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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has apologized for "a serious breach of protocol" in which the parents of the late Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal were posthumously baptized as Mormons.

“The Cleansing of Naaman: How Can Water Do Such Great Things?” (2 Kings 5:1-14)Our text is the Old Testament Reading for today, the story of the cleansing of Naaman. Short version: Naaman was a man who had leprosy. He was told, “Wash, and be clean.” And, after some objections, Naaman did wash, and he did become clean. But there’s more here than meets the eye, as we will see. For one thing, this story raises the question: How could simply washing in a river--and a pretty unimpressive river, at that--how could that cleanse a man of leprosy? And what does...

“Christ’s Baptism and Ours” (Mark 1:4-11; Romans 6:1-11)Today the church celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord. On the First Sunday after the Epiphany, every year, we hear an account from one of the gospels of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by John. “OK, so Jesus got baptized,” you say. “Big deal. Why should I care? What does this have to do with me?” A whole lot. As we shall see. Our reading from Mark and our reading from Romans will make the connection, as we consider the theme: “Christ’s Baptism and Ours.” First, Christ’s baptism. What’s going on here? What...

Bishop Samuel J. AquilaBishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo in a recent lecture examined the sacrament of confirmation and explained his reasons for believing children should receive it before First Eucharist. “One can speak of the many effects of confirmation and the impact it makes upon one’s life, but it is always important to remember that the divine person of the Holy Spirit is received in confirmation,” he said in July 6 remarks at the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. “We need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, every day, every hour, every minute and every second to live...

Introduction It is now time in our series of foundational studies to consider the Holy Spirit, and especially, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, also referred to be some as "the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" although this is not technically correct. This subject forms part of the foundational doctrine of baptisms (see Hebrews 6:2). Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands,...

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (Catholic Online) - How do you take a picture of something invisible?   It may seem a ludicrous question, but it needs to be asked when establishing photography policies for sacramental celebrations.   Baptisms, Confirmations, first Communions, weddings and ordinations are always golden photo opportunities. They are transformative events to be rightfully treasured in memory. There are many moments throughout the course of these special days that offer families and friends the chance to take pictures. The crucial question is whether it is appropriate to do so during the actual reception of a sacrament.   Policies vary...

Featured Term (selected at random):INNOCENCE Freedom from sin or moral guilt. Applied to Adam and Eve before the Fall, to those who have just been baptized, and to persons who never lost the state of grace because they never committed a grave sin. (Etym. Latin innocens: in-, not + nocere, to harm, hurt.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

“Baptized into Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:1-11)Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I have been “Baptized into Christ Jesus.” As such, we have received the bountiful grace and abundant forgiveness of God, washing away all our sins and assuring us of everlasting life, all of this free of charge. But this raises the question: Your baptismal certificate: Is it a license to sin? Or is it a death certificate? Here’s what I mean. Because God’s grace is so free and abundant, because our Father loves to forgive us for the sake of his Son, some might mistakenly think that...

Featured Term (selected at random):FIDEJUSSOR Literally "one who testifies by faith." The term is sometimes applied to the sponsors at the baptism of an infant. They testify to the faith in place of the child and promise to ensure, as may be necessary, that the child is reared in the Catholic faith. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Featured Term (selected at random):SEALING The sacrament of confirmation as a perfection of baptism, in which the confirmed person receives the indelible character or seal of a soldier of Christ, ready to undergo any hardship in the preservation and profession of his faith. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

977. Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Mk 16:15-16 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that...

What happens when a person dies? Since death happens to everyone eventually, the question is frequently pondered. Will there be a second chance at life? What happens to our loved ones when they die? Can the living do anything to make the afterlife of the dead better? There are a number of teachings on the topic of death and afterlife. Some theories say that there is nothing after life. Many eastern theologies believe in reincarnation. Christianity speaks of Hades and then an all encompassing judgment. Catholicism speaks of purgatory. The concepts of prayer, baptism, and preaching for the dead, as...

