Debitum Pastoralis Officii
Pope Innocent III, August 228, 1206, DZ 413: You have, to be sure, intimated that a certain Jew, when at the point of death, since he lived only among Jews, immersed himself in water while saying: “I baptize myself in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.”We respond that, since there should be a distinction between the one baptizing and the one baptized, as is clearly gathered from the words of the Lord, when He says to the Apostles: “Go baptize all nations in the name etc.” (Matthew 28:19), the Jew mentioned must be baptized again by another, that it may be shown that he who is baptized is one person, and he who baptizes is another. … If, however, such a one had died immediately, he would have rushed to his heavenly home without delay because of the faith of the sacrament, although not because of the sacrament of faith.First of all a person cannot validly baptize himself, which is what brought this question before the Pope in the first place. However the Jew, who had obviously converted desired Baptism and baptized himself not knowing how else to proceed. He is told to be baptized by another, if possible, but if he has died his salvation is not to be despaired of!This page was last updated: January 25, 2007
Michael Fighting
