Ask a Priest: Why do we baptize infants in the Catholic Church?

Catholics have been baptizing babies ever since Jesus commanded his followers to baptize all people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). Since faith is needed to be baptized the parents extend their faith on behalf of the child.

What’s the basis for this?

Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic because of the faith of the people of presented him (Matthew 9:2). He also casts out an unclean spirit in a child based on her father’s faith (Mark 9:22-25). If God works in these instance, won’t he surely do the same for children in need of the healing of original sin? Original sin is an obstacle to the life of grace. When infants receive baptism and become sons and daughters of the Father, they are able to grow without the baggage of this wound we all inherit.

We also see baptism in the early Church.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peters says: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, whomever the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39). The Greek word for “children” (teknon) includes infants. Male children in the Old Covenant were made members by circumcision. Excluding children in the New Covenant would make it inferior, which is definitely not the case. The New Covenant in Jesus is for all – Jews, Gentiles, and yes, children.