Baptism of Infants
Baptism is a very important moment in a person’s life and in the life of their family. In baptism, the child becomes a son or daughter of God.
Place of Baptism
It is strongly recommended that baptism be performed in the parish in which the child is living or will be living in the near future. However, when there is a valid reason, baptism may be performed in another parish. (see CIC 857.2) With the exception of the Easter Vigil, baptism may only be performed in the parish church or in churches in areas which, for pastoral purposes, are permitted to administer this sacrament.
Registration and Required Documents
When a baby is born, it is registered in the Public Registry (Insinwa). Parents who wish to baptize their baby, go to the Parish Office and take with them a complete birth certificate (large – A3) of the baby that they obtain from the Insinwa. This is essential for the registration of the baptism. It is also important that the parents have their identity card with them. To communicate with the parish office or to see the opening hours you can visit the Parishes section on this site.
Parents must also choose one or two people to serve as godparents. The duty of godparents is to assist parents in their responsibility to raise their children in the Christian faith. The godparents must be a man and a woman, but there may be only one godparent or only one godparent. The godparents must be at least sixteen years of age, be practicing members of the Catholic Church and accept the Catholic faith. It is important that godparents are aware of their duty and do their best to fulfill it. Given the importance of this role, godparents must sign a declaration in which they declare that they are capable of being godparents and are aware of the obligations that such a role entails. (see CIC 872-874) The godparents’ declaration can be downloaded here. It must be completed by the godparents and given to the parents to be handed over to the Parish Priest before the celebration of the baptism. Those who, for one reason or another, feel that they cannot in their conscience make this declaration, should not act as godparents.
Furthermore, if the baby does not reside in the parish where the baptism will take place, the parents should contact the Parish Priest where the baby lives to obtain a certificate granting permission for the baby to be baptized in another parish.
Preparation
The Church requires that parents and godparents be prepared so that they may better understand the great privilege and duty they have in raising their child in the Christian faith (CIC 851.2). When you go to register your child at the parish office, the parish priest will inform you of how this preparation is carried out in that particular parish.
Baptism Celebration
For baptism, the baby is dressed in white to symbolize the new life that will be received. Parents and relatives should ensure that their clothing is appropriate for the House of God.
It is a good thing that in preparation for baptism, parents and godparents approach the sacrament of confession. It is good not to leave confession until before the celebration. It is suggested that confession be made a few days in advance through an appointment with a priest.
Many people would like to have a souvenir of this sacrament through photos or videos. The practice used for photos or videos varies from parish to parish. Therefore, if you would like to give a souvenir, it is a good idea to check with the parish whether there is an official photographer or whether it is the responsibility of the parents to find a photographer themselves.
Baptism of Adults
It is always a great joy for the Church when a person, especially an adult, requests baptism from the Church. Since this involves a process of formation, one is invited to speak to the Parish Priest to guide him in the process leading to baptism. For more information visit https://welcome.church.mt/