A Christian name and a sober rite: One must be “catholically correct” right from the start of their Christian life.
Baptism is the sacrament of Christian renewal through water and the word, it is no carnival.
The verb “to baptise” is Greek for “dipping”, “immersing”.
Immersion in water is the symbol of the catechumen’s burial and resurrection to life as a “new being”, alongside Christ.
The Catholic Church’s catechism specifies that holy baptism is the basis of all Christian life, the vestibule that leads towards life in the Spirit and the door that opens, giving access to all the other sacraments.
Through baptism, Christians are freed of original sin and brought to life as children of God; they become part of Christ, they are incorporated into the Church and take part in his mission.
It is preferable for baptism to take place in the first few weeks or months of a baby’s life.
Catholic parents are therefore encouraged to contact their parish priest as soon as possible in order to set a date for the rite to take place.
Baptism “etiquette” says white flowers should always be used to decorate the Church and the baptismal font.
During the liturgical rite, the godparents must be present and hold the baby in their arms. The choice of name is crucial.
Just one year ago, Benedict XVI urged parents: “Give your children Christian names, these seal Christians with the spiritual mark that indicates the beginning of the path in the faith.”
This is all the more true today, as the family is being “threatened on many fronts”.
Children must be given Christian names because baptism is the “indelible mark” which “consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship.”
Benedict XVI urges parents not to give their children names that are not included in the Christian martyrology and to refrain from choosing different names, even if these are in fashion.
“Every baptized person acquires the character of 'son' starting with their Christian name, an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit gives birth 'anew ' to man from the womb of the Church."
In relation to this, the Pope quoted the Blessed Antonio Rosmini, underlining that “man is "raised to the supernatural order" through the sacrament, thus renewing his communication with God.” All this came true again this morning, as I baptised 21 children.” Baptism, Joseph Ratzinger stressed, marks “the beginning of the spiritual life that finds fulfilment in the Church.” The Pope highlighted that “at the right moment of the Sacrament, while the Community of the Church prays and entrusts a new son or daughter to God, the parents and godparents commit to welcoming the newly baptised child, supporting them through their education and Christian upbringing.”
This is “a big responsibility that derives from a great gift,” so Benedict XVI encourages “all faithful to rediscover the beauty of baptism and of giving joyous testimony to their own faith, so that it produces fruits of goodness and concord.” According the latest findings by Italy’s National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) regarding birth registrations, the trendiest names for babies are Francesco and Giulia, with the name Christian topping the lot. From Northern, all the way down to Southern Italy, the “top ten” list of names for boys and girls is “Catholically correct” (Francesco, Alessandro, Andrea, Matteo, Giulia, Sofia, Martina, Sara), but among the 30 most highly rated names there are some which are not included in the martyrology, including Nicole, Noemi and Giada. Today, baptism is no longer a social obligation as it was in the past. It therefore needs to be a well informed, free and genuine choice. Through baptism, a person becomes a member of the Church and enters into the community of saints by vocation.