Free Republic

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  June 26, 2009: Temple ordinance information is no longer updated in the International Genealogical Index (IGI).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...

It seems to be a basic rule of the universe that whenever something is simple the devil tries to complexificate it and whenever something is complex the devil is always insisting that it should be simple.So it is only in keeping with this pattern that something as simple as baptism should have generated so much unbelievable complexity over so simple and powerful a rite.It would appear at first glance that there is nothing to performing baptisms. All you need is sufficient water (just a few drops will do) to run on the skin and somebody (anyone will do) to say,...

Washington » Mormons have not only posthumously baptized President Barack Obama's mother into their faith, but they may have performed the ritual for the president's African ancestors as well, including his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, according to researcher Helen Radkey. She has uncovered records in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's new FamilySearch database that include personalized identification numbers for Obama's relatives, including his father, Barack Obama Sr. The president's father was Muslim, but later in life became a nonbeliever, according to the family. Records in the FamilySearch database do not indicate if the "baptism for the dead"...

The Church of England yesterday overthrew 2,000 years of history by giving its blessing to couples having children before they marry. It declared that although sex is best kept for marriage, couples who live together and have children without a wedding will no longer be regarded as living in sin. Instead they will be encouraged to adopt traditional values at newly created services in which they will be able both to marry and baptise their children. The new services mean that the CofE is openly accepting sex before marriage among its congregations - something rejected across two millennia of...

1. "The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name" (Is 49,1). Today we celebrate the birth of St John the Baptist. The words of the Prophet Isaiah are well-suited to describe this great biblical figure who stands between the Old and the New Testaments. In the long line of Israel's prophets and just men and women, John "the Baptist" was placed by God's providence immediately before the Messiah, in order to prepare the way before him by his preaching and by the witness of his life. Of all the saints, John...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is investigating the posthumous "baptism" of President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, as a "serious breach" of religious code, a spokeswoman said. Church records published by a liberal blog, Americablog, show that Dunham, who died in 1995, was baptised last June 4 in Provo, Utah, and received endowment, another sacrament, a week later. "The offering of baptism to our deceased ancestors is a sacred practice to us and it is counter to Church policy for a Church member to submit names for baptism for persons to whom they are not related,"...

President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who died in 1995, was baptized posthumously into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last year during her son's campaign, according to Salt Lake City-based researcher Helen Radkey.The ritual, known as "baptism for the dead," was done June 4, 2008, in the Provo Utah temple, and another LDS temple rite, known as the "endowment," was performed in the same temple on June 11, said Radkey, who found the record while doing research in the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. "The LDS Church is walking a fine line...

The Catechism of St. Thomas Aquinas BAPTISM Having considered the Sacraments in general, it is now necessary to say something about each one in particular. First, we consider Baptism, of which it must be known that the matter of this Sacrament is natural water, and it makes no difference whether it is cold or warm. In artificial waters, however, such as rose water, one cannot baptize. The form of Baptism is: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." The minister of Baptism ordinarily is the priest, whose office...

“It Works” (The Sacrament of Holy Baptism)The Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer. Tonight, in our series on the Catechism, the basics of the Christian faith, we come to the sacraments. We begin, fittingly enough, with the sacrament with which we begin the Christian life, namely, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. I think all that I want to say about Holy Baptism tonight I can include under a heading of just two words: “It Works.” It works! It is effective. It actually does something--quite a lot, really. Holy Baptism works, and it works in your life. Tonight, then, we...

John Hunt was baptised in the parish church of St Jude with St Aidan in Thornton Heath in south-east London. But 50 years later he stands outside and regards its brick facade without much affection. Mr Hunt was sent to Sunday school at St Jude's and later to confirmation classes, but he decided early on that he had no place in what he felt was a hypocritical organisation. He recalls that his mother had to get lunch ready early for him to attend the classes. "One Sunday I came back home and said 'Mum, you needn't get lunch early next...

Gospel Library    A New Commandment:Save Thyself and Thy Kindred! By Bruce R. McConkieOf the Council of the Tweve Tambuli, Aug 1977, To the great joy of those who love the Lord and his holy word and who desire to be guided from on high, two heaven-sent revelations—both long known in the Church to be scripture!—were added to the standard works at the April 1976 general conference. In solemn session in the holy temple on March 25, 1976, while the Spirit of the Lord attended, the First Presidency and the Twelve voted unanimously to add to the Pearl of Great...

