Intro
Di dalam bulan ini, kita mau belajar tentang sakramen. Nah, spesial di hari ini, kita mau belajar dan mengingat-ingat kembali akan sakramen pertama yang pernah kita terima dahulu kala itu. Mungkin kita sudah sering sekali membaca atau mendengar tentang sakramen pembatisan. Nah kalian pasti sudah expert kan tentang sakramen pembaptisan? Yuk maka dari itu, di sesi CG kali ini, kita mau coba diskusi dengan menggunakan beberapa contoh case-studies.
Main Topic
Apa sih sakramen pembaptisan itu?
KGK 1213 menjelaskan bahwa..
Pembaptisan suci adalah dasar seluruh kehidupan Kristen, pintu masuk menuju kehidupan dalam roh [vitae spiritualis ianua] dan menuju Sakramen-sakramen yang lain. Oleh Pembaptisan kita dibebaskan dari dosa dan dilahirkan kembali sebagai putera-puteri Allah; kita menjadi anggota-anggota Kristus, dimasukkan ke dalam Gereja dan ikut serta dalam perutusannyaBdk. Konsili Firense: DS 1314; CIC, cann. 204,1 ; 849; CCEO, can. 675,1.: “Pembaptisan adalah Sakramen kelahiran kembali oleh air dalam Sabda” (Catech. R. 2,2,5).
Di dalam pembaptisan, kita masuk ke dalam sebuah perjanjian dengan Tuhan. Kita menjadi satu dengan Kristus dan kita dibebaskan dari dosa, baik dari dosa asal atau juga dosa pribadi yang kita lakukan sebelum masa kita dibaptis. Karena salah satu efek atau hasil dari pembaptisan kita adalah penghapusan dosa – kita menggunakan air dalam perayaan sakramen ini, seperti halnya ketika kita mandi, kita membuang segala kotoran dari diri kita dengan menggunakan air. Ketika air dituangkan di kepala kita, romo akan berkata “ Aku membaptis kamu dalam nama Bapa, Putra dan Roh kudus.” Kita tidak melakukan ini hanya sebagai symbol belaka, tetapi disaat itu, sungguh-sungguh hidup yang baru dalam Kristus dimulai pada diri orang yang dibaptis.
Perayaan sakramen pembaptisan juga mengikutsertakan beberapa tanda lain seperti: anointing with oil (sign of strength), white garment (being clothed in Christ – Rm13:12,14) dan juga Baptismal Candle (the flame of faith).
Sharing
- Sharingkan pengalamanmu ketika mempersiapkan diri untuk dibaptis atau juga pada saat dibaptis. (untuk yang dibaptis bayi, sharingkan saat mempersiapkan diri untuk komuni pertama)
Discussion
- Ada seorang wanita XX (katolik), memiliki seorang anak laki-laki (katolik), tapi tidak menjalankan agamanya (not practicing). Anak laki-laki ini kemudian menikah dengan seorang wanita Yahudi dan memiliki seorang anak. Anak dari pasangan ini, atau cucu dari wanita XX, tidak pernah dibaptis. Karena rasa cinta dan keinginannya yang kuat, wanita XX setelah misa mingguan, menemukan tempat air suci dan langsung saja menuangkan air suci itu ke kepala cucunya dengan mengucapkan “aku membaptis kamu di dalam nama Bapa, Putra dan Roh kudus.”
Diskusi (15 min waktu diskusi, baru fasil menjelaskan dari jawaban):
- Menurut pendapatmu, apakah hal ini sesuatu yang boleh dilakukan? Jelaskan jawabanmu.
- Apakah yang akan kamu lakukan jika kamu ada diposisi wanita XX?
- Apakah dengan begitu, si cucu sudah dibaptis secara valid?
Dijawab oleh Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
The question must be answered on two levels: If baptizing the child was the right thing to do; if the woman’s actions constituted a valid baptism.
The first question is rather delicate because although the grandmother deeply desired the child’s baptism, the education of children usually falls upon the parents who are called to be the primary educators of children.
Canon law (Canon 868) also requires that for an infant to be baptized licitly:
“1. the parents or at least one of them or the person who legitimately takes their place must consent.
“2. there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic Religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason.”
At the same time the canon specifies that “An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents is baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents.”
Even though there are clear historical examples of grandmothers who secretly baptized children under atheistic Communist regimes, this does not appear to be the present case. The baptism should not have been done without the parents’ consent.
Also, only the priest and deacons are ordinary ministers of the sacrament of baptism and can perform all of the rites. In some extreme conditions where there are no ordained ministers available, lay people have been authorized to perform the essential rites.
An unauthorized lay person should not perform a baptism except in cases of imminent danger of death or other dire situations where not even an authorized lay minister is available.
With respect to the second question regarding the validity of the baptism. As we have seen, the grandmother, no matter how sincere her motives, acted against Church law and should not be imitated. From the description of what she did, however, it would appear to have been a valid baptism and the child is truly baptized. All the same, in order to be certain, it would be necessary for her to give a detailed description of what she did to a priest in case she committed an error regarding matter or form that would cast doubt on the baptism’s validity.
What to do? It depends on many factors, but sooner or later the parents should be informed. The grandmother could perhaps avoid having to reveal what she has done by asking permission from the parents to allow her to have the child baptized in a private ceremony, with just herself and the priest, and then take charge of its religious upbringing. If the parents consent, then she could have a priest or deacon complete the baptismal rites and formally register the baptism.
If the parents are very much opposed, then there is little to be done other than to await a suitable moment to inform them that their child is already baptized.
