A clip from the Orthopraxis series by Fr. Seraphim of orthodox.net. Synopsis: "A Short talk about the minimum requirements for baptism, and emergency baptism, which is a baptism performed withot a priest when a person is in danger of immanent death. Who can perform this baptism, how should it be done, and what must be done after the baptism is performed. The text is an outline of the talk. These talks are designed to get a little information into the faithful right after the liturgy before it becomes too chaotic to teach."
An outline (DOC) is available.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Baptism and Emergency Baptism
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Would anyone be able to comment on: if we can't baptise a comatose person because they're unable to voluntarily accept baptism, then why do we baptise babies? I mean, I know the various reasons we baptise babies, but in this case, it seems like a comatose person is about as self-aware as a 40 day old baby.
ReplyDeleteIt as always been Christian tradition, from the time of the Apostles, to baptize children. Note how, in Acts, ":he and his household" were baptized. We are responsible to "train up a child in the way in which he should go", and certainly availing a child of the grace of baptism and the holy Eucharist is an important part if this. A child must be taught, and then, if his spirit is willing (if he has the "honest and good heart" spoken of in the parable of the sower), he will accept the grace of God in his life. There is no opportunity for a comatose person to do this.
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