Jan11 Sign Me “Off” For the Christian Jubilee: On the Disturbing trend of “De-Baptisms” in EuropeBy: Msgr. Charles Pope There’s an old song that says, Sign me up for the Christian Jubilee! Write my name on the roll!….I want to be ready when Jesus comes!  But, tragically there are some in Europe who are formally renouncing their faith through a process they call “de-baptism.” In effect they write to the parish where they were baptized and asked that their name be blotted out from the book of life, also known as the Baptismal Register. Of course the Catholic Church...

PASADENA—Most churches would be happy to say they baptized 100 people during a year. But First Baptist Church in Pasadena expects to baptize 100 more than last year. Baptisms numbered 159 in 2008, and the church baptized 169 last year. This year, through October, 245 had stirred the baptismal waters. “It’s not like we’re doing anything unique. God is just blessing in a faithful way,” Pastor Charles Redmond said. Redmond does not attach a cause/effect relationship to a visit he made to the Billy Graham Retreat Center in North Carolina earlier this year. But he noticed a upward trend in...

The Sacraments 715. Do you think that a sacramental system is truly useful? Since Christ chose to establish a sacramental system, it matters little what I think. However, apart from our Lord's obvious will, I do see that a sacramental system is the best possible. The Sacraments are so in keeping with human nature, they so fit in with life, and are so adapted to our tendencies and limitations. Again they offer us a certainty of supernatural grace which others never have, and which gives us such tranquillity of conscience and peace of soul. Socially, also, they express the bond...

Baptism and Infant Baptism The Bible attests that baptism is the way a person becomes part of the “Body of Christ”, the Church. At the end of his speech at Pentecost, Peter told his hearers what they had to do to be saved: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Note that Peter said “everyone”, not just adults. In Catholic belief, the Latin term “ex opere operato”, which literally means “from the work performed”, expresses...

Featured Term (selected at random):CHRISTIAN NAMES Names given to individuals at their baptism. The custom of giving the name of a saint when a person is baptized goes back to the earliest days of the Church. It is required by ecclesiastical law and means that the saint whose name is chosen becomes a special patron to protect and guide and be the heavenly intercessor for the one who bears his or her name. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Posted on Oct 19, 2010 | by Staff NOVI SAD, Serbia (BP)--The Bible institute in Novi Sad, Serbia, is opening its doors again after three years of silence. Serbian Baptist Union (UBC) director, Ondrej Franka, is excited about this new chapter in the seminary's 55-year history. "It is one of the few, if any, schools of this type in Serbia and will serve not only the UBC but an even wider evangelical community," Franka said. Local pastors began the school in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1955. Though it thrived for a time, enrollment and effectiveness declined in the '90s due to...

Featured Term (selected at random):BORN AGAIN Spiritual rebirth at baptism, as commanded by Christ: "Unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5). The term is used in Catholic theology to describe the spiritual change worked by divine grace, by which a person, from having been conceived and born in sin, is regenerated into a new creature, a child of God and heir of heaven. It is synonymous with supernatural regeneration. In some Protestant circles the expression refers to a new experiential knowledge in Christ, wrought by baptism or...

We continue our Patristic Rosary Project today with the:1st Luminous Mystery: Baptism of Jesus by JohnThe one God had sent to prepare the way and whom Christ Himself would describe as the greatest man born of woman, was a focus of much contemplation by the Fathers and we can only touch the surface of their comments.  Chromatius (+c.406), Bishop of Aquileia, wrote of the Baptist and his significance for us: Hence John prepared these ways of mercy and truth, faith and justice.  Concerning them, Jeremiah also declared, "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where...

Scenario:It's nine o'clock on Saturday morning. You've taken your car to the local garage for new tires and an oil change. Bill, the manager, introduces himself with a broad smile and a firm handshake. As he finishes the paperwork and you're signing on the dotted line, you notice him eyeing the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe on your T-shirt. Bill asks, "I gather from your T-shirt that you're Catholic. I was raised Catholic, and I respect Catholics, but . . ." (You were waiting for that infamous conjunction.) "I now have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, one that's...

