A reader writes:
I was not raised as a Christian; I came to faith as a teenager and was baptized in an evangelical Presbyterian congregation. Recently, I began worshiping at an Orthodox mission church near me, and I have entered the catechumenate there. I have been told recently that to formally enter the Orthodox Church I may have to be baptized again, and this situation is the subject of my question.
The logic behind this (possible) requirement is that in many Protestant denominations these days the traditional Baptismal formula is often not followed and "Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer" (or some such wording) is used in place of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Apparently there is a list of denominations detailing which can be trusted to have administered valid baptisms and which not. I have not yet seen that document, but as the denomination I in which I was baptized was quite liberal, I’m very much afraid that it will be on the "black list."
The problem is that, since I was an adult when I was baptized, I know what was done and said and that the traditional formula was used. Furthermore, the minister who baptized me was very conservative and would never have gone in for that sort of thing.
I don’t know how those objections would be received in the event that my old denomination is on the "do not trust" list. I’m trying to work out to myself what my response should be in the event that I am required to undergo another baptism. As I know that my baptism at age 18 was valid, should I dig in my heels over this? Or would submitting myself to the Church’s judgment be the right thing to do?
I know that you cannot answer this question from the perspective of Orthodox Church law or tradition. I know also that the bottom line answer for you would most likely be "you should be becoming Catholic, not Orthodox," and that might make the whole question moot in your mind.
Well, yes, you should become Catholic rather than Orthodox, but no that does not make the question moot.
You know that the correct formula was used in your baptism your first baptism was valid, and it would be an insult to the work that the Holy Spirit did in your baptism to rebaptize you. If they insist on an unconditional rebaptism then you would be morally obliged to refuse on the grounds that it would be a sacrilege.
That being said, it seems to me that you could explore two options (besides becoming Catholic):
- Explain to them that you have a memory of the baptism and that you know the correct formula was used (possibly supplemented by a written statement from the pastor who did it or anothr eye-witness) and see if that will either nix the proposal or get it modified into the section option:
- Get them to administer a conditional baptism (for example, one using the formula "If you are not baptized, I baptize you . . . "). Conditional baptisms are not sacrilege because they are only baptisms if the person is not already baptized. They show the willingness of all involved to make sure that the person is validly baptized and they confess our own limitations in determining prior validity together with our will to do what God wants done.
Hope this helps!
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