Common Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Baptism - National ...

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4. g. Critical Comparison of Roman Catholic and Reformed Rites
A comparison of the current printed liturgies of Reformed and Roman Catholic churches in
this dialogue reveal strong similarities, arising from the common ecumenical liturgical
movement of the 20 th century, which itself emerged from shared biblical and historical
scholarship in the early part of the century. Even so, some differences remain. This report offers
both structural and thematic reflections arising from comparison of the printed baptismal orders.
A chart with the full texts of all the current rites can be found in the appendix. It is important to
note that the comparison of rites in the appendix focuses on the Roman Catholic rite of
paedobaptism, not the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. As noted earlier, the current
Reformed rites may be used for either infants or persons of mature faith. This represents a
reversal of practice from an earlier era, when Reformed churches had separate rites for adults and
children, while Roman Catholic churches had a single rite to be used for both.
Similarities
All of the baptismal rites, both Reformed and Roman Catholic, according to written form
if not always in practice, follow the reading and proclamation of the Word. Baptism is thus
always understood as a response to the proclaimed Word. This is significant, because it
represents a change from earlier practice, when baptisms were often conducted privately, apart
from the liturgy of the Word (Roman Catholic) or before the reading and proclamation of the
Word (some Reformed).
All the baptismal rites include the following elements, though not always in the same
order:
renunciations by candidates or parents of those to be baptized,
profession of faith (usually the Apostles‘ Creed),
promises by parents, sponsors/godparents (if present), and congregation,
baptismal prayer at the font (variously titled ―Blessing and Invocation of God over
Baptismal Water‖ (RC), ―Prayer of Thanksgiving‖ (CRCNA), ―Prayer of Baptism‖
(UCC), ―Baptismal Prayer of Thanksgiving‖ (RCA), and ―Thanksgiving over the
Water‖ (PCUSA)),
baptism with water ―in(to) the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit.‖ xxx The UCC provides the option of alternate words ―You are baptized in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.‖ This appears to be the
central text of the baptismal rite in every case.
post-baptismal anointing, laying on of hands and/or declaration and blessing without
laying on of hands,
prayers for the baptized.
From this it appears that all the rites have a basic common structure, though it has been
appropriated in different ways.
Furthermore, there is remarkable agreement in the thematic content of the Reformed and
Roman Catholic rites. In our analysis of the rites, texts were read for five kinds of statements:
(1) images, such as those which variously describe baptismal water; (2) commitments, such as an
expression for the desire for baptism; (3) effects, such as the gifts from the Holy Spirit received
through baptism; (4) formulae, such as the interrogatories prior to baptism, or the adaptation of a
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