Let’s say that for generations, the eldest son in his family had been given this name. Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared, Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid, Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy. The name is often the name of a saint, but it does not have to be. It added that if this could not be done, the name of “some saint” was to be added to the name chosen by the parents, and in the baptismal record both names were to be recorded. What are my choices? wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. That does not mean, however, that administering this sacrament is a free-for-all, in which anything goes! If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Baptismal names are used only by Catholics, and it is often the same name that parents give their child when they are born. So what is an example of a name that could not be given to a Catholic child at baptism, because it is foreign to Christian sentiment? Conduct an Internet search of Catholic saints. It all depends on the Church you are receiving RCIA in. The child would only rarely see them, possibly only on holidays. The name is often the name of a saint, but it does not have to be. Are they serious about rearing their child as a Catholic? Is the rule different now, or is something fishy going on at our parish? The white garment symbolizes the white garments Jesus wore when he was placed in the tomb after his death on Good Friday. Baptism leaves an indelible (permanent) mark on the soul and there is no way nor any reason that one could be re-baptized. Note that even under the old law, a child could receive a first name that was not the name of a saint—but he always had to have a middle name that was. Or do they regard the whole baptismal ceremony as an empty tradition or even a joke? In the past Cathy has published articles both in scholarly journals and on various popular Catholic websites, including Real Presence Communications and Catholic Exchange. Specifically, a baptism administered with the formula “We baptise you …” instead of “I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” is not valid because it is the person of Christ through the minister who is acting, not the assembly, the congregation said. We saw in “Are Women Required to Cover their Heads in Church?” that the law currently in force in the Catholic Church took effect in 1983, under Pope John Paul II. John, Jace, Jack, Jacob, Joshua, Jordan, Justin. This is no accident—since baptism is “the gateway to the other sacraments” (c. 849), it follows logically that it should be governed by the fewest restrictions. If a second godparent is … 1. This article has been viewed 86,243 times. What should the child be called? All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. 1214 This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to "plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature." Jehan means "the world" in Hebrew. If the person receiving emergency Baptism is of the age of reason (at least seven years old or so), then they must have the necessary faith to receive Baptism: When (and How Much) Can a Bishop Tax a Parish? There are definitely a fair number of rules and regulations regarding the administration of this sacrament, and the issue of the child’s name is among them. Q: My wife and I both remember as children that when our siblings were born, our parents had to give them saints’ names. 17. By using our site, you agree to our. She founded this website to provide clear answers to canonical questions asked by ordinary Catholics, without employing all the mysterious legalese that canon lawyers know and love. At the same time, though, Steve and his wife are not alone in their understanding that baptismal names traditionally had to be the names of saints. Must he/she receive the name of a saint? Parents, godparents, and pastors are to ensure that the name given to the child to be baptized is not foreign to Christian sentiment. Introduction. There is more leeway today about selecting names for our children, even though rules about clearly anti-Christian names certainly exist. Can I name myself after my ancestor Jane and the Biblical character Esther? Cathy Caridi, J.C.L., is an American canon lawyer who practices law and teaches in Rome. When Catholic parents choose a name for their newborn child, they understand that they are also choosing a baptismal name. [Canon # 874.2] - … All that's needed is for onesibling in a family to have used this pattern with accuracy (even if one's own direct ancestor deviated a little). A. The previous law would lead the Catholic priest to balk at baptizing the baby as Stanton, since it is not a saint’s name. You will find names and descriptions that may inspire you. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Please check the Archives first–it’s likely your question was already addressed. FREE Book! –Steve. The old law is, therefore, no longer in use—but for those of us Catholics who were baptized between 1917 and 1983, it was the prevailing law that had to be followed at the time of our baptism. 