Rite of Baptism of Infants

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Rite of Baptism of Infants

• Roman Ritual
• 17 June 1614

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Praenotanda

• Definitions (1-3)
• Matter for Baptism (4-7)
• Form for Baptism (8-11)
• Minister of Baptism (12-17)
• Baptism of Adults (18) / of Children (19-25)
• Rites and Ceremonies (26-30)
• Sponsors (31-38)
• Time and Place of Administration (39-46)
• Holy Oils and Other Requisites (47-71)

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At the Threshold of the Church

• 1. The priest interrogates the child N, what do
  you ask of the Church of God?
• The sponsor replies Faith.
• Priest What does faith bestow on you?
• The sponsor replies Life everlasting.
• 2. Priest If then you wish to enter into life,
  keep the commandments you shall love the Lord
  your God with your whole heart, and with your
  whole soul, and with your whole mind, and your
  neighbor as yourself.

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• 3. Then he blows gently three times on the face
  of the infant and says Go out from him/her, you
  unclean spirit, and make way for the Holy Spirit,
  the Consoler.
• 4. With his thumb he makes the sign of the cross
  upon the forehead and breast of the infant,
  saying Receive the sign of the Cross upon your
  brow () and upon your heart (). Enter into the
  service of the heavenly commandments, and act in
  such a way that you may deserve henceforth to be
  known as Gods temple.

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• Let us pray.
• Graciously hear our entreaty, O Lord, we beseech
  you, and with your unfailing might guard this
  chosen one, N., now signed with the seal of our
  Lords holy cross. Help him/her to hold fast to
  this first acquaintance with your majestic glory,
  that in keeping your commandments, he/she may
  deserve to attain the everlasting bliss destined
  for all who are born anew. Through Christ our
  Lord.
• R. Amen.

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• 5. He now lays his hand upon the head of the
  child then with outstretched hand he says
• Let us pray.
• Almighty, everlasting God, Father of our Lord
  Jesus Christ, deign to regard with favor your
  servant/handmaid, N., whom it has pleased you to
  call to the beginnings of faith. Drive out from
  him/her all blindness of heart. Sunder all
  snares of Satan which hitherto bound him/her
  open to him/her the gate of your fatherly love,
  that dedicated with the seal of your wisdom,
  he/she may remain unsullied from every evil
  desire.

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• And inspired by the loveliness of your precepts,
  may he/she serve you with glad heart in your
  church, advancing in perfection from day to day.
  Through the same Christ our Lord.
• R. Amen.
• 6. The priest blesses salt, which once blessed
  may serve for future baptisms.
• 7. He puts a little of the blessed salt into the
  mouth of the child, saying N., receive the salt
  of wisdom may it be unto you a sign of
  reconciliation unto life everlasting.
• R. Amen.

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• Priest Peace be with you.
• R. And with your spirit.
• Priest Let us pray.
• God of our Fathers, O God, you source of all
  truth, humbly we implore you to look with mercy
  upon this your servant/handmaid, N., and no more
  let him/her hunger who now tastes this first
  nourishment of salt. But let him/her be enriched
  with heavenly food, so that he/she may ever be
  inflamed with zeal, joyous in hope, constant in
  serving you. We bid you, Lord, lead him/her to
  the bath where one is born anew, that in the
  company of your faithful he/she may deserve to
  win the everlasting reward which you have
  promised. Through Christ our Lord.
• R. Amen.

9

• Priest I cast you out, unclean spirit, in the
  name of the Father (), and of the Son (), and
  of the Holy () Spirit Depart and vanish from
  this servant/handmaid of God, N. For it is he
  who commands you, doomed and accursed one, he
  whose feet once trod the waves, who reached out
  his saving hand to Peter when he began to sink.
  Therefore, accursed fiend, admit your doom, and
  pay honor to Jesus Christ, His Son and to the
  Holy Spirit, and keep far from this
  servant/handmaid of God, N. For Jesus Christ,
  our Lord and God has graciously called him/her to
  his holy grace and blessing, indeed to the
  fountain of baptism.

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• 8. Here he signs with his thumb the forehead of
  the child, saying And this sign of the holy
  cross which we trace on his/her brow, accursed
  demon, never dare to violate. Through the same
  Christ our Lord.
• R. Amen.
• 9. He lays his hand upon the childs head then
  with outstretched hand he says
• Let us pray.

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• O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal god, Author
  of light and truth, I entreat for this your
  servant/handmaid, N., your unfailing and
  righteous mercy. Ma it please you to enlighten
  him/her with the light of your understanding.
  Cleanse and sanctify him/her. Endow him/her with
  true knowledge, so that he/she may be made worthy
  of the grace of your baptism, and thus remain
  steadfast in firm hope, right purpose, and holy
  doctrine. Through Christ our Lord.
• R. Amen.