Only Water Baptism ? Who's Preeminence: Christ's or another ? Let's start by observing the Scriptures in John

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:(Romans 6:3-5) The very question, “shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ?”, betrays a lack of understanding as to what...

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a coalition of Jewish leaders said a new computer system and policy changes related to the practice should resolve a years-long disagreement over the baptisms. Mormons believe posthumous baptism by proxy provides an opportunity for deceased persons to receive the Gospel in the afterlife. Baptisms are performed in Mormon temples with members immersing themselves in a baptismal pool as proxies for others. The names used in the ceremonies are drawn from a church-run genealogical database. Faithful Mormons use the practice primarily to have their ancestors...

"I Indeed . . . But He" "I indeed baptize you with water . . . but He . . . will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" —Matthew 3:11 Have I ever come to the point in my life where I can say, “I indeed . . . but He . . .�? Until that moment comes, I will never know what the baptism of the Holy Spirit means. I indeed am at the end, and I cannot do anything more— butHe begins right there— He does the things that no one else can ever do....

Police in Romania are investigating the death of a baby after they say he drowned at the hands of a priest during a ceremonial baptism. Witnesses claim Father Valentin drowned a six-week old boy when he did not cover the baby's mouth as he was dipped into the water three times. The boy's relatives say the child swallowed water and was crying during the ceremony Friday as they looked on in horror. His father Dumitru Gaidau tells The Sun, "We all saw it, the priest didn't put his hand over the baby's mouth to stop water going in as he...

American atheists lined up to be "de-baptized" in a ritual using a hair dryer, according to a report Friday on U.S. late-night news program "Nightline." Leading atheist Edwin Kagin blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading "Reason and Truth."

MONTREAL — The “handful” of Mormons who continue to baptize Jews posthumously are violating church policy, says a senior member of the Utah-based religious movement. Rabbi Schachar Orenstein, centre, spoke at a Mormon temple along with Mormon leader Mark Paredes of Los Angeles, left. At right is George Eric Jarvis, president of the Mormon church’s Mount Royal Stake, or Montreal branch. Mark Paredes, who sits on the Mormons’ High Council in Santa Monica, Calif., and speaks for the church on Mormon-Jewish relations, was guest speaker along with Rabbi Schachar Orenstein of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue at what is described...

Grab your Bible and follow this wonderful study and see for yourself what the Holy Scriptures have to say about these two ordinances. You might be totally surprised! There are two ordinances which Jesus Christ has instituted and established for His Church. An ordinance is a "prescribed practice." It is something that has been prescribed and ordered by Jesus Christ and practiced by the Church. An ordinance is something that the Church practices because Jesus Christ has told her to do so. The New Testament makes it very clear that the early Church practiced and observed two ordinances: 1) BAPTISM...

If the lost person is persuaded that the Roman way is the Christian way, his first duty is to be baptized. The Calvinist, however, says that once the person understands that the Christian way is the true way which he ought to accept, he neverthelesss is incapable of accepting it. Rome differs drastically there. She maintains that the enlightened unconverted person can see the truth of the Roman way and can decide to be baptized. The Protestant says the person can see the truth of the Reformed way and the need of baptism; but he can also see that...

SEARCY -- Melissa Reeves has been looking for a church where she knew they were there to worship Jesus and would accept her without judging. She found it at St. James Church in Searcy. Unlike most elect and candidates going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, Reeves chose the Catholic faith on her own, without the encouragement of a Catholic parishioner. "It builds your faith to see their faith grow," said Janet Pace, St. James RCIA coordinator. "A lot of people come to the Church because of a spouse or friend that has inspired them." Reeves is...

