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. Current naming rules "Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to take care that a name foreign to Christian sensibility is not given." The name is often the name of a saint, but it does not have to be. Traditionally, a Christian name was given on the occasion of Christian baptism, with the ubiquity of infant baptism in medieval Christendom. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 86,243 times. 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 … By using our site, you agree to our. That does not mean, however, that administering this sacrament is a free-for-all, in which anything goes! Obvious non-options would include “Satan,” “Lucifer,” and “Death”; names like “Hitler” and “Stalin” would presumably raise an instant red-flag as well. [Canon # 874.2] - … 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. 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. You may prefer to keep your given name as your baptismal name, and then choose a confirmation name that reflects a saint you admire. 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. 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. John, Jace, Jack, Jacob, Joshua, Jordan, Justin. If the information on this website has helped you, please consider making a contribution so that it can continue to help others. You can choose a baptismal name by researching the lives of saints and picking a name that reflects a Christian life. 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. If they were to persist in their offensive choice, the baptism simply could not take place. Under the previous law, therefore, choosing a Christian name was required—or the priest would choose one for you. Read books about saints. When confirmation was split off from baptism as a separate sacrament, the tradition of adding a saint name went with it. Nowadays, however, it is no longer required to have a saint’s name as a middle name, although of course the child’s parents might very well choose to add one. {"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":"
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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Someone’s eternal salvation may one day depend upon the knowing of these words. 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. This might have been quite possible in his own protestant church; but as his Catholic wife intended to raise their son in the Catholic faith, the baby of course had to be baptized in her Catholic parish, in accord with canon law. Talk to your pastor, or other religious leader for further clarification on the sacrament or ritual of baptism. Baptismal names are used only by Catholics, and it is often the same name that parents give their child when they are born. ', Solomon is a Hebrew-derived surname and given name. Inclusive Language and Baptismal Validity. 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. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Now the only requirement is that pastors make sure the child’s name is not “foreign to a Christian mentality.” 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. Program? The Baptism itself: If it is an emergency; and you feel it very necessary to baptize your niece, and baby now; YOU may do so. Learn more... Baptism for Catholics is a sacrament that is often received by infants several months after they are born. Another name similar to that is Adam, meaning "earth.". 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. Beatrice Anne Borman is seen during her baptism at St. James Church in Falls Church, Va., April 18, 2020. A Catholic may act as witness at a non-Catholic baptism, but not as a sponsor. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. This article has been viewed 86,243 times. Or do they regard the whole baptismal ceremony as an empty tradition or even a joke? Click here for more information. Holy water is poured on the forehead to represent the burial of sin, and resurrection and rebirth through water. 1. What other name can I choose that starts with F? We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Can I name myself after my ancestor Jane and the Biblical character Esther? The name is often the name of a saint, but it does not have to be. Parents, godparents, and pastors are to ensure that the name given to the child to be baptized is not foreign to Christian sentiment. Can the Pastor Refuse to Baptize Our Child? FREE Book! Cathy Caridi, J.C.L., is an American canon lawyer who practices law and teaches in Rome. Get the proven playbook to heal a broken heart. All rights reserved. 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. You will find names and descriptions that may inspire you. This article has been viewed 86,243 times. 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… 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. % of people told us that this article helped them. 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. 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. I am Jewish by birth, and I am going through RCIA. 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. Canon 761 of the 1917 code said that pastors were to ensure that those who were to be baptized received a Christian name. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph 1240 that a proper form for administering baptism is “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” But for some Protestants, such as Oneness Pentecostals, this Trinitarian formula doesn’t match what the Bible has to say about baptism. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. There is more leeway today about selecting names for our children, even though rules about clearly anti-Christian names certainly exist. (Canon Law no. And they are not mistaken: the prior Code of Canon Law was much stricter in this regard than the current one. Thus we can see that while Steve’s memory about the baptisms of his siblings is absolutely correct, there is nothing irregular about the current practices at his parish as he describes them. 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." 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). 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. 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! Do not choose a name that is contrary to Christian values and sentiment. The parents would be required to choose another name instead. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. There are more, but these are the most common names. Re-post: Confession and General Absolution. Are they serious about rearing their child as a Catholic? 6 It replaced the previous code, promulgated by Pope Benedict XV back in 1917. Baptismal names are used only by Catholics, and it is often the same name that parents give their child when they are born. 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. What are my choices? In Hebrew, the meaning of the name Solomon is "peace.". Baptism leaves an indelible (permanent) mark on the soul and there is no way nor any reason that one could be re-baptized. 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). Order Now More Info canonlawmadeeasy@yahoo.com 855) "In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. There must be at least one person who is a Catholic who has been confirmed and has received the Eucharist, who is at least sixteen years old. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Introduction. If their first name wasn’t a saint’s name, at least their middle name had to be. 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. Wait for the sacrament of Confirmation to select a new name, if you prefer. This can be the name of a … What Happens When a Religious Who’s Vowed Poverty Becomes a Bishop? When Catholic parents choose a name for their newborn child, they understand that they are also choosing a baptismal name. –Steve. 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. Does the Catholic Church place any restrictions on who may be a godparent at Baptism? The 1983 Code of Canon Law changed the rules. If the parents wanted to give a bizarre, unchristian name to their child, it would be altogether natural for the parents’ pastor to question their intentions! When (and How Much) Can a Bishop Tax a Parish? Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared, Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid, Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy. This is done because of the absolute necessity of Baptism. 17. Naming a child after a Saint is not new in the Catholic Tradition. The end result: Most baby boomer Catholics have three saint names. 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? 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. The minister of Baptism may decide that there is a just reason why a person who is not yet 16 may be godparent. Complementary Norm: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the prescriptions of canon 877, §3, hereby decrees that: For children baptized after their adoption is finalized, the following information shall be entered in the register: the Christian name(s) of the child as designated by the adoptive parent(s); The previous law would lead the Catholic priest to balk at baptizing the baby as Stanton, since it is not a saint’s name. Is Nancy a Catholic name and a saint's name? 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. 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: I was named Jeff at birth, and I would like to choose a baptismal name that begins with "J." It all depends on the Church you are receiving RCIA in. Check out the reference section of the library, or browse your local bookstore. CHRISTIAN NAMES FOR CATHOLIC BOYS AND GIRLS The moment has arrived to choose a Christian name for the baptism of a baby boys or girl. Q: My wife and I both remember as children that when our siblings were born, our parents had to give them saints’ names. In fact, the canon does not specify that at baptism a child must receive any particular sort of name at all. Conduct an Internet search of Catholic saints. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. They have a long list of saints, and what they are patrons of, as well as their life stories. Do adults need to choose a name when completing the R.C.I.A. I had to choose a name, but my friends didn't have to. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10673c.htm, http://christeningessentials.com/what_are_godparents_, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Lizzie, Bessie, Buffy. We can see that within these broad parameters, the current law on this matter is quite general. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” The Catholic Church believes that a baby is born into this world with sins from past generations, as is Judaism, a baby is born sin-free. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. Under current law, there would be no problem baptizing a Catholic child with the name Stanton, since there is nothing about it that is contrary to Christian sentiment! Jehan means "the world" in Hebrew. None of the content of this website may be reproduced, either in whole or in part, without the advance written permission of the author. The previous law would lead the Catholic priest to balk at baptizing the baby as Stanton, since it is not a saint’s name. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. A: Back in “Inclusive Language and Baptismal Validity,” we saw that baptism is the easiest sacrament to administer validly. If the requirements for certificates are met, the certificates then should be presented to the baptism coordinator for the parish. The tradition also varies by region. Is there conceivably an innocent and legitimate reason for giving such a name to a Catholic child? 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. 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 rules for godparents have ALWAYS been the same: the child needs at least one godparent who is a practicing Catholic. Lesetta, Eliza, Lisa, Lisabetta, Lisabet, Alisa, Elspie. When I had the Sacrament of Confirmation I had it at a different Church than my friends from school. Kate Towne. Note that the canon does not specifically require that the child’s name be a saint’s name. 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. These are words that every Catholic should know as well as he knows his own name. This is not merely a question of personal taste. In the past Cathy has published articles both in scholarly journals and on various popular Catholic websites, including Real Presence Communications and Catholic Exchange. What names have the same meaning as Jehan? The only situation in which a Catholic may be a godparent (sponsor) in "another ecclesial Community" is in an Eastern Orthodox Church "if he/she is so invited" (Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism, 98, a, b). A person being baptized in the Catholic Church is expected to dress in white to symbolize purity of faith and the cleansing power of Baptism. Which Mass Fulfills My Sunday Obligation? At the outset we think it advisable to give two documents which express clearly the mind of the Churchon the subject of baptism. 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. (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.) The child would only rarely see them, possibly only on holidays. 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.
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