Baptism Certificate

MamaMoo_2

Fine, whereas "other" Christians (such as C of E) are christened.

Christening is simply a naming ceremony within the church, whereas in Catholicism, Baptism holds a deeper meaning, and is one of the seven sacraments. They may look like the "same thing", but they aren't!

All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics, so whilst most churches will accept a baptism or christening certificate as proof for entry to a Christian school, many catholic schools will only accept Baptism certificates.

Torry_Quine

MamaMoo wrote: »

Fine, whereas "other" Christians (such as C of E) are christened.

Christening is simply a naming ceremony within the church, whereas in Catholicism, Baptism holds a deeper meaning, and is one of the seven sacraments. They may look like the "same thing", but they aren't!

All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics, so whilst most churches will accept a baptism or christening certificate as proof for entry to a Christian school, many catholic schools will only accept Baptism certificates.

Christening in a non-Catholic church is not simply a naming ceremony and I'm shocked that any Christian Catholic or otherwise would say such a thing!:eek: If you really think that then you are disparaging other denominations which is not very Christian of you at all.


What you mean is that many Catholic schools will only accept a baptism certificate from a Catholic church.

Personally I prefer that children aren't baptised but that they decide when old enough.

neverdespairgirl

MamaMoo wrote: »

Fine, whereas "other" Christians (such as C of E) are christened.

Christening is simply a naming ceremony within the church, whereas in Catholicism, Baptism holds a deeper meaning, and is one of the seven sacraments. They may look like the "same thing", but they aren't!

All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics, so whilst most churches will accept a baptism or christening certificate as proof for entry to a Christian school, many catholic schools will only accept Baptism certificates.

Perhaps you should tell "Baptists" that........

Christening in the C of E isn't a naming ceremony, it's a lot more than that.

MamaMoo_2

"Christening" literally translates as "to give name to".

My priest corrected my husband when he kept referring to baptism as christening, as christening is simply giving your child a Christian name and welcoming them into the church, whereas a catholic ceremony is the washing away of original sin, pledging oneself to God, and where the person being baptised is "adopted" into the faith, and as previously stated is one of the important "seven sacraments"

Also, I am lead to believe that the clothing with a white garment and anointing with oils are not part of a christening ceremony.

Torry_Quine

MamaMoo wrote: »

"Christening" literally translates as "to give name to".

My priest corrected my husband when he kept referring to baptism as christening, as christening is simply giving your child a Christian name and welcoming them into the church, whereas a catholic ceremony is the washing away of original sin, pledging oneself to God, and where the person being baptised is "adopted" into the faith, and as previously stated is one of the important "seven sacraments"

Also, I am lead to believe that the clothing with a white garment and anointing with oils are not part of a christening ceremony.

Parents in all christening services make promises to bring children up in the faith and although there may be differences in the style and substance of the service it's about the same thing.

Many children will be in white christening robes and oils will be used but in themselves are not necessary and instill nothing to the child

This may help you with your lack of knowledge on the subject.

.http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2013/07/top-10-facts-about-christenings.aspx

Savvy_Sue

MamaMoo wrote: »

Also, IIRC, only Catholics are baptised, Christians are Christened?

In most of the churches I've been firmly attached to, we don't use water on babies, so only adults are baptised, ie immersed. Although I believe the Orthodox church fully immerses babies.

For babies, we'd have a service of thanksgiving, naming and dedication of the parents.

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Baptism and christening are just different words for the same thing though.

In common use, yes. Although I can't find a link for it, but I thought christening had roots in 'chrism', ie anointing with oil. Whereas the roots of baptism are definitely immersion.

MamaMoo wrote: »

whereas a catholic ceremony is the washing away of original sin, pledging oneself to God, and where the person being baptised is "adopted" into the faith, and as previously stated is one of the important "seven sacraments"

Also, I am lead to believe that the clothing with a white garment and anointing with oils are not part of a christening ceremony.

You could usefully read The Ministration of Public Baptism of Infants to be used in the church from the Book of Common Prayer: I think you'd find it not much different from your own rites. Oh, and Catholics aren't the only ones who have sacraments: I believe it's only the Salvation Army who have none.

fluffnutter

Torry_Quine wrote: »

For the umpteenth time Catholics are Christians!

Baptism and christening are just different words for the same thing though.

Totally agree. In Christianity at least 'christening' simply means 'infant baptism'. And to confuse things further, the CofE is catholic (as in the Nicene Creed 'We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church'), just not Roman Catholic. But that's a step too far for this discussion I think

bromleymum

Yes the CofE is a catholic church and what is commonly referred to the Catholic Church is to give it its correct title a Roman Catholic Church.

However, back to OP's query the baptism certificate will have catholic written all over it!

There is a school not too far from me whereby it is so oversubscribed then it's practically down to 'how catholic' you are. If you attend the Church regularly (not just top up at Christmas) and have your child baptised as a baby (not the term before you make your school application), then you're in with a good chance!

As a totally lapsed Catholic I marvel at the lengths we will go to get our children into a 'good' school. Luckily for me there's a brilliant secular school on my doorstep otherwise I'm sure I would have gone further than having my children baptised.

neverdespairgirl

My brother went to a C of E primary in SE London - which was about the only decent primary school in the area.

They admitted children in the following order - (1) children who regularly attended the parish church (2) children who regularly attended another nearby C of E church and (3) children who regularly attended another nearby non-C of E Christian church.

My brother fell into category 2 - but there was no trickery involved, my mother took all of us to the church every Sunday for many years, until we were mid-teens, but my sisters and I didn't need to "prove it" to go to the primary we attended.

deva

Something the OP may need to know is that if the father does commit to Catholicism, before the son does they may need to produce a faith marriage certificate. Un married, catholic friends of ours cannot have their son baptised for this reason. This again is something dependent on local priest.

Also christenings are a sacrament in the Anglican Church as a sacrament is a special rite involving god.