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Original poster

Can I baptise my child both Catholic and C of E?

89 replies

PixieCake · 13/03/2015 22:42

I am Catholic and my husband is C of E.
We go to both churches so that our children will know both.
Does anyone know if we can baptise our child twice, once in each church so that she is both C of E and Catholic?

OP posts:
chantico · 13/03/2015 22:44

No.

One Baptism by either is recognised by both. It's a sacrament which is only done once.

squoosh · 13/03/2015 22:48

I don't think so. Aren't baptisms a pledge to raise a child in a specific religion. Don't know much about C of E but in Catholic baptisms you promise to raise the child as a Catholic.

Surely only one Christian baptism is required and then the child can attend both churches as a Christian?

Tapwater · 13/03/2015 22:49

No, of course not. It's not like dual nationality.

CliveCussler · 13/03/2015 22:52

Until it comes to Education. Try getting your child into a Catholic School if they're baptized C of E (or vice versa). If the school is oversubscribed, you wont meet the criteria.

Interesting.

Original poster
PixieCake · 14/03/2015 11:14

Thanks for these replies.

I don't really understand why this might be a problem. If we are welcome to worship at both churches (which we are) and receive communion at both (which we do) then why can't my child be officially received into both churches?

Is this a question of it being unethical for some reason, or is it more about the difference in beliefs?

Don't some people have 2 religions?

And yes it would be useful if my daughter could have the right paperwork for either a C of E or a catholic school.

I appreciate the help on this one.

OP posts:
Wombat22 · 14/03/2015 11:19

I think that when a child is baptised/christened it is welcomed into a life with God. (not specifically Cof E or Catholic)
My DS was baptised in a catholic church (as requested by his dad) but he went to a a CofE middle and high school

meditrina · 14/03/2015 11:21

It's not really a question of ethics, it's that neither denomination will do it as Baptism for one is valid for the other.

For school entry, it is normally both Baptism that is required and church attendance. If baptised into a denomination that you then follow, or follow none, then the baptism will 'count' as that denomination.

If Baptised into one, but then attend the other, the it will count for the other (because if the Church accepts it as valid, then I doubt very much the Admissions team could exclude it. Particularly if you have a nice ballsy PP.).

Wombat22 · 14/03/2015 11:29

I should have said that DS went to the same middle school as I had attended (which is a feeder for the high school) and the vicar from the middle school sends a letter to confirms to the high school that DS was a church attender

OddBoots · 14/03/2015 11:33

The Catholic church is okay with your CofE DH taking communion? That's unusual.

They'll be Christian whichever church baptises them and they each recognise the other's baptism. You'd need to lie to get them done at both.

Bunbaker · 14/03/2015 11:35

I have a friend who is C of E and is married to a catholic. They go to a catholic church but my friend isn't allowed to take communion.

meditrina · 14/03/2015 11:39

Only Catholics can receive in RC churches.

But it's really quite unlikely a PP would check up on FC/confirmation status of all new arrivals in the Parish.

CofE happy to do anyone who says they are in good standing in any Christian denomination.

Polyethyl · 14/03/2015 11:43

You say you go to church but you appear to be completely ignorant of the Nicene Creed!

The relevant line you are asking about is "We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

So that means you only get ONE baptism.

Virginiaplain1 · 14/03/2015 11:47

Meditrini- at the school in which I work (Catholic), there is no requirement for church attendance, only baptism. If you have no Catholic baptism certificate, then you do not count as Catholic. Children who have been baptised in another church can be received into the Catholic Church, but they would no longer be members of the original church.
Also, OP, I know that it happens, but strictly speaking, non-Catholics are not permitted to take communion in a Catholic Church and Catholics are not supposed to take communion in a non-Catholic church.

gamora · 14/03/2015 11:58

No, people don't have two religions, that's a really odd thing to think!

Some people follow aspects of multiple faiths, but then they're either spiritual or loosely 'christian' but its up to the particular faith whether they would recognise them.

Most schools would require baptism into their faith, and attendance at their services - they would acknowledge the other religion as christian, so you wouldn't need to be baptised again, but you would need to convert to be considered a full catholic and to be officially allowed to receive communion as has been pointed out.

I know friends who are atheist (based in Ireland) who had to deal with an enrolment criteria at a catholic school that went: first, catholics - then CofE (or in this case CofI), then, other christian denominations, then, other religions, then non-religion/atheists. Which I think is fairly outrageous, but anyway.

I know differences between catholic and protestant religions are underplayed, and many practising both religions ignore some of the rules, but they do have significant differences in aspects of what they believe so its not really possible to follow both. While I think its lovely your children will be open to both faiths, and in practise they can learn about and feel part of both communities, you will have to choose one dominant one for purposes of christening and education.

