“They’ve become convinced that the best time to fortify adults’ knowledge and understanding of Catholic faith and morals, would in conjunction with sacramental preparation for themselves or their children”
They’ve become convinced...I guess that’s what honks me off. My grandson isn’t baptised because “they’ve become convinced.” Who in Hell are they to deny an infant the sacrament?
The problem, in some cases,is that parents who are ignorant of, or more or less indifferent to the Faith, are having their kids baptized merely as a social convention. They don't have adequate knowledge of the faith and morals of the Church to really be responsible for the child's early spiritual formation; in fact, they hardly know what Baptism is as a Sacrament, what it signifies or what obligations they have assumed in consequence.
So the pastor has to try to ensure that the parents are knowledgeable about what the Baptismal vows entail, just as he has to try to ensure that engaged couples are knowledgeable about what the Marriage vows entail.
Can you blame the pastor for trying to conscientiously fulfill his obligation to teach as well as sanctify?
And the parents: wouldn't they want to broaden and deepen their knowledge of these essential Catholic Truths?