For generations, Catholic parents made sure their babies were baptised as soon as possible after birth. This was because they understood that the Sacrament of Baptism wasn’t a mere rite of passage or an occasion for a family celebration. Baptism was the greatest gift they could give their child. Our Lord Himself, when He spoke to Nicodemus taught the necessity of Baptism: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). And the final command He gave to His Apostles before ascending into Heaven was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). These are no mere suggestions. They are the words of the Son of God Himself.

As we know from our catechism, we are all conceived in a state of original sin, and although a baby has no personal sins, he or she desperately needs the life of grace that Baptism gives. Through Baptism, the gates of Heaven are opened, original sin is washed away, sanctifying grace is poured into the soul, the Holy Trinity comes to dwell within, and the child becomes an adopted son or daughter of God and a member of Christ’s Mystical Body, the Catholic Church. Baptism also marks a change in whose kingdom we belong to. Due to original sin, the human race is under the dominion of sin and the devil. Through Baptism, Christ rescues us, and transfers us to membership of His Kingdom. As St Paul writes: “He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13).

For these reasons, the Code of Canon Law states: “Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptised in the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child” (Canon 867.1). So this isn’t just an ancient tradition. It remains the law of the Church to this day. We have a beautiful example of this in the life of Pope Benedict XVI, who was born on Holy Saturday, 16^th April 1927, and was baptised that same day. There was no delay for family convenience or to allow people time to travel, because the parents wanted their son to receive God’s grace immediately.

It is sometimes said, “Why not let children grow up, and then decide for themselves if they want to be baptised?” There is a very simple answer to this. It is the parents solemn responsibility to fulfil this obligation. They don’t wait for their child to decide if he or she wants food, medicine or other physical needs. Parents make those decisions for them, because they want what is best for their children. And the greatest gift that parents can give is not money, opportunity or even education – it is the life of God’s grace. If Baptism truly washes away original sin, makes us children of God and heirs to Heaven, to delay Baptism unduly or waiting until adulthood, would mean to withhold from the child the greatest gift God wants to give, which is eternal life. Today, Baptism can often be postponed for months and sometimes years, while families arrange receptions, photographers and convenient dates. These are legitimate concerns, but they should never come before the spiritual good of the child. A child needs Baptism more than he needs Auntie Mary from Australia to be present. The greatest day of our lives is not when we graduated or got married or even became a priest or a pope. It is the day of Baptism, because that is when eternal life begins – at the font. Therefore, let us follow the wisdom and example of countless generations of Catholics and bring our children to Christ without delay, as He commanded.

Fr Paul Gillham, IC