BubblesInMyBath · 14/03/2015 12:04

An interesting post.

Would either church know if you had them baptised in the other?

legohurtswhenyoustandonit · 14/03/2015 12:08

Could you have a baptism in one and a blessing in the other?

Stillill · 14/03/2015 12:13

It sounds as if the real reason for having them baptised in both is for future school admissions rather than having them open to both faiths.

You also don't sound like someone who pays attention at either church you attend as if you did you would have been aware of some of the comments from the PP regarding a single baptism, only Catholics being allowed catholic communion and there being fundamental differences in the two denominations despite the coming under the umbrella of Christianity.

It's great to have children open to both beliefs and not impose either on them but they can't believe in both as elements such as the holy trinity and communion differ. You can believe one or the other or neither but not both!

buffyp · 14/03/2015 13:36

Actually stillil that's not quite true. I am converting from c of e to rc and both believe the same things regarding the holy trinity. Also some Anglicans believe the same as RC in regard to communion although they are still not supposed to receive. It's quite complicated as higher aspects of Anglicanism are very similar to Catholicism whereas lower Anglicanism will look quite different. Regardless only one baptism is required and if the op goes to church then they really should know this.

Love51 · 14/03/2015 13:53

You can have a 'service of thanksgiving' for a child in the c of e. This welcomes the child into the church without signing them up for lifetime membership. I like it. I dpnt think people should get to choose someone else's religion.

QuintessentiallyInShade · 14/03/2015 13:59

According to the Code of Canon Law, receiving communion in a Protestant church is generally not permissible. According to canon 844, “Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers.” The key term here is licit. If a Catholic receives communion from a Protestant minister, it is generally considered “illicit” or unlawful.

So no, you should not go for communion at eachothers churches.

vdbfamily · 14/03/2015 18:45

we recently had some baptisms at church of adults who had never been baptised. One of the guys was not sure and his parents were both dead so when he was baptised the bishop said,'this is only a baptism if he has not been previously baptised.If he was baptised as a baby then this is just a reminder of that baptism' It would probably be safest to have his baptism at the Catholic church and then continue to attend both as I am sure if he chose to be confirmed in an anglican church they would accept his catholic baptism but I don't think it would work the other way round.

ShanVanVocht · 14/03/2015 18:52

Of course you can't. When you are baptised Catholic, you are stating that you believe in the teachings of the Catholic church, and some of them directly contradict the teachings of the Anglican church. And vice versa.
If you join both you are lying to both of them.

And you aren't supposed to recieve communion at both churches either.

Religion in this context is a binary state. You either are or are not, and you can't be both. It's like saying you are vegetarian and a meat eater, one contradicts the other.

thanksamillion · 14/03/2015 19:25

OP the short answer is no, you can't be baptised in both churches and you don't need to be. In practice, the Catholic church often favours those who were baptised in their own church. The Anglican church is generally more forgiving, so pragmatically you would be best to have a Catholic Baptism and a dedication in the Anglican church. I can understand that you feel that your DC is part of both church communities and this would be a way of acknowledging them.

Re taking communion in each others churches, most Catholic churches don't knowingly allow Anglicans to take communion. Most Anglican churches would be fine with a Catholic partaking (lots have 'open tables' where anyone who wants can take) but a practising Catholic may not want to because of the laws outlined by Quint. But, to complicate things further if it was a very 'high' Anglican church it might be ok because some do believe in transubstantiation which is the crux of the issue (or at least part of it).

I don't agree with Shan in that there are many Christians who are able to put aside doctrinal differences and say that both Catholics and Anglicans are part of the same wider Christian faith.

thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts · 14/03/2015 19:46

I know a number of couples who go to both RC and Anglican churches as one was raised RC and the other Anglican. Both denominations recognise the other's baptisms but if you want to get into an oversubscribed RC school it will probably have to be an RC baptism done before 6 months of age.

Both churches are Christian and the core statement of belief is the Nicene Creed.

Strictly speaking no RC should receive communion at an Anglican church as the ordination of Anglican priests, both men and women, is not seen as valid. But people do.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 14/03/2015 19:51

Vdb, it does work the other way round. It's a shared sacrament. Baptism into any Christian denomination is recognised by both the catholic and c of e in order to receive any further sacraments. The core belief is as a pp mentioned, part of the Nicene Creed which the OP will recite at mass or during a c of e service.

Not sure where you stand on school admissions though. Any school insisting on baptism in a catholic church, regardless of where the child currently attends is probably going against one of the key beliefs of the church. AFAIK, Rcic isn't normally offered to children under 7 as they are below the age where even children baptised into the catholic church would have received their first holy communion instruction.