Small Fire

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions.

Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this need not be so. (James 3:1-10)

In my opinion, a small fire has just set a huge forest ablaze.  According to this CBS News report: (begin) A Catholic priest in Phoenix has resigned from his position after a church investigation found he had been incorrectly performing baptisms over his 20-year career — rendering the rite invalid for thousands of people, according to Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix. As he poured the holy water during the baptisms he performed, the Rev. Andres Arango would say, "We baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

But Father Arango misstated one word: "We baptize" should have been "I baptize." And getting that word wrong nullified all of the rituals he performed using that language. "If you were baptized using the wrong words, that means your baptism is invalid, and you are not baptized," Olmsted wrote in a message to parishioners. "You will need to be baptized."

"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes." 

The Diocese of Phoenix added that it did not believe Father Arango "had any intentions to harm the faithful or deprive them of the grace of baptism and the sacraments."

"I too am sincerely sorry that this error has resulted in disruption to the sacramental lives of a number of the faithful. This is why I pledge to take every step necessary to remedy the situation for everyone impacted," Olmsted said.

He said that after a "careful study by diocesan officials," all of the baptisms Arango performed up until June 17, 2021, are presumed invalid. Baptisms performed by Arango after that date are presumed valid and there is no need to repeat them. (end)

I appreciate the importance of using the right word.  Still, sending thousands of “baptized” people into a world of hurt and confusion and broadcasting to the world the message that the Catholic Church is so rigid it would invalidate baptisms and the sacraments that follow regardless of the spiritual damage it would cause to Catholics, is extremely disheartening.  We are engaged in discussions about unity as we prepare for the Synod.  Our Church must have a way to deal with this honest mistake by Father Arango.  

Let’s consider Bishop Olmsted’s message to parishioners. "You will need to be baptized. The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes" (my emphasis).

Okay.  But, doesn’t it seem strange that Christ Jesus would reference himself in the baptismal formula: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?”  Then again, perhaps Christ Jesus, referencing himself as well as the Father and Holy Spirit, is baptizing as “We” – the three as in the Trinity.  

Priests and deacon are supposed use the word “I baptize.”  Still, Catholic gathered around the font with the baby, child, or adult are present to baptize.  Yes, they are to witness, but they are more than witnesses.  Baptism is far more than washing away original sin.  It’s also about renewing baptismal vows and being reminded that the infant or child must be raised in the faith, with parents and godparents, by what they say and do, working together to achieve that aim with support of the community.

This “problem” has been covered by national news networks.  I hope the Church can find a way to repair the damage caused by this “I versus We” small fire capable of causing a blazing fire threatening to further burn our house down – our house already smoking from the many crippling instances of priests’ sexual abuse.

The waters of baptism are supposed to put out fires, not set them.

Deacon David Pierce