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Can a Catholic (or any Christian) be baptized more than once?

On one hand, this sounds like a strange question, but on the other, we will find there are many people who have been baptized more than once—in some cases many times.  My Lutheran sister-in-law recently joined a Baptist church and was encouraged by the pastor that she be baptized again.  So, is being re-baptized ever warranted based on the scriptures?

The Catholic tradition and many other Christian denominations stand united on Ephesians 4:4-6, which says: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” So, once baptism (water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) happens, it’s a once-and-for-all kind of thing. If you move to a different part of the country or even switch to a different denomination or convert to Catholicism, your Trinitarian baptism counts.

However, in some Christian denominations, the practice of infant baptism (Catholic tradition) is not considered sufficient because they believe in what’s called “believer’s baptism.” A believer’s baptism requires the person being baptized to say, “I believe in that.” An infant can’t express that belief, so a person would need to be baptized in that specific tradition. This is sometimes referred to as “re-baptism,” although that’s a bit of a misnomer because in a way these Christian denominations do not consider whatever previous baptism to have been valid.

The Church teaches that there is one baptism because there is only one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was capable of atoning for the sins of mankind, something a mere man could not do. Baptism applies the merits of Christ’s one Sacrifice of Calvary, his Paschal Mystery (CCC 1085), so that we can be forgiven of our sins and become temples of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1262).

Baptism consequently makes us one in Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-26), whereas a number of baptisms would suggest disunity among God’s people. Baptism is a sacrament that speaks of the reality that the Christian life has a beginning. In baptism, you pass from death to life.

The Sacrament of Baptism marks that reality in a profound way for Christians. To say that you could be baptized again and again would imply that you could pass from death to life again and again, which is not at all what we believe. So, the singularity of baptism as the sacrament of the beginning of the Christian life needs to be carefully preserved.

As Catholics, we believe that “Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, which consecrates the baptized person as belonging to Christ. Because of this, Baptism cannot be repeated.” (CCC 1272 and 1280).

In summary, there is no double-dipping when it comes to baptism.




Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn