Vatican Says Baptisms Must Use Traditional Trinity | Christianity Today

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Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2008

Vatican Says Baptisms Must Use Traditional Trinity

Those "in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier" are invalid.

Francis X. Rocca, Religion News Service | posted 3/03/2008 09:45AM

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Baptisms performed in the name of a gender-neutral Trinity are not true baptisms, the Catholic Church's highest doctrinal authority decreed on Friday (Feb. 29).

A statement by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, explicitly approved by Pope Benedict XVI, declared any baptism performed "in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier" or "in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer" to be invalid.

Anyone so baptized must receive the sacrament in the traditional forma absoluta (using the traditional "in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"), the Congregation stated.

In an official commentary appearing in the Saturday (March 1) edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Urbano Navarrete wrote that a person baptized using the rejected formula is incapable of receiving any other sacrament, including marriage.

The decree did not mention specific countries, but it is evidently directed at the English-speaking world. The original Latin version of the statement and all five official translations released by the Vatican quoted the objectionable words in English.

According to a report by Catholic News Service, the use of gender-neutral language in baptisms began recently in North America, but is more common among Protestant than Catholic congregations.

In another official commentary, also appearing in L'Osservatore Romano, the Rev. Antonio Miralles explained that the alternative language, which he ascribed to "so-called feminist theology," deviates from Jesus' gender-specific language in the New Testament, and misrepresents the nature of the Trinity by attributing exclusive roles to each person.

"All three divine Persons are Creator, Sanctifier, Liberator, Sustainer," Miralles writes. "Even redemption is the work of the Trinity as its first cause."

Miralles also warned that any non-Catholic Christian denomination that adopts such language "takes a great leap backwards on the ecumenical path, distancing itself enormously from the desired goal of full communion, which Jesus Christ wills."

In 2006, the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to "receive," but not necessarily accept, a theological paper that encouraged study of various alternative names for the Trinity, including "Mother, Child and Womb" and "Rock, Redeemer, Friend."

Related Elsewhere:

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's statement is available at the Vatican's website.

Coverage elsewhere includes:

The Pope rules out feminist theology (The Telegraph, London)

Holy See Rejects Feminist "Baptism" | Affirms That Church Must Follow Christ's Mandate (Zeniti.org)

Vatican says baptisms using wrong words are not valid, must be redone (Catholic News Service)

U.S. officials: Vatican statement clarifies validity of baptisms (Catholic News Service)

The 2006 PCUSA paper was one reason some evangelicals have left the denomination.

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March (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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Displaying 1–5 of 11 comments

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Teri

March 07, 2008 9:36pm

Is not JESUS the "Name Of" -the Father, Son and Holy Ghost?????? This is what the disciples/apostles thought on baptism, starting in the book of the 'actions of the apostles' , first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. There is NO baptisms ever in the bible done in 'TITLES'-father son and holy ghost.....only in JESUS NAME!

Daniel Ballinger

March 07, 2008 4:06pm

It blows my mind to know that Jesus came and siad himself that he revealed the father's name to his disciples and also Zech. 14:9 says that the Lord's name is one! The word Trinity is not in the bible because it's not biblical Hear oh Isreal; The Lord our God is one! Not three! Father, Son, Holy Spirit are titles of God in action! Jesus siad to baptize in the name, not names, not titles, not repeat these words but he siad " in the name of" How crazy is it that we say we believe the bible and leave the Name out! One name for salvation, word, deeds and it is JESUS! Wake up People! Through his name they that believe on him should recieve remission of sins! JESUS said in Revelations to the churches to hold on to his name! Read Isiahah 9:6, Colossains 2:8-9, John 5:43,14:9,26,Luke24:47,1 corinth. 6:11! There is none other given than Jesus name! It's time to throw away Philosophy and take on the name Every onethat was baptized in the bible was baptized in JESUS name!

Ephrem Hagos

March 07, 2008 9:11am

Whose baptism, for heaven's sake, -- still John's (water) or Jesus Christ's (Holy Spirit)?

Isukapati vidyanadh

March 06, 2008 10:33pm

I Have sent several messages to you, Which don’t the knowledge of God i am trying to explain, As soon as I come over there I will you about God and mysteries of bible . I am abundant knowledge about our God .I want to reveal the truths and closed secrets of God to you .Why you are showing DEAREYER? I am interested to come and reveal the closed secrets of Bible which you do not know .I am ready to come and meet your organization to discus about the Bible with my own expenses. Please invite me to meet you, If you have any interest of God .Before this I have sent my information many times and so far we have not received any invitations from you I am ready to come at any moment our Gods ministry my great desire is to ATTEND ur CONFERENCES and meetings. If you provide me the journey [Please send me an invitation letter. Surely I will attend to your Gospel service, conferences & meetings. I hope very much by the grace of God.

Miro Firlej

March 05, 2008 7:48pm

Fundamentalists often criticize the Catholic Church’s practice of baptizing infants. According to them, baptism is for adults and older children, because it is to be administered only after one has undergone a "born again" experience—that is, after one has "accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior." At the instant of acceptance, when he is "born again," the adult becomes a Christian, and his salvation is assured forever. Baptism follows, though it has no actual salvific value. In fact, one who dies before being baptized, but after "being saved," goes to heaven anyway. Since the New Testament era, the Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently, teaching that it is a sacrament which accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants and young children, since they are incapable of actual sin; and both original and actual sin in the case of older persons.

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