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Procession into the Church

• 10. The priest places the end of the stole which
  hangs from his left shoulder upon the child and
  leads him/her into the church, while saying N.,
  enter into the temple of God, that you may have a
  part with Christ unto life everlasting.
• R. Amen.

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Procession to the Font

• 11. After they have come into church, the priest
  leads the way to the font, praying aloud together
  with the sponsors
• I believe. Apostles Creed
• Our Father. Lords Prayer

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• 12. Then before entering the baptistery, he
  turns to the candidate and says I expel you,
  every unclean spirit, in the name of God, the
  Father () almighty, in the name of Jesus ()
  Christ, his Son, our Lord and Judge, and by the
  power of the Holy () Spirit. Depart from the
  handwork of God, N., whom our Lord has deigned to
  call to his holy temple, that he/she may be made
  a temple of the living God, and the Holy Spirit
  may dwell within him/her. Through the same
  Christ our Lord, who will come to judge the
  living and the dead and the world by fire.
• R. Amen.

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• 13. The priest moistens his thumb with his saliva
  and touches the ears and nostrils of the child.
  He touches the right ear then the left, saying
  only once Ephpheta, which means Be opened!
• Then he touches the nostrils, one after the
  other, adding Unto the odor of sweetness. But
  you, evil spirit, be gone, for the judgment of
  God draws near!

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• 14. Now he questions the candidate by name N.,
  do you renounce Satan?
• Sponsor I do renounce him.
• Priest And all his works?
• Sponsor I do renounce them.
• Priest And all his pomps?
• Sponsor I do renounce them.

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• 15. The priest dips his thumb in the Oil of
  Catechumens, and in the form of a cross anoints
  the child on the breast and between the shoulders
  on the back, saying only once for the two
  anointings I anoint () you with the oil of
  salvation in Christ Jesus, our Lord, that you may
  have life everlasting.
• R. Amen.
• 16. Then he wipes his thumb and the places
  anointed with cotton or similar material.

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Within the Baptistery

• 17. Remaining in the same place outside the
  baptistery gates, the priest exchanges his purple
  stole for a white one. Then he enters the
  baptistery, followed by the sponsor with the
  child. At the baptismal font he interrogates the
  candidate by name, with the sponsor giving the
  answer

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• Priest N., do you believe in God, the Father
  almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
• Sponsor I do believe.
• Priest Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his
  only-begotten Son, our Lord, who was born for us
  and who suffered for us?
• Sponsor I do believe.
• Priest Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the
  holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the
  body, and life everlasting?
• Sponsor I do believe.

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• 18. The priest says to the candidate, calling
  him/her by name N., do you wish to be baptized?
• Sponsor I do.
• 19. With the godfather or godmother (or both)
  holding the child, the priest takes baptismal
  water with the ladle, pours it three times in the
  form of a cross on the childs head, and
  simultaneously pronounces only once distinctly
  and attentively the following words

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• N., I baptize you in the name of the Father ()
  and of the Son () and of the Holy Spirit ().
• 20. But where it is the custom to baptize by
  immersion, the priest takes the infant, and
  handling it carefully so that it will not be
  injured, he baptizes with a threefold immersion,
  pronouncing the words only once.

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• 21. The godfather or godmother (or both) lifts
  the child from the holy font, receiving it from
  the hands of the priest.
• 22. If there is doubt whether the child has been
  baptized before, the following form is used N.,
  if you are not baptized, I baptize you in the
  name of the Father (), and of the Son (), and
  of the Holy () Spirit.
• 23. Then the priest dips his right thumb into
  the holy chrism and in the form of a cross
  anoints the child on the crown of the head,
  saying

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• May God almighty, Father of our Lord, Jesus
  Christ, who has caused you to be born anew by
  water and the Holy Spirit and granted you
  remission of all sins, may he now anoint you ()
  with the chrism of salvation in the same Christ
  Jesus, our Lord, unto life everlasting.
• R. Amen.
• Priest Peace be with you.
• R. And with your spirit.

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• 24. He wipes his thumb and the place anointed
  with cotton. Then he puts a white linen cloth
  (in place of the white garment) on the childs
  head, saying Receive the white garment, and
  carry it unsullied unto the judgment seat of our
  Lord, Jesus Christ, that you may have life
  everlasting.
• R. Amen.
• 25. Then he presents a lighted candle to the
  newly baptized or to the sponsor, saying Receive
  this burning light. Safeguard your baptism by a
  blameless life. Keep the commandments of God,
  that when our Lord comes for the heavenly wedding
  you may meet him together with all the saints in
  the courts of heaven and live for the ages of
  ages.
• R. Amen.

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• 26. In conclusion, the priest says N., go in
  peace, and the Lord be with you.
• R. Amen.