Folia Canonica 11. (2008)

PROCEEDINGS OF TENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. "Questioni attuali intorno al Battesimo" Budapest, 4th February 2008 - Michael Carragher: Intention of the Minister as Substantive Element of Baptism

INTENTION OF THE MINISTER AND BAPTISM

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14. May a minister baptize the unborn?35

It is essential to Baptism that some part of the body of the person baptized be in some way washed with water, since Baptism is a kind of washing, as stated above (66, 1). But an infant’s body, before being bom from the womb, can nowise be washed with water; unless perchance it be said that the baptismal water, with which the mother’s body is washed, reaches the child while yet in its mother’s womb. But this is impossible: both because the child’s soul, to the sanctification of which Baptism is ordained, is distinct from the soul of the mother; and because the body of the animated infant is already formed, and consequently distinct from the body of the mother. Therefore the Baptism which the mother receives does not overflow on to the child which is in her womb. Hence Augustine says (Cont. Julian, vi): “If what is conceived within a mother belonged to her body, so as to be considered a part thereof, we should not baptize an infant whose mother, through danger of death, was baptized while she bore it in her womb. Since, then, it,” i.e. the infant, “is baptized, it certainly did not belong to the mother’s body while it was in the womb.” It follows, therefore, that a child can nowise be baptized while in its mother’s womb.

15. May a minister force the premature birth of the unborn in order to baptize the offspring?36 37

We should “not do evil that there may come good“ (Romans 3:8). Therefore it is wrong to kill a mother that her child may be baptized. If, however, the mother die while the child lives yet in her womb, she should be opened that the child may be baptized.

16. May a minister baptize a person ‘non sui compos'I31

In the matter of persons non sui compotes a distinction is to be made.

35 Summa Theologiae 111, 68, a. 11. Respondeo dicendum quod de necessitate baptismi est quod corpus baptizandi aliquo modo aqua abluatur, cum baptismus sit quaedam ablutio, ut supra dictum est. Corpus autem infantis, antequam nascatur ex utero, non potest aliquo modo ablui aqua, nisi forte dicatur quod ablutio baptismalis qua corpus matris lavatur, ad filium in ventre existentem perveniat. Sed hoc non potest esse, tum quia anima pueri, ad cuius sanctificationem ordinatur baptismus, distincta est ab anima matris; tum quia corpus puerperii animati iam est formatum, et per consequens a corpore matris distinctum. Et ideo baptismus quo mater baptizatur, non redundat in prolem in utero existentem. Unde Augustinus dicit, contra Iulianum, si ad matris corpus id quod in ea concipitur pertinet, ita ut eius pars imputetur, non baptizaretur infans cuius mater baptizata est, aliquo mortis urgente periculo, cum gestaret in utero. Nunc vero, cum etiam ipse, scilicet infans, baptizetur, non utique ad maternum corpus, cum esset in utero, pertinebat.

Et ita relinquitur quod nullo modo existentes in maternis uteris baptizari possunt.

3‘ Summa Theologiae 111, q. 68, a.11 ad 3. Ad tertium dicendum quod non sunt facienda mala ut veniant bona, ut dicitur Rom. III. Et ideo non debet homo occidere matrem ut baptizet puerum. Si tamen mater mortua fuerit vivente puero in utero, aperiri debet, ut puer baptizetur.

37 Summa Theologiae 111, q. 68, a. 12. Respondeo dicendum quod circa amentes et furiosos est distinguendum. Quidam enim sunt a nativitate tales, nulla habentes lucida intervalla, in quibus etiam nullus usus rationis apparet. Et de talibus, quantum ad baptismi susceptionem, videtur esse idem iudicium et de pueris, qui baptizantur in fide ecclesiae, ut supra dictum est. Alii vero sunt amentes