Church in the World

Pell backs stand against 'invalid' baptisms

Hundreds of Australian children may have to be re-baptised after senior church figures in the country declared their baptisms invalid. Cardinal George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney and Australia's most senior Catholic cleric, has backed Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane who declared publicly two weeks ago that children baptised at a south Brisbane church using non-traditional words would have to be re-baptised. Hundreds of children have been baptised at St Mary's Church in the past decade using the words "creator, liberator and sustainer" instead of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit". Pell has backed Bathersby's stand against "radical" changes to the sacrament of baptism, which were brought to his attention after a complaint by a disgruntled grandparent.

Bathersby said "The words of scripture can't be adjusted to suit our own taste; the next thing we'll be getting rid of Christ himself." Supporting Bathersby, Pell said using the "correct" formulae is necessary for priests and congregations to remain in communion with the universal Catholic Church. "People come to the Catholic Church believing that they are going to receive a Catholic baptism ceremony based on Catholic doctrine. It would be wrong for them to be misled on that."

Pell agreed the baptisms might need to be performed again because "those words that were allegedly used would constitute invalidity". But he stopped short of saying priests who used the wrong form of words should be thrown out of the Church. "Just because a person is making a mistake doesn't automatically put them outside the Church," he said.

Fr Peter Kennedy and Fr Terry Fitzpatrick of St Mary's have been using the alternative words as part of its baptism services for at least a decade. Fr Kennedy said he was "gobsmacked" by Bathersby's public pronouncements since 22 November. The parish agreed to return to the traditional words two months ago when the issue first arose, even though Kennedy does not accept that former baptisms are invalid. He says the alternative words were based on the doctrine of the Trinity. "When we use the words 'God the creator, liberator and sustainer', it's just another way of expressing the trinitarian formula," he argued.

On 1 December, he told a local newspaper that Bathersby was failing to read the signs of the times. "In a prayer in John's gospel, Jesus tells his closest confidantes that it is 'by their fruits that you will know them', not by rules, regulations and laws." Kennedy felt St Mary's was trying to live out the Archbishop's own vision for his archdiocese. Bathersby's nine-point vision included the parish liturgy becoming "more vibrant, meaningful and inclusive", and parishes being "welcoming, inclusive communities to which people are drawn and have a strong sense of belonging". In Kennedy's view, "you couldn't describe St Mary's better". He told the newspaper that Bathersby had supported liturgical experimentation over the years, but "in the current environment he has to be seen to be taking a stand".

Margaret Ridley, a parishioner at St Mary's, will not be seeking a re-baptism for her three children. "I have every confidence that my children have been baptised in an adequate and proper way," Mrs Ridley told local media. She said she and her husband had been invited to contribute to the words of the baptism services for their children, now aged 10, 9, and 7. "The services celebrated the maternal aspects of child-rearing as opposed to the traditional patriarchal approach of the Catholic Church," she said. "And it was delightful to have the female side of divinity recognised and celebrated." Caroline Gamin too will not be seeking a re-baptism for her daughter, now aged 7. "I don't remember them using those words - the creator, liberator and sustainer - but I think they're gorgeous," she said.
Ellen Teague