1. Baptism is for Believers Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 2. Baptism is by Immersion Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him 3. Baptism Does Not Save (or help to save) Us Mark 1:8 I baptized you in water; But he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit. 1st Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit were we all...

“The Heavens Torn Open” (Mark 1:4-11)In your bulletin today there’s a “Member Information Form” for you to fill out, in order to update our records and to take note of birthdays and anniversaries and so forth. Notice that I’ve included a line for you to put your baptismal birthday. Now, how many of you know when your baptismal birthday is? You know, I didn’t even know my own baptismal birthday for the longest time. I had known the month and the year, but I didn’t know the exact date. I knew that I had been baptized by my grandfather’s brother,...

Are Catholics Born Again? | Mark Brumley | IgnatiusInsight.com http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/mbrumley_bornagain_nov07.asp "Have you been born again?" the Fundamentalist at the door asks the unsuspecting Catholic. The question is usually a segue into a vast doctrinal campaign that leads many ill-instructed Catholics out of the Catholic Church. How? By making them think there is a conflict between the Bible and the Catholic Church over being "born again." To be honest, most Catholics probably do not understand the expression "born again." Yes, they believe in Jesus. And yes, they try to live Christian lives. They probably have some vague awareness that Fundamentalists think...

NEW YORK - Holocaust survivors said Monday they were abandoning negotiations with the Mormon church over its posthumous baptisms of Jews who were killed in Nazi death camps. Survivors claim elders of the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have refused to systemically search for and remove the names of Holocaust victims from their master genealogical database and have failed to prevent "zealots" from adding thousands of new Jewish names to the list in recent years - including thousands lifted from Yizkor books of Jews massacred at Berdichev in Ukraine. "We are not going to continue...

Five hundred and twenty-five years ago this Nov. 11, Hans and Margarethe Luther brought their son to St. Peter Church in Eisleben, Germany, for baptism. Named for the saint commemorated on the day he was born, Nov. 10, young Martin would grow up with a vocation from God to reform the church and the world. This fall that same Lutheran parish wants 525 congregations around the world to participate in a “Baptism Festival,” remembering Luther’s baptism and the baptismal grace active in the world today. Scott A. Moore, an ELCA pastor, who with his wife, Claudia Bergmann, a German-born pastor...

Read this thread carefully.  Read what the Sun-Times reporter has to say about Obama's "conversion" without any baptism. Being he was a Muslim when young he needs a baptism not a mere profession of faith and a self serving one in my opinion

A CUF member asks…What happens to aborted babies at death? Are they considered martyrs? Are they admitted directly into heaven?We don’t know what happens to aborted babies. In hope we commend them to God’s infinite Love and Mercy.Theologians are working on the answer. Recently, the International Theological Commission  came out with a document, The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised (April 19, 2007), that provides an extensive overview of the matter, and a conclusion:“Our conclusion is that the many factors that we have considered above give serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptised infants...

Question: In a recent leadership class in our church, the discussion arose as to what baptisms would we or do we accept in our church. The answer was given that we would accept any baptism, including Roman Catholic, that was done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I was pretty sure that I had the doctrine down pat, and recall being taught by this very church that we would only accept baptisms done in churches considered to be based in true belief. This is to say that the baptism would be recognized for those from believing...

An atheism-promoting organization has withdrawn its lawsuit demanding that Christian baptisms of children be banned in Italy, after a U.S.-based legal team took on the defense of a bishop and the Roman Catholic Church there."This was a preposterous lawsuit, and we are pleased that it has been dropped," said Joseph Infranco, senior counsel for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund.However, he said, "Americans should be aware that such lawsuits may seem far-fetched, but they really are happening … foreign legal decisions are increasingly cited in American courts."The ADF battled back when the Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics filed a...

I am considering being baptisted soon.

