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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Baptism By Nurses	Jeanette	Sunday, January 30, 2005
Question: Hello Brother, I am a RN. Much of my nursing career was spent working in the ER, which I loved. In nursing school, we were taught that we could baptize an infant if death was imminent. One night, a young woman delivered a baby in the ER. (She had begun the process of a second trimester abortion earlier in the day at an abortion clinic and then pulled the laminaria rods out at home. Her labor was irreversable.) It was impossible for this child to live for more than a few moments as he was too young gestationally. He was the size of the palm of my hand. I wrapped him up in a warm towel, hurried down the hall into the utility room, turned on the faucet, baptized him (as I was taught in school) then held him and loved him till he died a few moments later. That night has haunted me for years and I've cried many, many times for this little boy. I wish that any woman considering an abortion could see what I saw that night. Is baptism by a nurse valid and did I sin in caring for this baby's mother? Thank you
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Jeanette: Yes, your baptism of this baby was valid as long as you used water to pour over his skin and used the Trinitarian Forumula: "I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Anyone can baptize a person, even an atheist, if they do so according to the intention of the Church which means with water touching the skin and in the Trinitarian Formula. You did the right thing. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Baptism By Nurses

Jeanette

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Question:

Hello Brother,

I am a RN. Much of my nursing career was spent working in the ER, which I loved. In nursing school, we were taught that we could baptize an infant if death was imminent.

One night, a young woman delivered a baby in the ER. (She had begun the process of a second trimester abortion earlier in the day at an abortion clinic and then pulled the laminaria rods out at home. Her labor was irreversable.) It was impossible for this child to live for more than a few moments as he was too young gestationally. He was the size of the palm of my hand. I wrapped him up in a warm towel, hurried down the hall into the utility room, turned on the faucet, baptized him (as I was taught in school) then held him and loved him till he died a few moments later.

That night has haunted me for years and I've cried many, many times for this little boy. I wish that any woman considering an abortion could see what I saw that night.

Is baptism by a nurse valid and did I sin in caring for this baby's mother?

Thank you

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Jeanette:

Yes, your baptism of this baby was valid as long as you used water to pour over his skin and used the Trinitarian Forumula: "I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Anyone can baptize a person, even an atheist, if they do so according to the intention of the Church which means with water touching the skin and in the Trinitarian Formula.

You did the right thing.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum