20 years worth of baptisms invalidated (1 Viewer)

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Article doesn't say how many people we're talking about, is it dozens, hundreds or thousands?
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Catholic priest has resigned after a church investigation found he performed invalid baptisms throughout most of his more than 20-year career, according to Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix.

Father Andres Arango, who performed thousands of baptisms, would say, "We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." But Olmsted explained the words "We baptize" should have been "I baptize" instead.

"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes," Olmsted wrote in a message to parishioners posted last month.

The error also means that because baptism is the first of the sacraments, some people will need to repeat other sacraments, according to the diocese webpage for frequently asked questions. CNN has reached out to the diocese for comment on other sacraments.

Arango resigned as pastor of the St. Gregory Parish in Phoenix as of February 1.

"It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere," Arango wrote in his own message on the site.

Olmsted said the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2020 affirmed that when a baptism is conferred with the formula "We baptize ..." it is invalid and people need to be baptized again.

The diocese has set up a website for anyone who believes they had an invalid baptism. The diocese said baptisms Arango conducted after June 17, 2021, are presumed valid.

According to Katie Burke, a spokesperson for the diocese, some new baptisms have already taken place.

Arango began his career in Brazil in 1995. He will continue to be a priest, and will dedicate his energy and time to help those who had invalid baptisms.

Olmsted said he did not believe Andres intended to harm any of the parishioners.

"I too am sincerely sorry that this error has resulted in disruption to the sacramental lives of a number of the faithful. This is why I pledge to take every step necessary to remedy the situation for everyone impacted," Olmsted said.........

 
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Not a Catholic, how big a deal is this?

Inconvenience? "I have to go get baptized again"

Or, soul shaken to the core? "My life's been a lie?"
 
I believe that God would allow this - they aren’t invalid.
It depends on what they believe

Is the baptism a symbolic ceremony or absolutely necessary for their immortal soul?

And if it's the latter and the church says it's the latter is there any legal recourse for the families of those who had an invalid baptism but passed away before it was discovered?
 
Not a Catholic, how big a deal is this?

Inconvenience? "I have to go get baptized again"

Or, soul shaken to the core? "My life's been a lie?"

It's a pretty big deal in that subsequent sacraments of initiation or holy orders would be invalidated. So confirmation would need to be redone as well as something like ordination to the priesthood.

That said it doesn't mean you have lived a lie or that God has failed to act in one's life. We can certainly have hope and confidence in God's love and mercy and grace in these situations. But that does not give license to simply pretend or assume a valid sacrament when there is clearly an invalid form present. So there would need to be pastoral guidance and action to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.
 
It depends on what they believe

Is the baptism a symbolic ceremony or absolutely necessary for their immortal soul?

And if it's the latter and the church says it's the latter is there any legal recourse for the families of those who had an invalid baptism but passed away before it was discovered?

Sacraments are efficacious symbols, meaning that they actually convey what they outwardly represent. So baptism, while giving the imagery of washing one clean, actually conveys sanctifying grace and is necessary for salvation.
 
Imagine being someone who's family member died and you find out that they are in hell because their baptism didn't follow the correct procedure.

You think bureaucracy is bad in life, imagine having to wait in hell for Catholic tech support.
 
Further validates my belief that if you are a Catholic priest and karma is real?
 
Imagine being someone who's family member died and you find out that they are in hell because their baptism didn't follow the correct procedure.

You think bureaucracy is bad in life, imagine having to wait in hell for Catholic tech support.
Imagine being a deity who is presented with a soul that may either go to "heaven," or "hell," and sending the soul to "hell" because the priest said "we" instead of "I."
 
Imagine being someone who's family member died and you find out that they are in hell because their baptism didn't follow the correct procedure.

That's why I was asking about legal options and how the Church would respond to those accusations

And what exactly would the charges be?
 

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