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Questions & Answers

Baptism

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › The Sacraments › Baptism

The question

Is a forced baptism or a baptism conferred on a deep sleeping person or someone in a coma ever considered a valid Baptism? It appears that the church has used forced Baptisms in past years. Did any of the people who received forced Baptisms receive the graces of a valid Baptism?

The answer

Baptism is death and resurrection with our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith has to precede baptism. Part of the Mystery of Baptism is transferring the baptized person from death to life, and from the leadership of one master to another, by renouncing Satan and uniting with our Lord Jesus Christ. If a person who does not have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is forced to be baptized, his baptism is invalid, and will not confer any grace to the person. This is because the Holy Spirit is a discerning Spirit.

You might ask: why then baptize children? The answer is that children are not forced to be baptized against their will; but are baptized according to the faith of their parents or guardians, who stand before the Lord, renounce Satan, declare their faith in the Lord and take a pledge to raise the child to believe in the Lord and follow His commandments.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1106 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.