The Vatican II Rite of Baptism for Children --- Is it valid?

The Vatican II Rite of Baptism - for Children - "Is it valid?"

by Fr. Lucian Pulvermacher, OFM Cap.

In this study, I use the official books of the Novus Ordo Vatican II Church. The title is "The Rites of the Catholic Church" as Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and Published by Authority of Pope Paul VI. The English translation prepared by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, Pueblo Publishing Co., New York, 1976. There are 2 volumes, and the volume used in this study is No. 1.

Is a Revised Baptism Valid?

Before looking at anything in the rites, we must give the word "revised" a serious look. You can revise a man by giving him a good hair cut, or you can revise him by neutering him. The effect in both cases is quite different. Has the revision of the rites of the Church made by order of Vatican II (1962-1965) and executed by Paul VI been the type that made them better or did the revisions neuter the rites - leaving them emasculated and useless? Henry VIII and his henchmen neutered Anglican Orders, thus making them invalid; so decreed Pope Leo XIII.

What is Necessary for a Valid Sacrament?

In the rite for the baptism of children, we find the proper title, "Baptism for Children." However, when we look at the rite itself we find that the intention is defective. Three things are necessary for a valid sacrament:

proper matter,
proper form,
proper intention.

We must look to the intention both in the rite itself and in the minister of the sacrament. If the intention as expressed in the rite is defective, then one need not check the intention of the minister since he cannot overcome a defective intention in the rite itself.

Vatican II's Baptism has a Defective Intention

In the new Vatican II rite of baptism for children, it is not difficult to find how the rite has its intention vitiated. After the profession of faith is over, we read the following (page 234), and it is directed to the parents and godparents. We read, "Is it your will that N. should be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you?" Then the parents and godparents respond, "It is." After that the minister of the sacrament goes ahead with the proper matter (water - presumably poured over the skin of the head) and the proper form ("I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." We have no question on this score. The matter and form are correct in the rite itself.

How the Intention is Defective

At first you may not be aware of the satanic trick in regard to the intention of the rite. The word baptized has lost its true theological meaning. Let me give you an example. When a jeweler asks you, "Do you want to buy a diamond?" you know exactly what the product is. He must sell you a real diamond or be a real cheat. However, we have a new ball game if he asks, "Do you want to buy a diamond made of plastic?" You no longer have a diamond but a chunk of plastic. Why use the word diamond at all? The word plastic so modifies the concept of diamond that the true product no longer exists. The same is true in the Novus Ordro rite question, "Is it your will that N. should be baptized in the faith of the Church…" You could change the words, baptized in the faith of the Church to (1) introduced in the faith of the Church, or (2) brought in the faith of the Church, or (3) inducted in the faith of the Church, and the like expressions. If the question had stopped at, "Is it your will that N. should be baptized (period)", we would have no evidence that the intention of the rite is vitiated. However, we have the evidence that the word baptized is modified to ruin it just as the phrase, "Do you want to buy a diamond made of plastic?"

Let me be a little more specific on this question. If you go to a hardware store and order a box of socket wrenches you get the whole box, that is, the entire full box of sockets, ratchets, handles and the like. If you lose or break one socket in your set, you go to the same hardware store and order size so and so and not the whole box, and that is all you get. Well, baptism as it stands in Catholic theology contains four sockets, namely,

forgiveness of original sin,
if necessary, forgiveness of personal sins (and then comes sanctifying grace),
the placing of an indelible character on the soul, and
the person baptized is made a member of the true Mystical Body of Christ.

When the Novus Ordo rite asks, "Is it you will that N. should be baptized in the faith of the Church …", it merely asks for the fourth and last socket in the box of baptism, namely, membership in the community as it is.

You Get All or Nothing

In regard to the sacrament of baptism, you receive all the four elements (as stated above) or you receive none of them at all. It is true that forgiveness of original sin and mortal sin can be suspended by reason of non-divine and Catholic faith in an adult or non-sorrow for personal mortal sins. However, when that lack is provided for, forgiveness follows immediately by reason of the valid sacrament of baptism. Once again, you get all or nothing, and asking for a part only, means getting nothing at all.

Can a non-Catholic be a Sponsor?

We have a further difficulty in regard to the faith of the community in that both sponsors in a new rite Vatican II baptism need not be Catholics. One can be a non-Catholic (of a different faith) who stands as a witness of their common faith. Obviously that is not the faith of the true Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. If there is a common faith between so-called Catholics and non-Catholics then that must be the "faith" of the one world religion. It is terrible to be lead to believe that one could be baptized into such a faith and religion which is in no way Catholic.

To Be Safe: Re-Baptize Conditionally

If I did not have to deal with persons baptized in the Novus Ordo, I would not even go through the exercise of judging the validity or non-validity of the new rite of baptism. There is a strong indication that the intention of the rite is vitiated, so to be safe in this regard I must take the course of re-baptizing the person(s) conditionally. If and when a true Pope surfaces (in God's providence), I shall submit the whole affair to his judgment as was done with Pope Leo XIII in regard to the validity or non-validity of Anglican Orders. They were declared invalid. It is likely that the same verdict will then be made in regard to the Novus Ordo baptisms.

Will the Son of Man find Faith on Earth?

When one takes the broader view of the problem, it is too terrible to think about. Since all of the off-spring of the Novus Ordo Catholics quite likely remain heathens after baptism, then can never receive any other sacraments (validly) after that. It follows, very likely, that the Novus Ordo priests with that baptism are heathens playing store as if they were real priests. That goes for all the members, way to the top, Bishops, Cardinals and even the Pope himself are all heathens. A Rock Mass around a totem pole is the best they have to offer. Could this be the way Our Lord's words in Luke 18,8 are verified, namely, "Yet when the Son of Man comes, will He find, do you think, faith on earth?"