Featured Term (selected at random):BAPISTERY A portion of a church or separate building set apart for the administration of baptism. It is often placed in the open entrance court to signify the need of baptism for entrance into the Church. As separate buildings, baptisteries are mainly octagonal or circular in shape, are surrounded by an ambulatory, have an anteroom and a central chamber that contains a pool. The finest such buildings are in Palma on Mallorca; Florence and Pisa in Italy; and Cranbrook in England. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal...

The following article, written by a friend of mine, Gene McCoy, is an unpublished paper. He gave me permission to use it as I saw fit. He Titled it, Back to the Beginning: Restoring the Church to the New Testament Pattern. I think it very worthy of consideration and discussion. Here it is. It was in Junior High School that I began to notice changes in my vision and first began wearing eyeglasses. Over the years, my vision gradually worsened, making stronger prescriptions necessary. When I was thirty-nine years old, the eye doctor told me to prepare for more drastic...

Driving in my car the other day, I turned on the radio and came across one of the local Protestant stations. A preacher was expounding on John 3:5 where Jesus says, “Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” In his exegesis, he was absolutely sure that John did not mean physical water. Instead, he proposed that John’s water referred to the “word of God.” He cited Ephesians 5:26 and claimed that because Paul referred to “washing her with water by the word,” water was a symbol for Scripture. He transferred...

Grab your Bible and follow this wonderful study and see for yourself what the Holy Scriptures have to say about these two ordinances. You might be totally surprised! There are two ordinances which Jesus Christ has instituted and established for His Church. An ordinance is a "prescribed practice." It is something that has been prescribed and ordered by Jesus Christ and practiced by the Church. An ordinance is something that the Church practices because Jesus Christ has told her to do so. The New Testament makes it very clear that the early Church practiced and observed two ordinances: 1) BAPTISM...

IÂ’ve spent most of my life conflicted over baptism, not about whether or not one should be baptized, but about the proper age for baptism.My parents dedicated me when I was an infant. Back then, Dad pastored a Wesleyan church and the denomination believed that baptism was for those who had reached the age of accountability and could personally choose to be baptized. They believed that dedication is something parents do for their child and that baptism is something the individual chooses for himself. The denomination based its theology on the fact that the New Testament seemed to indicate that...

A Lutheran professor, Kurt Aland, after intensive study of infant baptism, says, "There is no definite proof of the practice until after the 3rd century," and he says, "This cannot be contested." A Catholic professor of theology, Hegerbocker (sp.), writes, "This controversy has shown that it is not possible to bring in absolute proof of infant baptism by basing one’s argument on the Bible." Good. B.B. Warfield, who is no mean theologian, was an astute and really a great, great theologian who, again, influenced my life in my seminary days…B.B. Warfield affirmed—he was, by the way, an advocate of infant...

Pope Benedict XVI baptized 14 infants in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, January 10, in a traditional ceremony marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Holy Father said that the 7 boys and 7 girls were beginning “the joyful and exciting adventure of being disciples.” The Pope noted that St. John the Baptist encouraged a baptism of repentance. Such repentance is certainly an important aspect of Christian life, he said: “Indeed, we cannot aspire to a new world while wallowing in selfishness and in the habits of sin.” But the sacramental Baptism that the Church offers her...

“Epiphany: From Bethlehem to Baptism and Beyond” (Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 3:21-22)The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord always falls on January 6, which this year was this past Wednesday. And the reading for Epiphany Day proper is always the visit of the wise men, to Bethlehem, when Jesus was a baby. Then for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, which is today, the reading is the account of the Baptism of Our Lord, in the Jordan, when Jesus was about age 30. Well, because of the weather, we had to cancel our Epiphany service on Wednesday, and so today,...

Man who shot Pope John Paul II to be released, wants to be baptised by Pope Benedict Mehmet Ali Agca, who shot Pope John Paul II four times in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981, is eligible for release next month, January 2010. Agca was originally sentenced to life in prison for the shooting, but was pardoned in June 2000 by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, with the Pope's blessings. Pope John Paul II had met with Agca in prison on Dec. 27, 1983 and forgave him. Agca spent 19 years and one month in the Italian prison. At...

