The Priest's Craft: baptism

In a proper Church the font is at the entrance of the church, as Baptism is the gateway to the Sacraments. If that is not convenient, then the ceremony can be arranged in front of the Altar rails. If an infant, the form for infants is used if two years or about two years old the form for children is used, and you use this form till the person is more or less adolescent; after that the third form is used.

The Priest, wearing a violet stole, says: "In the Name...". The sponsor presents the child. The priest then places his right hand on the baby's head. If an infant, he may try to avoid you in which case it is sufficient if you just touch the head to make the physical contact, then withdraw the hand, say the prayer. After the exorcism, touch the child's head again. All that is purification. You don’t need to use very great power: it is easier to purify the body of an infant than to purify a diamond ring, for instance. It may take a long time to get the nastiness out of a ring, while but little power is needed to purify an infant.

The sponsor holds the child. The word "ephatha" (Aramaic for “open”) is said. Then you make four crosses (brow, throat, heart and navel). In doing this you open those chakras or centers.

If the child is very young, the chakras are about the size of a trouser button but they become enlarged to about the size of a small saucer when the crosses are made. The point to remember, though, is that you are really giving the chakras a chance to enlarge more easily to that size in the course of their development.

The chakras will contract again after the ceremony and in any case they will be closed later by the priest, or the power would leak out; but, by that temporary opening, you will have made it easier for them to expand, and they will never shrink back to their original size.

The words "be thou opened" were the Lord's own words. He Himself explained the opening up of the chakra. He made an easy way in which we could use some language that indicated what happened, without intriguing outsiders. The words "the beginning of Thy Glory .... " spoken with the hand outstretched over the child, betoken the Power given by the Baptism, which will enable him to attain to the "fullness of the new birth". The new birth means the first great Initiation, of which Baptism is a symbol.

The priest puts the end of his stole on the child's shoulders and says: "Come into the Temple." He then takes a little of the Oil of Catechumens, and anoint the front and back of the throat. Then he makes a cross the full-length of the child in front and at the back, taking care to make the cross the full-length of the body. The form is much the same for adults. An adult begins by kneeling for the exorcism, but stands for this, see that he stands clear of the altar rails when these full-length crosses are made. Think of making a shield over the head, and down under the feet, making as it were a cuirass of white light -- or rather, to be more correct, an angel makes.

The symbolism is now of a person going to be regenerated; so the Priest takes off the violet stole -- symbolical of the darkness of the outer world -- and puts on a white stole as the symbol of regeneration. If a child, hold him a little backwards with the face raised, as the rule is that the water must run.

If water only touches the hair, the baptism is of doubtful validity; in the usage of some Protestant bodies there is no guarantee that water has flowed.

The water must have contact with the skin. Pour it on in the shape of a cross, and if it does not run on to the skin, hold your hand on the forehead and allow the water to flow over the forehead. You can wipe it on the skin with your thumb and you are then sure that it is a valid baptism. Then take the Chrism, brush aside the hair, and make the sign of the cross on the top of the head. With the words “Christ's Holy Chrism" you open the chakra, holding the thought of purification of that center -- the center through which a person goes in and out of the body -- so that every time the individual goes in and out through that center he is protected -- it makes a sort of consecrated place.

If the person has not been previously baptized in some other church, you say the words "I receive thee ....." etc., but if on the contrary he is already baptized, you say "I sign thee". Then the server brings cloth and candle. Take the cloth from the altar, bless it and put it on the person. There is no need to bless the candle if it has been lit by an altar candle.

Who to Baptize

Baptize absolutely all who have not been baptized, and re-baptize persons from Protestant churches where the Holy Oils have not been used. Baptisms by Roman Catholic priests are considered valid, also baptisms in the Old Catholic and Eastern Churches. In the case of baptisms done by the Church of England we re-baptize, because they do not have any anointing; but we do it sub conditione.

You must not do it again for people who have been baptized in a “catholic” church. It is a sacrilege to do it over again.

Unless a person is going to be ordained I do not insist on re-baptism, I offer or recommend it.

At one time there was a certain laxity in the English Church but that is not so now. In the 18th century there is a story of a bishop who spread his hands over fourteen persons at once and just flicked a little water over them! The Roman Catholics in England made a rule that they would not accept baptisms by the Church of England on account of this laxity, though a baptism by a Jewish doctor in a hospital when administered to the dying was considered valid. Curiously enough, this rule does not seem to have been made on the Continent. When Anglicans come to me to be re- baptized, I say it is not essential, as we acknowledge the validity of the first baptism; but I generally find, that after it is pointed out to them what they are getting, they generally want it. If a person does not know whether he has been baptized you should do it again conditionally.

When Someone is Dying

First, don't talk to him of hell! It depends on the beliefs of the person.

You might talk about reincarnation.

A doctor I knew, who had attended many death beds said his experience was that spiritualists die best, then Roman Catholics, then all the rest, and worst of all, materialists.

What you do depends very much on the state of the person. You give Extreme Unction if they are near death, or healing if they are not near death. You can give the Reserved Host, the Viaticum, as it is called, if the person is in a condition to swallow it.

You must carry the Host on your person carefully in a pyx, if you cannot take it in a carriage; for we cannot take it through the streets with bell and procession, as they do in Roman Catholic countries.

Put vestments on if there is time; otherwise it does not matter.

When Someone Has Already Died

You sprinkle the body with Holy Water, then give "Absolution", as it is called, for the corpse first thing.

Then you give the invocation, then a "charge" is given, followed by the singing of the "Te Deum", or if this seems too joyous, you may alter it to some other psalm.