A Comment on Argentina’s Uncharitable Baptism

DavidLGrayInfo.com ^ | April 8, 2014 | David L. Gray

[ebb tide]

There was a well-reported Baptism of an Argentinian child, Umma Azul, that took place last Saturday, April 5, 2014. Umma’s mother, Soledad Ortiz happens to be ‘married’ to a woman named Carina Villarroel. Having never received the Sacrament of Confirmation, these women are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. The chosen Godmother of Umma is Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez, who signed Argentina’s homosexual-marriage legislation into law in 2010. Fernandez is also a strong proponent of birth control and surgical abortion. She considers herself to be a Roman Catholic. Despite serious concerns raised in the weeks that preceded the public Baptism, Cordoba Archbishop Carlos Nanez decided to go forward anyway with the holy Sacrament saying that the Baptism, “was not intended to support the lesbian couple’s homosexuality . . .” In saying, “the one who is receives baptism is the girl. It is her right,” Archbishop Nanez also seems to believe that the Sacrament is an entitlement. Father Carlos Varas, who administered the Sacrament, claims that “We always baptize and we can never deny baptism to anyone.” The Cardinal also states that Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, Prefect of the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, was fully aware of the case.

In light of many Bishops rejection of canon 915, which, in part, requires that those who obstinately persevere in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to receive holy Communion (e.g. politicians who vote in favor of intrinsic evils such as abortion and homosexual-marriage), I am not surprised that canon 868 §1 would be ignored either. For, it states:

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.

Two brief comments I want to make about this hot mess. First, what took place at the historic cathedral in provincial Cordoba, Argentina was very sad. There was absolutely no care of that baby girl’s soul taken into consideration. In analogous terms, what can be said is that the priest took a new born lamb, carefully washed it clean, and then threw it into a dirty mud-pit filled with pigs.

The Sacrament of Baptism definitively frees us from the power of darkness and brings us into the realm of freedom of the children of God, to which all are called. While this washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit and membership into the community of Christ ought not be denied to any, as the Church teaches, “For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parent’s help is important. So too is the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able to and ready to help the newly baptized – child or adult – on the road of Christian life” (CCC. 1255).

From canon law, to doctrine, to just basic common sense – no conditions were in place here to offer surety that Baptizing Umma was an act of love. To the contrary, this was an uncharitable Baptism, which may only cause more harm to Umma’s soul, than to help her. All of the clerics involved in this complete disregard of the spiritual health of Umma should be ashamed themselves. Their nondiscriminatory policy of Baptism is scandalous! There was little difference between Baptizing Umma and giving her into the care of technically non-believers versus Baptizing a child and giving her into the care of Muslim parents to raise.

My second problem is with the judgment of the clerics. Globally there are just too many Bishops that seem to be completely ignorant of or naive to how their words and actions are intentionally being politicized by the leftist media to promote their demonic-driven agendas. Not only did these two women pose for a kissing photo-ops in the cathedral, but now they are going on a national tour with the baby. The non-biological mother told local press the Catholic Church’s decision to grant the baptism was important “because it signifies that there is a real social change and acceptance.”

Let’s be clear. There is a demonic agenda at work to recast the Catholic Church into the role of being apathetic towards immorality. This evil agency is working within and without the Church to drive us into social irrelevance. It wants the Catholic Church to appear to be in line with popular culture, so that we are perceived as having no better life to offer anyone than what they can acquire through self-sufficiency. It is working within the Catholic schools to water down the faith, so that our children will never look to find hope through the Church. While it knows that it cannot change the doctrine, it is using people like the women in this story and the media proof-texting the Pope’s words to convince the world that the doctrine of the Church has changed.

If the clerics in Argentina were truly interested in the care of Umma’s soul they would have provided a good Catholic education for her when she came of age where she would have been instructed in the faith and then Baptized.

[ebb tide]

There was absolutely no care of that baby girl’s soul taken into consideration. In analogous terms, what can be said is that the priest took a new born lamb, carefully washed it clean, and then threw it into a dirty mud-pit filled with pigs.

[ebb tide]

[Jeff Chandler]

"BRAVO!"