educated in the Catholic Church (CCEO c. 681 §1, 1° and §5).

29 Anyone under the age of seven years old is considered an infant and canonically presumed to lack the use of reason (CCEO c. 909 and CIC cc. 97 and 99).

30 CCEO c. 682 §1 and CIC c. 865 §1.

31 CCEO c. 681 § 1 and CIC c. 868 § 1. As mentioned above, non-Catholic Christians who are unable to approach their own ministers can bring their children to the Catholic Church for baptism without being obliged to educate the children in the Catholic Church (CCEO c. 681 §5).

32 CCEO c. 588.

33 •• See J. D. Faris, The Reception of Baptized Non-Catholics into Full Communion in A. Al-Ahmar — A. KhalifÉ — D. Le Tourneau (eds.), Acta symposii internationalis circa Codicem Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, Kaslik 24-29 április 1995, Kaslik (Libano) 1996, 159-177; D. SALACHAS, I battezzati acattolici ehe vengono alia piena comunione con la Chiesa Cattolica, in Apollinaris 60 (1987) 227-244.