Eleven Inapang believers were baptized Sunday and others want to be baptized. Some of the church leaders and missionary Bill Housley determined that some who asked to be baptized needed further teaching. "The believers decided to do a 'big picture' or 'big story' class for those who had heard it and were believing but were having trouble articulating their faith," the Houslelys wrote. A small group of 15 to 20 people were expected for the class Tuesday night, but the whole village showed up. The Inapang Bible teachers began with who God is and what He is like and then...

The Risk of Love July 23rd, 2008 by Mark Shea Recently a reader wrote me to say, “I read a story on the Internet about a Catholic couple whose new baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and anencephaly (no brain). They chose to abort it. How on earth would you deal pastorally with such a horrible situation?” Such questions involve several parts. What does God think? What would I do? What should I make of those people over there? We feel torn between obeying God’s commands “Don’t kill” and “Don’t judge.” And in our culture, “Don’t judge” has much the...

To follow-up, Thanks to all the wonderful Non-catholics who said that Catholics were Christians, this post is for the Catholics to chime in. Do you think Protestants are Brothers and Sisters in Christ? Are Protestants Christians?

The Catholic Controversy of the Week (well, the most-prominent one) involves what you see above. That's a Mormon baptismal font, and in a move that sent the religion beat into overdrive -- and threatened to put a damper on the tip-top relations that just saw two top leaders of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints attend an ecumenical prayer gathering with the Pope for the first time -- an early April letter from the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy urged the global church to withhold parish registers from LDS, citing the Mormon practice of posthumous baptisms. The...

The first step toward being able to go to a Mormon temple is an interview with the "ward bishop" (roughly equivalent to a parish priest). During this interview a Mormon is questioned by the bishop to see if he has been faithful in his commitment to the teachings and ordinances of the Mormon church. The questions cover a variety of subjects, including his tithing track record; use of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine; sexual immorality; and any failures to adhere to church doctrines and disciplines. If the applicant has had difficulties in any of these areas, he will not receive a...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In an effort to block posthumous rebaptisms by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Catholic dioceses throughout the world have been directed by the Vatican not to give information in parish registers to the Mormons' Genealogical Society of Utah. An April 5 letter from the Vatican Congregation for Clergy, obtained by Catholic News Service in late April, asks episcopal conferences to direct all bishops to keep the Latter-day Saints from microfilming and digitizing information contained in those registers. The order came in light of "grave reservations" expressed in a Jan. 29 letter from the Vatican...

IntroductionIn some places in the English-speaking world, under the influence of a false feminism, a new and unauthorized practice has been introduced into the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism. The practice consists in substituting for the names of the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, in the formula for Baptism, the names of three functions. In one formula, the three functions named are: Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. In another formula, they are: Creator, Liberator, and Sustainer.Recently, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office of our Holy Father with responsibility “to promote and safeguard the doctrine...

The Story of a Convert from Islam – Baptized by the Pope at St. Peter's His name is Magdi Cristiano Allam. For five years he has lived under guard, threatened with death. But his baptism has raised harsh criticism, against him and against Benedict XVI. The complete text of the accusation written by Aref Ali Nayed, architect of the letter of the 138 by Sandro Magister ROMA, March 28, 2008 – Three days earlier, in an audio message released over the internet, Osama bin Laden had accused "the pope of the Vatican" of having "a significant role" in fighting a...

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator converted to Roman Catholicism on Saturday during the Vatican's Easter vigil service presided over by the pope. Italian journalist Magdi Allam attends a meeting in Milan in 2005. An Egyptian-born, non-practicing Muslim, Magdi Allam has infuriated some fellow Muslims with his criticism of extremism and support for Israel. The deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Allam often writes on Muslim and Arab affairs. He told the Il Giornale newspaper in a December interview that his criticism of Palestinian suicide bombings generated threats on his life in 2003, prompting the...

