organgrinder
Well-known member
What will all those folks do have been invalidly baptized by a priest? Are they damned to hell? My goodness, the priest deviated from the sacramental liturgy formula and said "we baptize" instead of "I baptize"...
Brings to light that it isn't magic words in the liturgical formula of baptism that remits sins but the actual blood of Jesus the individual believer appropriates by faith in Christ alone. Here is the story. Looks like lots of Catholics will be lining up to get 'er done' right.
PHOENIX — Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix said baptisms performed by a priest during years of ministry in the diocese are invalid, leading to the resignation of the clergyman Feb. 1.
In a Jan. 14 letter to the diocese, Bishop Olmsted said diocesan officials learned from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that the baptisms were invalid because of the form used during the ritual by Father Andres Arango.
"Specifically, it was reported to me that Father Andres used the formula 'We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' The key phrase in question is the use of 'We baptize' in place of 'I baptize,'" Bishop Olmsted wrote.
"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and him alone, who presides at all of the sacrament, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes," the bishop's letter said.
(From Crux, Catholic News Service)
Brings to light that it isn't magic words in the liturgical formula of baptism that remits sins but the actual blood of Jesus the individual believer appropriates by faith in Christ alone. Here is the story. Looks like lots of Catholics will be lining up to get 'er done' right.
PHOENIX — Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix said baptisms performed by a priest during years of ministry in the diocese are invalid, leading to the resignation of the clergyman Feb. 1.
In a Jan. 14 letter to the diocese, Bishop Olmsted said diocesan officials learned from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that the baptisms were invalid because of the form used during the ritual by Father Andres Arango.
"Specifically, it was reported to me that Father Andres used the formula 'We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' The key phrase in question is the use of 'We baptize' in place of 'I baptize,'" Bishop Olmsted wrote.
"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and him alone, who presides at all of the sacrament, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes," the bishop's letter said.
(From Crux, Catholic News Service)