Sue Oakley (Letters, 22 June) is scathing of grandparents who baptise their grandchildren themselves because their own children decide not to do so. This is, “dishonest, unethical and deceitful”, she says.

If after prayer and reflection a grandparent stands in the gap for their own offspring and baptises a grandchild without informing their son or daughter, why should it be assumed it is done out of fear and ignorance of the fact that the Church has set aside its teaching on “Limbo”? I doubt that there are many cradle Catholics who still believe this.

Salvation is a broad term which applies to the here and now as well as our eternal destiny. The “penny catechism” still holds true that a sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace. As an RE teacher I taught that sacramental signs achieve what they show. In the case of baptism the person or baby being baptised becomes a son or daughter of God, a sister or brother of Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, becomes part of God’s family and is freed from original sin.