mat@hou4b.UUCP (Mark Terribile) (02/24/85)
>> We do recognize as binding each others baptism and marriage since the >> ministers of these need not be clergy in baptism and must be the couple >> in marriage. Curiously, what I was taught in High School (Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, NY) is that under certain conditions, the Catholic Baptism can be administered by a non-Catholic ... and even by a non-Christian. The requirements, as I recall them, are that The individual being baptized is not capable at the moment of an act of will which would amount to Baptism. The person, or other persons responsible (most often parents of an infant) are believed to desire the Baptism. The person is in immediate danger of death. No persons more qualified to administer the Baptism (ie no Catholics) are present. The person administering the Baptism has to actually desire that the Baptism take place ... in other words, his prayer/desire must be sincere, and not simply play acting. I don't quite understand if this means that he must accept Christianity for the moment, or only make the conditional act of will that ``if Christianity/Catholocism is correct, then ...''. Of course, this should all be taken as my recollection and NOT as a definitive statemtn of Catholic teaching. -- from Mole End Mark Terribile (scrape .. dig ) hou4b!mat ,.. .,, ,,, ..,***_*.