Sacrament of Baptism (Lex Orandi (Unnumbered))

The celebration of the sacrament of baptism underwent a major change in the years after the Second Vatican Council (1962 '65). The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was revised to take into account the situation of the contemporary world by incorporating insights from the earliest centuries of the Church. The Rite of Baptism for Children was renewed to take into account the role of parents and godparents in a more direct way.

These two situations 'the initiation of adults who profess their own faith and the baptism of children whose faith is professed for them 'are the object of this book. The symbols and actions of the rites together with the words of Scripture and prayer are explored to answer the question: How do these celebrations reveal a theology of initiation and baptism for today's Catholic community?

Michal G. Witczak, SLD, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and an assistant professor in liturgical studies at The Catholic University of America. His writings have appeared in Theological Studies, Ecclesia Orans, and Liturgical Ministry.

• Catholic Social Thought: Encyclicals and Documents from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis
• Confirmation: The Baby in Solomon's Court Revised & Updated
• Mystery of the Church
• Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church
• Church, State, and Society: An Introduction to Catholic Social Doctrine (Catholic Moral Thought)
• Preaching the Mystery of the Faith: The Sunday Homily
• Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
• Written Text Becomes Living Word: The Vision and Practice of Sunday Preaching
• Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today
• Magisterium: Teacher and Guardian of the Faith (Introductions to Catholic Doctrine)