Italy's most prominent Muslim commentator is converting to Catholicism by being baptized by the pope at an Easter vigil, the Vatican announced Saturday. Magdi Allam is the deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera newspaper and writes often on Muslim and Arab affairs. Born in Egypt, he has described himself as a non-practicing Muslim. He has long spoken out against extremism and in favor of tolerance. Pope Benedict XVI was baptizing seven adults during the service, which marks the period between Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus' crucifixion, and Easter Sunday, which marks his resurrection. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict led the world's Catholics into Easter on Saturday at a Vatican service where he baptized a Muslim-born convert who is one of Italy's most famous and controversial journalists. The German-born pontiff, marking the third Easter season of his pontificate, began the service in the atrium of a darkened St Peter's Basilica where he carved the Greek letters Alpha and Omega on a large candle. The basilica became a sea of flickering flames as thousands of faithful inside lit candles before the lights were turned on in a ritual symbolizing the darkness in the world...

Most Eastern Catholics would not be aware of this -- likewise many Roman Catholics in this area who have not traveled extensively -- but the Roman Catholic Church in the United States is actually two Churches: one East of the Rockies and one West. With a few notable exceptions, a Mass attended in, say, Seatle would be unrecognizable if one's only experience of the Mass of the Roman Rite was in one's home parish in Backwater Creek, Pennsylvania. Ditto for the celebration of other sacraments. I am reminded of a YouTube video of some months ago showing a baptism being...

Roman Catholic baptism figures are being significantly swelled by lapsed Catholics keen for their children to gain places at popular faith schools, new research suggested yesterday.While Catholics have traditionally had their babies baptised before their first birthday, a growing proportion are now approaching priests when their children are much older, according to an independent research body.Between 1958 and 2005, the proportion of "cradle" baptisms declined from 85 per cent to 64 per cent, while "late" baptisms rocketed from five per cent to 30 per cent. The proportion of adult conversions also fell. advertisement In 2005, the Catholic Church in England...

“Baptized with Sinners, Anointed for Service, Manifested as God’s Son” (Matthew 3:13-17)On this first Sunday after the Epiphany, the Gospel reading every year is the account of the Baptism of Our Lord, that great event when our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Heaven was opened. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove. And the Father’s voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Today I want to say three things about this baptism, three things on which your very salvation depends:...

Baptisms for the Dead Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.

KSL News has learned the man who went on a shooting rampage at two Colorado church properties had been baptized into the LDS Church a year ago. Matthew Murray killed four people and wounded several others Sunday, before he turned the gun on himself. He targeted people at two Christian churches, posting anti-religion messages online before the shootings. But a year ago, he welcomed religion in his life, according to one man who taught Murray about the Latter-day Saint faith. A.J. Ormond was there the day Matthew Murray was baptized. He says he immediately noticed a change; Murray seemed happy,...

“Baptized into the Name of the Living God”On November 11, the little child is baptized. On November 11, this child is made alive in Christ, alive in the Spirit. On November 11, this little child is baptized into the name of the living God. The little child I’m talking about is Martin Luther. He was born on November 10, 1483, and then baptized on the next day. And since November 11 was the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, he was given the name Martin. But the most important name he received that day was the name of the...

Here’s a list of some simple things we do that almost any church can do: 1. Mention the value, purpose and benefits of baptism regularly in sermons. 2. Videotape some of your baptisms. Prepare a music video of baptisms to show in your worship service so people who’ve never seen a baptism can witness one. 3. Have clothes ready for people who decide spontaneously to be baptized after a service. 4. Make it a party atmosphere. It’s a celebration, not a funeral. Applaud baptisms! 5. Invite small group members to witness the baptism and identify them before each baptism. 6....

Baptism and the usus antiquior I have carried out a Baptism once or twice using the older form and preferred it greatly to the rather didactic and plodding ceremonies of the newer rite. Looking through it again today confirmed me in the view that it is so much more, well, "pastoral". It is a relief to drop the liturgical re-education necessary to prevent the mother handing the baby over to the Godmother for the ceremony. The "exorcism" in the newer rite is as bland as possible in contrast to the older rite's determined exorcisms, warning the devil in the name...

Dear Camille, To those of you against the war in Iraq, here is what you do not understand: Iraq is but one battle in the 60-plus-year ideological struggle we call "the war on terror." Do you really want to leave Iraq and wait for the enemy and ideology that dropped the World Trade Center to grow into a much stronger, deadlier and efficient killing force? Did you not understand or believe President Bush in his address to the nation on Sept. 20, 2001, when he said: "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but does not end there ......