Sunday, April 27
Liturgical Color: White
Today the Church recalls St. Zita. She was a
domestic servant for a wealthy family in 13th
century Italy. To the dismay of the master of
the house, St. Zita would often give away all
the food in the house to those less fortunate
than herself.
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Who can administer Baptism?
Normally a bishop, a priest, or a deacon administers the sacrament of Baptism. In an emergency, any Christian, indeed anyone, can baptize by pouring water over the head of the recipient and pronouncing the baptismal formula, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Baptism is so important that even a non-Christian can administer it. In doing so, however, he must have the intention of doing what the Church does when she baptizes.
Is Baptism in fact the only way to salvation?
For all those who have received the Gospel and have heard that Christ is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), Baptism is the only way to God and salvation. At the same time, however, it is true that Christ died for all mankind. Therefore all men who have had no opportunity to learn about Christ and the faith but seek God sincerely and live according to their conscience also find salvation (the so-called Baptism of desire).
God has made salvation dependent on the sacraments. Therefore the Church must tirelessly offer them to mankind. To give up her missionary work would be a betrayal of God's commission. God himself, however, is not dependent on his sacraments. In places where the Church does not exist or has had no success - whether by her own fault or for other reasons - God himself paves for the people other ways to salvation in Christ. (YOUCAT questions 198-199)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1256-1261) and other references here.