1st Lt. Marjana Mair is confirmed as a Catholic at Tigris River Chapel in a ceremony presided over by Chaplain Maj. Tyson Wood. You could call it something of a religious trifecta for Marjana Mair. The soldier from Albany was among seven service members with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade who just six days before Christmas were confirmed as Catholics while serving in Iraq. 1st Lt. Mair was also baptized and received her first communion.She was a Muslim for many years but wanted to become Catholic after studying the faith."I grew up (Muslim) for 18 years, but when I...

Part I Pope Benedict has released a new motu proprio titled Omnium in mentum which revises the Code of Canon Law on two points.First, before getting into the changes, let me offer a high five to canonist Edward Peters for predicting, over ten years ago, that this would be the model followed in the future for changing canon law. Following the codification of canon law in 1917, the Code underwent a thorough revision in 1983. Rather than letting issues build up and then having another thorough revision at some point, John Paul II issued a motu proprio in 1998 that...

Corporal Cristo Ancor Cabello Santana Madrid, Spain, Oct 14, 2009 / 04:35 pm (CNA).- Corporal Cristo Ancor Cabello Santana, the lastest Spanish soldier to die in Afghanistan, fulfilled his wish to be baptized before dying. Cabello had asked the chaplain at the Herat Base to baptize him and was planning on receiving the sacrament last weekend before being wounded in a Taliban attack. The chaplain wanted to use a baptismal shell being sent from Madrid to administer the sacrament, but Cabello told him he already had one from when he made a pilgrimage to Santiago in Spain. The chaplain used...

Q: Our new next-door neighbors have a 14-month-old daughter. They’re Catholics, but I just found out that they still haven’t had their daughter baptized yet! When our own children were born over 30 years ago, we had them baptized when they were just a couple of weeks old. Aren’t you required to have your children baptized quickly like that any more? –FrancesA: The Church’s teaching on the necessity of baptism for salvation has not changed. Christ Himself, after His Resurrection, couldn’t have spoken more clearly about the need for baptism, when He commanded the Apostles to go forth and baptize...

  June 26, 2009: Temple ordinance information is no longer updated in the International Genealogical Index (IGI). Church members who wish to verify completed temple ordinances for their deceased ancestors may contact a family history consultant, or visit a local family history center for assistance. Caesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus (27 February c. 272 – 22 May 337), commonly known in English as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Christians) Saint Constantine, was Roman emperor from 306, and the undisputed holder of that office from 324 until his...

A friend of my daughter recently said she could not understand why Mormons baptize children at such a young age, 8 years old. This got me thinking. ...We do not baptize infants or little children because, as taught in section 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants, "little children are redeemed" through Christ and "cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children until they begin to become accountable before me." But why do we baptize at the young and tender age of 8? Why not wait until they are older and, as some would argue, more...

HARDINSBURG, Ky. (AP) -- A Kentucky woman says her 16-year-old son was baptized without her consent when he and fellow football players were taken to a Baptist revival by their coach.

A Kentucky high school football coach used a school bus to take about 20 of his players to his church to be baptized, school officials confirmed.

This comes from both the Courier Journal and USA Today so you will have to follow these links to read the stories: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090907/NEWS01/909070318/Mother+mad+coach+took+players+to+church++School+district+says+trip+was+voluntary http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-07-kentucky-football-trip-baptisms_N.htm

It's not certain whether the late Sen. Ted Kennedy would be more palatable to conservative Utah Republicans if he were a Mormon, but it appears someone tried to make that happen.Just one day after Kennedy died, someone apparently posted his name on an LDS Church database to have him placed on the list to be posthumously baptized.That posting was uncovered by researcher Helen Radkey, who has been critical of the church practice. But, alas, Kennedy won't become a Mormon anytime soon. Whoever placed his name on the list was not authorized to do so, and the church's database security...