Can a child be baptized without consent of one of the parents in Catholicism?

Question

My daughter is 11 and I feel religion should be a personal decision her mother is trying to have her baptized with out my consent.
I am personally unbaptized and am searching for my own answers

Answer 1

You need only one baptized persons consent, here are few quotes to help you along.
Matt. 28:19-20 - Jesus commands the apostles to baptize all people "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Many Protestant churches are now teaching that baptism is only a symbolic ritual, and not what actually cleanses us from original sin. This belief contradicts Scripture and the 2,000 year-old teaching of the Church.

Acts 2:38 - Peter commands them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in order to be actually forgiven of sin, not just to partake of a symbolic ritual.

Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38 - there is nothing in these passages or elsewhere in the Bible about baptism being symbolic. There is also nothing about just accepting Jesus as personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved.

Mark 16:16 - Jesus said "He who believes AND is baptized will be saved." Jesus says believing is not enough. Baptism is also required. This is because baptism is salvific, not just symbolic. The Greek text also does not mandate any specific order for belief and baptism, so the verse proves nothing about a “believer’s baptism.”

John 3:3,5 - unless we are "born again" of water and Spirit in baptism, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The Greek word for the phrase "born again" is "anothen" which literally means “begotten from above.” See, for example, John 3:31 where "anothen" is so used. Baptism brings about salvation, not just a symbolism of our salvation.

Job 14:1-4 - man that is born of woman is full of trouble and unclean. Baptism is required for all human beings because of our sinful human nature.

Psalm 51:5 - we are conceived in the iniquity of sin. This shows the necessity of baptism from conception.

Matt. 18:2-5 - Jesus says unless we become like children, we cannot enter into heaven. So why would children be excluded from baptism?

Matt 19:14 - Jesus clearly says the kingdom of heaven also belongs to children. There is no age limit on entering the kingdom, and no age limit for being eligible for baptism.

Mark 10:14 - Jesus says to let the children come to Him for the kingdom of God also belongs to them. Jesus says nothing about being too young to come into the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:16 - Jesus says to the crowd, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." But in reference to the same people, Jesus immediately follows with "He who does not believe will be condemned." This demonstrates that one can be baptized and still not be a believer. This disproves the Protestant argument that one must be a believer to be baptized. There is nothing in the Bible about a "believer's baptism."

Luke 18:15 – Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.” The people brought infants to Jesus that he might touch them. This demonstrates that the receipt of grace is not dependent upon the age of reason.

1 Cor. 7:14 – Paul says that children are sanctified by God through the belief of only one of their parents.

Answer 2

It doesn't matter if they do or don't. baptism of a person who is too young to understand it is only a symbol of the person's induction into a faith system. It doesn't actually CREATE any faith. When the child gets old enough to think for himself or herself, any other belief system (or lack of belief) can be adopted. The baptism is not a barrier to this. I was christened aged about 1. It didn't make me a christian. I am now not a christian. Easy! You might actually say that baptism is for the parents, not the child. It is a ceremony of conforming to social norms. It means nothing at all to the child unless the child is already a believer. The real ill would be baptising a child who IS old enough to understand and doing it without their consent. That's pretty nasty work.

Answer 3

Hi, I respect your courage in posting this question but the answer is that your Wife can legally get your baby baptised if she so wishes, it will not harm your child in any way but when she grows up she still has the right to practise her faith or not and it really is not your place to interfere in her spiritual growth.
your wife is doing what is best for your Daughter and it would be hard hearted and selfish of you to prevent her.

Answer 4

You will have to go to court to get an order to stop the baptism. Now you risk your marriage if you do this. Is it really worth it? You two should have thought of this before you had children.

Answer 5

no, I don't think so. I think both parents have to agree to raising the child Catholic, but I am not sure.