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Baptism by lay people? Bishoprics see no need

The diocese of Essen was the pioneer, followed recently by Rottenburg-Stuttgart, where lay people are allowed to administer baptism under certain conditions. In Bavaria, however, they are waving goodbye - for now.

,   and  Wendy Allen
3 min read
A Catholic crucifix can be seen in front of dark clouds. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
A Catholic crucifix can be seen in front of dark clouds. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Church - Baptism by lay people? Bishoprics see no need

Bavaria's Catholic dioceses currently see no need to commission lay people to administer baptism. According to the diocese of Passau, this is not currently under consideration. The diocese of Augsburg refers to canon law, according to which "priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers of baptism": "As baptism is the first sacrament of incorporation into the church and therefore also the first basic sacrament, it stands to reason that it should be administered by an ordained minister." In rare exceptional cases, canon law also allows it to be conferred by lay people. "However, there is no pastoral necessity for this."

The Archdiocese of Munich-Freising expressed a more balanced view. They are currently discussing the topic of baptism: "The first priority is the question of how the pastoral offer of baptism can be further developed in the future and how parents and children can best be accompanied." Only on this basis will it then be possible to decide which personnel are needed here.

"Strong momentum for the renewal of the Church"

The dioceses of Essen and Rottenburg-Stuttgart have appointed extraordinary baptismal ministers. In Essen, for example, pastoral assistants and parish assistants who have been specially commissioned by the bishop for this task are allowed to baptize. "Due to the challenging pastoral situations in many parishes and church locations in our diocese, it may therefore be necessary to allow extraordinary baptismal ministers in addition to the ordinary baptismal ministers, depending on the situation," said Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck in March 2022. The Ruhr diocese also announced that it wanted to respond to the desire of many families for individual and personal baptism celebrations.

Last November, the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese commissioned more than 20 non-ordained theologians to administer baptisms in future. Bishop Gebhard Fürst, who has since stepped down for reasons of age, commented: "The extraordinary administration of baptism is an innovation that should not be underestimated in its importance. As a bishop, I exercise my office and the responsibility of a bishop in such a way that this extraordinary innovation will endure. It is a strong momentum for the renewal of our Church."

Bishops' conference discusses

The decision of the two dioceses has triggered a broad discussion in the German Bishops' Conference, according to a spokesperson for the diocese of Würzburg. The aim is to agree on the most uniform approach possible.

Baptism by lay people was also an important topic at the Synodal Assembly of the Synodal Path, at which the official church and lay people have been working together in recent years to find ways out of the crisis in the Church in Germany. In the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany, infant baptism is common practice. Every now and then, however, there are also adults or young people who are baptized: In Munich-Freising, for example, there were 66 adults. Baptism is a sacrament and one of the oldest rites of the Christian faith.

Diocese of Essen - PM on baptism

Read also:

  1. The diocese of Munich-Freising, located in Bavaria, Germany, is currently discussing the future development of baptism offerings and the best ways to support parents and children.
  2. In contrast to Bavaria's Catholic dioceses, the diocese of Essen and Rottenburg-Stuttgart have already appointed extraordinary baptismal ministers, including specially commissioned pastoral assistants and parish assistants.
  3. Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck, of the Ruhr diocese, stated that in challenging pastoral situations, allowing extraordinary baptismal ministers can be necessary to meet the needs of the parish.
  4. Last November, the Rottenburg-Stuttgart diocese commissioned more than 20 non-ordained theologians to administer baptisms in the future, with Bishop Gebhard Fürst commenting that this was a significant momentum for the renewal of the church.
  5. The decision of the Essen and Rottenburg-Stuttgart dioceses has sparked a broad discussion within the German Bishops' Conference, aiming to reach a unified approach on the issue.
  6. Baptism by lay people was also a topic at the Synodal Assembly of the Synodal Path, where representatives from the official church and lay people collaborated to find solutions for the church's crisis in Germany.
  7. In the Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany, infant baptism is a common practice, with some adults or young people being baptized as well; for example, there were 66 adults baptized in the Munich-Freising archdiocese.
  8. The Bavarian dioceses, including the archdiocese of Munich-Freising, currently do not see a need to commission lay people to perform baptisms, instead relying on priests and deacons as the ordinary ministers.

Source: www.stern.de

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