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mrsbmoo
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 305 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Methodist. RCA, Presbyterian, Holiness, Wesleyan... Catholic as of June ... |
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Posted: Sat Jan 26th, 2008 01:10 am |
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| I remember either reading or hearing somewhere in the past that historically the church would not baptize illegimate babies. Yet when I inquired if an anulment would make my children illegitimate, I was told the church didn't consider any child illegitimate. Now I can see a certain perverse logic in saying you won't baptize an illegitimate child but no child is illegitimate. Anybody know any history on that or is it just a myth?
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Becky
Wife of Michael(called Moo) and stay at home mom to 5 daughters between 10 months and 17
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Tina in Ashburn
Member
| Joined: | Mon May 21st, 2007 |
| Location: | Ashburn, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 281 |
| First Name: | Tina | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Roman Catholic, Ukranian Catholic, presently practicing as Roman Latin ... |
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Posted: Sat Jan 26th, 2008 01:43 am |
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mrsbmoo wrote: historically the church would not baptize illegimate babies. Yet when I inquired if an anulment would make my children illegitimate, I was told the church didn't consider any child illegitimate. Now I can see a certain perverse logic in saying you won't baptize an illegitimate child but no child is illegitimate.
Becky - “There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents.” 
"no child is illegitimate" ... seriously, not sure I understand where that comes from though.
I don't know the history but I do know that children born out of wedlock are certainly baptized today if there is assurance that the child will be raised Catholic. A child might not get baptized when there is no chance that the child would be raised Catholic. This has more to do with the disposition of the parents than legitimacy.
And I've heard that annulments do not illegitimize children of that union because "legitimacy" has to do with the legal system and not sacramental marriage.
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Tina
Arlington Diocese
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5310 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sat Jan 26th, 2008 02:19 am |
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I posted a response on the legitimacy of children to your post in the Marriage forum, so I won't repeat it here.
The Church will baptize any child as long as the legal guardian validly requests baptism. This may be a parent or grandparent. If there is a serious objection from a parent, the baptism may be postponed but will most likely take place anyway. However, since the baptism of a child is done on the basis of the parent's faith, at least one parent or guardian must request the sacrament.
Today, legitimacy is irrelevant. I can believe that in the past there might have been a problem with the baptism of illegitimate children but I do not know that to be a fact. I do know that the Church no longer judges a suicide victim as unworthy of a Catholic funeral, and the two are closely related. At one time the Church made such judgments; since Vatican II, we presume the best rather than assuming the worst. It is, in my opinion, a significant change for the better.
I have been present at the baptism of the children of unmarried parents. Unfortunately, it is as common today as cohabitation. The sin of the parents is not vested on the child, so there is no reason the child should be refused the sacrament if there is at least a reasonable expectation that the child will be raised in the faith (often by a grandparent).
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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