I am wondering what the church has to say about an adult who was baptized and married in the Catholic Church - then as an adult went through baptism in the Baptist church and is now regularly attending mass. Would his baptism in the baptist church be seen as some formal rejection of the church? Would the church want him to make some sort of formal re-membering in the church? Anyone with knowledge in this area?

-- wondering (popcornperez@aol.com), February 24, 2003

Answers

What was his purpose in being baptized in a Baptist church? Do you mean he formally became a Baptist? If so, that would constitute a rejection of the Catholic Church certainly, though not a complete rejection of Jesus Christ. By "regularly attending Mass", do you mean he has now left the Baptist Church and returned to the Catholic Church? If so, let us give thanks. The mere fact that he went through a Baptist baptism ceremony would be no impediment to returning to full communion with the Catholic Church. Actually, a person can only be baptized once, so the Baptist ceremony IN THIS CASE would not even be considered a baptism by the Catholic Church. However, if he was baptized in the Baptist Church first, and later became a Catholic, then his Baptist baptism would be recognized, and he would not be re- baptized.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 24, 2003.