Steps and Requirements for Baptism in Chile

For many families it is very important to comply with the Catholic duties instilled by their first parents, which is why in most countries the act of baptism is celebrated within Catholic churches. This act often has the purpose of following the family traditions that were taught.

To celebrate the act of baptism in any country, it is necessary to have some requirements, where the person interested in carrying out this act must comply with everything required to be able to celebrate with their family and friends.

What is baptism?

The Christian Catholic Church defines baptism as the sacrament that tries to pour water on the head of a person or individual, where most of the time it is newborn children, Other times the head is immersed in water as a symbol of purification from birth to a new life and of entry and acceptance into the Catholic Church.

This act can be performed at any age, it is not a mandatory act, it is only for those who have faith in the Catholic religion and its rudiments and at the decision of their guardians or parents responsible for the infants who decide to perform this religious act.

Requirements for baptism in Chile

In Chile to comply with the following requirements, whether for adults or, on the contrary, children

For children:

1. Must participate in 5 preparatory meeting classes
2. The baptismal certificate of the future godparents must be presented
3. Submit birth certificate of the minor

For young:

1. Submit baptism certificate and confirmation of both godparents
2. Participate in the parish catechism course
3. Birth certificate of the person to be baptized

For adults:

1. Submit baptismal certificate of the godparents
2. Submit birth certificate
3. Carry out a catechesis preparation course especially for adults
4. Present confirmation certificate of godparents

How to perform the baptism

Baptism comes from the Greek word and its meaning is to immerse this act is carried out together with the parents of the minor, the young person or the adult in the case of minors must make an appearance of their parents or guardians, this religious act must have by the parish priest a date of assignment of the day in which the act was carried out. In this way, the delegated godparents must be present to place the chain that seals the act with the person being baptized, where by means of water and the Holy Trinity: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will be sealed the act of baptism. Giving full certainty of the Catholic faith.

Through the years the Catholic Sacrament became after a family reunion and intimate to an event and social event and its celebration is carried out many times in the morning and other times in the afternoon as determined by the relatives together with the protocol.

The celebration can begin in different ways, but mostly its development begins with the reception of the children, where the will of both the parents and the godparents is expressed, as well as the intention of the church to celebrate the act of baptism. In this act, the godparents must perform a ritual as follows: the godmother takes the child, holding him in her arms while the godfather lights the baptismal candle. (in the case of a small boy or girl)

At the end of this act of religious ceremony, the relatives and godparents together with the baptized person will be able to meet somewhere, together with family and friends and celebrate with food, sweets, ice cream or sweets.

Who can baptize

Baptism is a right for all citizens who so desire, certain parishes request a series of documents to perform this act formally before the church and thus keep a true and accurate record of the number of people who perform this act. and maintain the files in an orderly manner within the parish offices.

It is necessary to have the consent and approval of the parents so that a minor child or young person can be baptizedand guarantee to the church that the child, youth, or adult establishes and educates their Catholic faith.

How many people can be godparents

Many people wonder when it comes to baptizing their children, how many godparents can they assign, the answer itself is very simple, normally it can only be two people, Although according to the decision of the parents there could be four with their consent and authorization, these cases are particularly in the case of having twins or twin children, and they may divide a godmother for each baby, and a godfather for each one. .

These measures are taken with the consent of the parents, in mutual agreement with the godparents, in case of having children with these characteristics, otherwise normal and as established by ecclesiastical orders there should be a godfather and a godmother for each boy, girl, young or adult who wishes to perform the baptism ceremony.

What is baptism for?

The Bible establishes that true baptism is not for the forgiveness of sins and there are even many stories of characters who were baptized today, many wonder what is their end? The purpose of baptism is that this act symbolizes the end of an old life and the beginning of something new about the person’s life.

And even when the Bible clearly mentions an act of baptism, it mentions John the Baptist. Since formerly this act was for the forgiveness of sin, but we see how through this fact that John the Baptist carried out as an announcement “I indeed baptize you in water for repentance; but he who comes after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to wear, he is mightier than I; he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and Fire ” Matthew 3:11 and in this way the new covenant is established through Jesus Christ and baptism ceases to be with the arrival of Him who is to come an act of forgiveness of sins, to become an act of faith and obedience, and so on. live the life that God designed for every man and woman on earth and live worthy of being a disciple of God.

In the Bible Peter also makes a comparison of the baptism referring to the flood that occurred in the time of Noah. This story is found in the book of 1 Peter 3:18-21 where he recounts «And the LORD saw that the wickedness of men was great on earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.» Just as in the Old Testament the flood put an end to the evil that is seen in the Old Testament passages we can see that in the stories written in the New Testament history changed and baptism comes to represent the end of living a full life of self-centeredness and doing our own will to live a new life closer to God’s will.

Where to perform the baptism

Baptisms are prepared in the different parishes of the country, where primarily the people who aspire to carry out this procedure must take a preparation course called catechesis, mostly this course is carried out on Tuesdays, most of the time at the end of the course some trapdoors are distributed where the address, time and day of the baptismal ceremony with their respective name.

For this act, the parents, godparents and guests must be dressed formally, the gentlemen can go with their formal suits, and the ladies with an elegant cocktail-type dress. It is not necessary to go with evening dresses or the gentlemen in tuxedos, remember that it is a private act where most of the time, only the parents, godparents, relatives and close friends after the act perform a small treat to share and celebrate the moment.

If we are part of the guests, we must take into account, have some detail with the boy, the girl or the young adolescent, The choice of the name that is given to the ceremony can be consulted between parents, grandparents, godparents or friends.

For the Catholic Church it is important that every human being make this decision, since through it; People state their faith publicly, so that a person can perform this ceremony, his parents must be in mutual agreement. Since at the time of carrying out this ceremony they must comply with the requirements and procedures established to be able to carry out the preparation that this act deserves. Being aware of the degree of responsibility with which this act is carried out in the lives of human beings.

In addition, once the child or adolescent wishes in the future To get married, you must present your certificate stating that you were baptized in one of the ecclesiastical parishes of the country.

We end our article remembering that being baptized does not free us from the temptation of this world, but through what Scripture says in the book of Hebrews which declares that we can overcome temptation as Jesus Christ did, We can carry out this conscious act that this does not really free us, but it can be the prelude to which we determine to cause a change in our lives forever.

We hope to be able to provide you with all the necessary information, to carry out the baptism process in any part of the Republic of Chile where you are, and that without a doubt you can proceed to carry out the act of baptism of your little ones.