Posts Tagged ‘Baptism’

Full Immersion Baptism – Full of pitfalls

Friday, September 20th, 2013

Some congregations practice full immersion baptism. The symbolism has a lot to recommend it…but preparation is necessary if you don’t want to experience minor disasters. When full immersion baptisms go  wrong – they go really go wrong. Have a look at a selection of “interesting” examples. Have a look

Ordinations, marriages, baptisms tumble in UK

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Ordinations of new Catholic priests in Britain have fallen to one tenth of the number in 1965, and marriages and baptisms have also dropped significantly. Details of the declines have been revealed for the first time by the compilation of statistics for these sacraments over the past century. The figures were compiled by the Latin Read more

Catholics and Protestants recognise each other’s baptisms

Friday, February 15th, 2013

Representatives of the Catholic Church and four Protestant churches in the United States have begun to discuss the Church’s mission and identity after formally agreeing to recognise each other’s baptisms. The discussion will include “unity and diversity in the Church, and the origins and current interpretations of ministry and ordination, and the nature and role Read more

Cardinal Bergoglio: End sacramental blackmail and neo-clericalism

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012
Cardinal Bergoglio angered at priests refusal to baptise children born out of wedlock

The Bishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, has used strong language to criticise priests who refuse to baptise children born to single mothers. Almost apologising for the actions of some priests, Bergoglio recalled the story of a young unmarried mother who had the courage to bring her child into the world and who then Read more

Judge decides Jewish girl may be baptised

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

An English judge has ruled that a 10-year-old Jewish girl may choose to be baptised a Christian despite her mother’s opposition. The Romford County Court in Essex was told that the girl’s parents divorced in 2010 and her father subsequently converted to Christianity. After attending an evangelical Christian festival with her father, the girl said Read more

Over 22,000 baptisms in China on Easter Sunday

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

More than 22,104 people were baptised in China on Easter Sunday, Fides news agency reports. The statistics were collected by the Study Centre of Faith in the Chinese province of He Bei. The newly-baptised Catholics, 75 per cent of whom are adults, belong to 101 dioceses. In He Bei itself 4,410 people were baptised on Read more

Over 3,500 adults received into the Church in England and Wales

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

More than 3,500 adults were received into the Catholic Church in England and Wales last week. They included 1,397 catechumens, who had prepared to be baptised, and 1,843 candidates, who had already baptised in another Christian tradition. The largest numbers were in the dioceses of Westminster (734), Southwark (481), Brentwood (333), Birmingham (255) and Portsmouth Read more

3,500 new Catholics enter Church in Hong Kong

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Evangelisation is one of Hong Kong Cardinal John Tong’s key pastoral concerns, and fruit of his initiative saw 3,500 adult catechumens baptised as Catholics the Hong Kong diocese on Easter Saturday night. In his Easter letter, Tong thanked all those involved in bringing these people to baptism. In particular, he highlighted the important role catechists. Read more

Baptism, not bishops or pope, unites the church

Friday, June 17th, 2011

“Baptism unites the church, not ordination,” theologian and author Anthony T. Padovano told more than 1,800 reform-minded Catholics gathered June 10-12 at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. Addressing the inaugural national meeting of the American Catholic Council on June 11, he said, “The pope does not unify or sanctify the church and make it catholic or apostolic. Read more