6 What Happens When a Religious Who’s Vowed Poverty Becomes a Bishop? canonlawmadeeasy@yahoo.com As we saw in “Can the Pastor Refuse to Baptize Our Child?” if a priest is to baptize a child, there must be a well founded hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith (c. 868.1 n.1). http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10673c.htm, http://christeningessentials.com/what_are_godparents_, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Rather, since it is worded in the negative, we are only told what sorts of names may not be given to a child at his baptism. But nowadays, we often see notices in our parish bulletin announcing the baptisms of newborns, and neither their first nor their middle name is a saint’s name! What names have the same meaning as Jehan? For about two centuries (from the late 1700s through to the early to mid-1900s) the Irish favoured a precise convention for naming their children that can suggest what names to look for in a previous generation. In addition to these two essential elements, however, the person performing the baptism must intend what the Catholic Church intends in order for the baptism to be valid. Anyone can do this; a Jew, pagan, Protestant, Catholic only when it is done in its proper form with the intent to do what the Church does when She baptizes. They are valuable, also, as containing a summary of the main points to be considered in the treatment of this important matter. For those who receive baptism later in life or convert to Catholicism, the newly baptized may choose a name to reflect his or her new status as a Christian, and this name stands as a beautiful and concrete symbol and reminder of spiritual conversion. I had to choose a name, but my friends didn't have to. The parents would be required to choose another name instead. At the outset we think it advisable to give two documents which express clearly the mind of the Churchon the subject of baptism. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. While baptismal names are no longer required to be the names of saints or angels, the church will likely not agree to baptize a child with a name that defies its teachings. Christian denominations other than Roman Catholic also use baptism as a ritual where people can outwardly express their acceptance of Jesus Christ into their lives and hearts. Learn more... Baptism for Catholics is a sacrament that is often received by infants several months after they are born. In other words, when he baptizes "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," he must mean in the name of the Trinity, and he must intend to bring the person being baptized into the fullness of the Church. While it goes without saying that it is laudable for Catholic parents to choose a saint’s name for their child, it is not actually necessary. If he and his Catholic wife had a son, the father might naturally want to have him baptized “Stanton” as well. Where do I start if I am looking for a saint's name? Names such as Lucifer or others affiliated with the devil or Satan are not recommended. Note that the first part of the canon didn’t actually say that the name had to be a saint’s name; it merely said that the name had to be Christian. Traditionally, a Christian name was given on the occasion of Christian baptism, with the ubiquity of infant baptism in medieval Christendom. In fact, the canon does not specify that at baptism a child must receive any particular sort of name at all. The 1983 Code of Canon Law changed the rules. Lesetta, Eliza, Lisa, Lisabetta, Lisabet, Alisa, Elspie. She shares her thoughts on Catholic baby naming at Sancta Nomina, and her first book, Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018) can be found at ShopMercy.org and Amazon. Are Women Required to Cover their Heads in Church? Obvious non-options would include “Satan,” “Lucifer,” and “Death”; names like “Hitler” and “Stalin” would presumably raise an instant red-flag as well. If their first name wasn’t a saint’s name, at least their middle name had to be. The end result: Most baby boomer Catholics have three saint names. Note that the first part of the canon didn’t actually say that the name had to be a saint’s name; it merely said that the name … Those who are confirmed in the Catholic church have another opportunity to select a name at that time, and it is always the name of a saint. Imagine, for example, that during the period when the prior code was in force, a Catholic woman had married a protestant man whose first name was Stanton. None of the content of this website may be reproduced, either in whole or in part, without the advance written permission of the author. A Catholic may act as witness at a non-Catholic baptism, but not as a sponsor. 