Rome says you don’t need “born-again nonsense.” Christ unequivocally said you do.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 6:53 is good enough for Catholics
“Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. “(Douay-Rheims Bible)
Just as the early Church fathers operated under Petrine authority to put together the books we call the Bible, we have Petrine authority to authoritatively interpret scripture for all generations. We have the CREDO.
That's kind of where Baptism comes in....