6 Comments

In the US, the USCCB has published an order of baptism to be used by catechists in the absence of a priest or deacon. From what I can see, the main differences in the rites are the way blessings are done (asking God's blessing rather than invoking a blessing), the absence of anointing, no "ephphetha", and the absence of a blessing of the mother and father. Also, there are no sung parts given as an option in the "by catechists" order. I don't know if the Germans have similar differences in their order of baptism or if they even care. But I find it interesting that the US has some significant changes in the rite based on who is performing it.

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I'm sure I'm missing something, but I'm not seeing how this is super different from extraordinary ministers of holy communion. I suppose you could differentiate insofar as typically baptisms are one or two at a time, while communion distribution is in the hundreds at a time, so the argument about priest availability could be different i.e. too many people for one priest to distribute communion to in a timely manner, but I don't really see how it's much different in a theoretical sense.

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Mar 17, 2022·edited Mar 17, 2022

There must be an avalanche of baptisms occurring in the diocese to require 18 baptismal helpers! Makes you wonder how Francis Xavier coped.

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Wonderful news for the German Church who can continue to initiate new church tax payers without the boring masses.

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As long as the training emphasizes "do not change the words of the Trinitarian formula" and "use water, not beer or milk", I suppose that there is not much to get wrong.

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No time to baptise and administer the sacraments? The German clergy have become fat, lazy and grotesque.

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