Q: Why do we baptize babies instead of letting them reach a mature age like that of Jesus and decide for themselves? – V.C.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: A quick clarification: Jesus’ baptism wasn’t a sacramental baptism. He didn’t have any sin and thus wouldn’t need baptism. He accepted a symbolic baptism from John, in part, as an example for us.
As to why we practice infant baptism, the reasons are varied (a longer treatment can be found in this Catholic Answers post).
First, babies have original sin and thus can benefit immediately from the grace of the sacrament. Should they happen to die after receiving baptism, they would go right to heaven.
Infant baptism isn’t the end of the story, of course. Children need to be raised in the faith and catechized. But having the grace of the sacrament will already strengthen them. Baptism is also a gateway to the other sacraments and allows them to later go to confession, receive Communion, and be confirmed.
People who reach the age of reason must affirm their own decision to follow Christ. Having the sacraments under their belt, so to speak, will better equip them for this decision.
Second, Jesus hinted that baptism was for the little ones. “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).
Scripture records conversions that promptly led to the baptism of entire households. Presumably there were infants or small children in those households (see Acts 16:25-33).
Moreover, St. Paul notes that baptism has replaced circumcision: “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossian 2:11-12). In the Old Covenant circumcision was usually administered to infants.
Another way of approaching the topic is this: It’s natural that we want to give the best to children. We feed them healthy food and we teach them to read and write, etc.
We don’t let children turn 18 years old before deciding for themselves whether they want to be literate or to eat healthy. Rather, we give them good things early on, since they don’t know what’s good for them. They need guidance and love.
If an 18-year-old decides never to read a book or a newspaper, or to subsist on pizza and Coke, that is his business. His parents did what they could.
I hope some of this helps.