In all cases she should do all in her power to transmit the faith to the child, above all though her living witness to the Catholic faith.
- Di sebuah paroki di Afrika Selatan, ada sepasang suami istri yang memiliki seorang bayi. Bayi ini lahir secara premature dan sakit-sakitan. Faktanya adalah bayi ini sudah sekarat dan akan dapat meninggal sewaktu-waktu. Bayi ini dirawat dalam incubator di ruangan ICU di rumah sakit setempat. Orang tua dari bayi tersebut sangat menginginkan anak tersebut untuk dibaptis, tetapi karena situasi medis, hal tersebut tidak memungkinkan. (romo dan orang tua tidak dapat masuk ke ruangan ICU) Kemudian seorang romo setempat, membantu mereka dengan membaptis bayi itu secara proxy. Si romo membaptis kakak dari si bayi sebagai proxy. Jadi yang dibaptis bukan kakaknya, melainkan si bayi dengan menggunakan perantara tubuh si kakak. (si kakak belum pernah dibaptis sebelumnya)
Diskusi (15 min waktu diskusi, baru fasil menjelaskan dari jawaban) :
- Menurutmu apakah yang sebaiknya dilakukan dalam situasi tersebut, jika kamu adalah salah satu dari orang tua si bayi?
- Apakah menurutmu baptisan by proxy dapat dilakukan secara valid?
Sad though it is, as the child in question eventually died, it is necessary to admit that the priest made a grave mistake by this action.
The only sacrament that may be celebrated by proxy is matrimony. (Can. 1104 §1. To contract a marriage validly the contracting parties must be present together, either in person or by proxy).
All of the others require some degree of physical presence and contact of the person receiving the sacrament.
This is not something that the Church can change for she has received the sacraments, along with their inherent limitations, from Christ himself.
In such cases it is almost always possible to baptize the child. A few drops of water on the head, even from a syringe, while saying the proper baptismal formula would have sufficed. If it were impossible for the priest to enter the ward, a doctor or nurse could have performed the baptism.
All the same, although the problem of infants who die before baptism is still being studied from the theological point of view, the Church is confident that a merciful God will not leave the parent’s desires and prayers unanswered.
- Saya adalah seorang paramedic yang telah bekerja selama 20 tahun. Saya belajar sejak kecil kalau ada orang yang sudah mau meninggal, kita baiknya membaptis mereka, supaya mereka selamat. Sering kali sebagai seorang paramedic, saya menemukan situasi seperti ini. Jarang sekali saya tahu nama orang tersebut, latar belakang agamanya, dll. Jadi saya membaptis mereka saja dan terkadang harus secara cepat dan diam-diam. Saya memiliki 3 pertanyaan dalam situasi saya:
- Kalau air tidak ada disekitar, apakah saya boleh menggunakan cairan lain seperti cairan infus, minuman, dsb?
- Sering kali supaya saya tidak menyinggung keluarga (misalnya saat ditelpon), saya tidak memberitahu kalau saya membaptis si pasien. Apakah saya perlu bilang kepada keluarga orang yang saya baptis tersebut?
- Sampai sekarang, orang-orang yang saya baptis tidak pernah kembali selamat atau hidup. Apakah saya tetap harus melaporkan baptisan ini ke paroki setempat?
(15 min waktu diskusi, baru fasil menjelaskan dari jawaban)
Dijawab oleh Colin B. Donovan, STL (The Licentiate in Sacred Theology) :
What you learned is wrong, at least in part. An emergency baptism does not mean baptizing any and every one in danger of death.
An emergency baptism means that the normal rites are not employed, but owing to necessity the minister (priest, deacon or even a lay person), baptizes someone desiring to be baptized, or a child before the age of reason who is dying, using only the necessary form (I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.) A priest having the holy oils with him would also confirm the person. Ordinary water may be used for emergency baptism, though holy water is prefered if available. If its called something else, its not water (e.g. IV fluids). Even something so predominantly water as tea or coffee is doubtful matter. One could baptize conditionally with doubtful matter IF that was indeed all there was available and time was of the essence. For certain validity the water should be poured sufficiently so as to run, three times, over the forehead (if accessible), the head, other than on the hair, if not. If the head is not accessible, baptism may be performed on the breast neck or shoulders, though this is only probably valid. The arms, legs and elsewhere are considered probably invalid. The words should be spoken, even if inaudible to others, and not just said mentally. The Church has not ruled on such details, but the common teaching of theologians over the centuries should be followed. It would be presumptuous and dangerous to souls not to do so.
While children may not be baptized contrary to the will of the parents, except in danger of death (it’s God’s will expressed through the Church), an adult may never be baptized without an indication that this is his or her will. It would be in vain to do so, and an abuse of the sacrament. This would be objectively sinful, though you obviously are unaware of that fact and so are excused. The adult person to be baptized must have expressed their will in some way, and if opportunity affords given the minimum catechesis – God, Christ, Heaven (reward), Hell (punishment).
Baptism is not a private matter, and so should be reported to the pastor of the parish in which it occurs. If an adult survives who wanted to be baptized, but did not know he or she was the subject of an emergency baptism, they would obviously have to be told, so that the sacrilege of a second baptism does not occur. If a child dies I see no good coming from informing the parents. If the child lives, you probably have to tell the parents, but talk to your pastor first.
PS :
“God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (CCC 1257).
Reference
https://www.thirdplaceproject.com/youcat-the-sacraments-of-initiation/
https://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur145.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=305724&Pgnu=3&Pg=&recnu=74&source