1) at least 16 years old 2) practicing Catholic with good standing in the church 3) not of the same gender as the second godparent 4) have received the sacraments of baptism, eucharist and confirmation. If parents were to announce to their pastor that they had chosen such a name for their child, he would have every right to ask them why! But if the father insisted, the work-around was simply to add a second name, and baptize the child with a full name like Stanton Joseph, or Stanton Michael. This is not merely a question of personal taste. It is the pastor’s duty to find out. Perhaps if we all raise our children as committed Catholics, names like “Ashley” and “Jennifer,” “Curtis” and “Todd” may some day in the future indeed be the names of saints. Can the Pastor Refuse to Baptize Our Child? What other name can I choose that starts with F? Why Would a Catholic Cleric Desecrate an Altar? Kate Towne. Lizzie, Bessie, Buffy. It is most common to choose a saint that you were named after, but you can also choose a saint that you feel a special connection with. Irish Naming Practice for Boys 1st son named after the paternal grandfather (his father's father); 2nd son after the maternal grandfather (his mother's father); 3r… There are also books of baby names that have specific sections on religious names. When Catholic parents choose a name for their newborn child, they understand that they are also choosing a baptismal name. This is why in practice, children were occasionally given baptismal names like “Christian,” “Grace,” and “Faith.” Strictly speaking, these might not be saint’s names—but as they obviously described concepts directly related to the Catholic faith, they were traditionally considered equally acceptable choices. The Virus and the Bishops: Twisting a Vatican Document to Further an Agenda. Canon 855 directly addresses Steve’s question. Inclusive Language and Baptismal Validity. Wait for the sacrament of Confirmation to select a new name, if you prefer. I could ask a non-catholic to be the godparent; that person could live in the same city, close to our neighborhood, and see that my child is enrolled in the parochial school and goes to Mass each week. This accords with a venerable Catholic custom always insisted upon by the Church, and now reaffirmed as a law in the new Code of Canon Law. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be baptized,” (paragraph 1246). The baptism itself will probably look essentially identical to the baptism of a baby at any Catholic parish; but the Lutheran minister’s intention is to baptize the baby as a Lutheran, and the Lutheran parents’ intention is of course to raise their child as a Lutheran—and that’s what makes the child a Lutheran, rather than a Catholic or a Baptist or anything else. Based on this canon, the priest who was to baptize the child would have not only the right, but the obligation to object to the name—as would the child’s godparents as well. Order Now More Info Here just some of the names that begin with F that you can choose from: Felix, Fabius, Festus, Faith, Fara, Flora, Faustina, Fedele, Francis, Fergus, Fina, Fiorentina, Finnian, Finlay, Filippo, Fernandez, Fernando, Fransis, Francus, Francisca, Francesca, Francesco, Frances, Felicity, Foster, Felicia, Florentine, Florentina, Florence. (A baptised person who belongs to a non-catholic ecclesial community may be admitted only in company with a catholic sponsor, and then simply as a witness to the baptism.) Click here for more information. Mabel is Latin in origin, meaning 'lovable' or 'loving. When Catholic parents have a child, they may choose a saint's name as the child's given name, and present that name at the infant's baptism. If they were to persist in their offensive choice, the baptism simply could not take place. But if the father insisted, the work-around was simply to add a second name, and baptize the child with a full name like Stanton Joseph, or Stanton Michael. There are more, but these are the most common names. Which Mass Fulfills My Sunday Obligation? Program? It replaced the previous code, promulgated by Pope Benedict XV back in 1917. Thus it’s quite possible for a Catholic priest to baptize “Ashley” and “Jennifer,” “Curtis” and “Todd.” Even if there may be no canonized saints with these same names, there is certainly nothing unchristian about them. Kate is a writer, wife to a really good man, and mama to their seven boys ages 1 to 15. Do adults need to choose a name when completing the R.C.I.A. This article has been viewed 86,243 times. In infant Baptism, the immediate family gathers around the baptismal font (see the figure), and the child is held over the basin while the priest or deacon pours water three times over the child’s head and says his first and middle name, and then, “I baptize you in the name … Note that the canon does not specifically require that the child’s name be a saint’s name. Current naming rules "Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to take care that a name foreign to Christian sensibility is not given." Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 86,243 times. For Confirmation you choose the name of a saint. The Names of Saints “Names, CHRISTIAN, names given to individuals at their Baptism.One of the duties of pastors in regard to Baptism is the exercise of care, in order that a Christian name be given to the one Baptized. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fc\/Choose-a-Baptismal-Name-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Choose-a-Baptismal-Name-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fc\/Choose-a-Baptismal-Name-Step-1.jpg\/aid1708575-v4-728px-Choose-a-Baptismal-Name-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"