I share your concern about this... There were 3 baptism so far at our "mission", and nothing is written down. I wanted to get some Certificates from a religious goods store, but didn't do that, because of time restraints, and the parents too carefree... But this is a situation that will cause problems later on...
The Creation of our "SSPX-Resistance Global Records Chancellery " is a must. Baptisms (godparents), Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths, Ordinations, Consecrations of bishops...etc. Paper trail...Do a service for the children and faithful and create a database. With security protocols [Password]of course...where only priests could research the sacramental history of Resistance Catholics. I think we are in for the long haul, and right now, we are cheating our youth.
Input anyone?
First, sacramental records are a public record -- and in some countries even a legal record! Absolute secrecy is a big canonical No No! Access to the sacramental registers can be controlled in a limited way, but in a total way.
Second, whilst a
copy of sacramental records may be kept in a digital database, canonically they must be maintained in a written form in a actual register book with the required information for each sacrament. So, a "password" for only priests to have access to a register is not only a big canonical No No!, but also is irrelevant since an actual book register must be maintained.
When a person receives the sacraments of Confirmation, Matrimony, or Holy Orders, or a person makes perpetual religious vows, the parish or institute where these occurred has a serious responsibility to notify the parish of Baptism and these are to by notated in the Baptismal register. Baptismal registers actually have spaces with each entry for notations. And, yes, this means trad Mass centers and missions notifying Novus Ordo parishes because these are where so many of us were baptized.
(We trads do not really have "parishes" apart from a few FSSP or ICK locations that were erected as canonical parishes prior to TC in 2021.)If a person has received a declaration of nullity regarding a putative marriage, a copy of the decree of nullity should be sent from the Tribunal and placed in the Marriage register at the page where the putative marriage had been recorded. Additionally, the parish of Baptism is to be notified of the annulment and this is noted in the baptismal register.
Registers that should also be maintained are First Communion, Catechumenal, Sick Call, and Death registers, but these are not as essential as the Baptism, Confirmation, and Matrimony registers.
Lastly, all these registers are to be kept locally at a Mass center or mission in a locked, fire-proof safe (just like sacred vessels). They are not kept a some centralised depository -- once more, that would be a big canonical No No! Records change location only in the event that some change in status occurs to the local record holder. Examples: A parish is outright suppressed and the registers then go to a diocesan archive, or a parish is absorbed into a neighbouring parish so that the registers are transferred to that absorbing parish.
This is a
VERY serious matter and no priest and lay person should be negligent or dismissive of this.
Topic: Sacramental Records in the Resistance (Read 348 times)