Dear blue-duncan,
Briefly, to validly baptize is to wash with water an unbaptized person (when my sons were baptized, the priest poured the water over their foreheads), and say the trinitarian formula of baptism, with the proper intention.
sitetest
What precisely is "the proper intention" when it comes to non-Catholic baptisms?
Almost a year ago, Catholic FReeper Campion and I discussed "validity" in regards to the Eucharist and Presbyterians. I would imagine that the same rules apply re baptism?
Well, Alex, since, e.g., Presbyterians reject apostolic succession, reject the idea of the priesthood per se, and reject transubstantiation or anything close to it, there's really not much chance of a Presbyterian Eucharist being a valid Catholic sacrament. Sacramental validity requires a valid minister, valid matter (bread made from wheat only, wine mixed with water), valid "form" (the words that are said, and valid intent (the intent to do what the Catholic church does). Unless your Presbyterian minister is a former Catholic or Orthodox (or perhaps Anglican) priest, he's not a validly ordained minister. He probably doesn't have a valid intent, either.