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Author Topic: Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?  (Read 11390 times)

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Offline Cryptinox

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Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?
« on: February 24, 2024, 09:33:09 PM »
Is there anything from before V2 that says water touching the hair alone is valid? I saw a quote from a theologian saying it would be doubtful but I don't know if there was ever a ruling from the Holy See on this.
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Offline Ladislaus

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Re: Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2024, 07:19:52 AM »
If the Church hasn't ruled on the matter, it should be treated as doubtful.  It is my understanding that water must touch and move on the skin of the individual's head.  Other body parts are doubtful, and not touching the skin is doubtful.

I've seen some adult individuals baptized who had some very thick hair, but the likelihood that at least a tiny bit of the water didn't make it through to the skin would be nearly zero.  Only scenario I could see in which this could happen would be if the water was poured on side side of the head and therefore just onto the hair ... something which I've never seen.
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Offline Joe Cupertino

Re: Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2024, 08:06:07 AM »
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Offline SimpleMan

Re: Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2024, 08:38:43 AM »
Not to put an even finer point on it than already exists, but I think I'm correct in saying that hair, at least beyond the root, is "dead" tissue, which is why it may be cut without causing any pain to the person on whom it grows.  

Seen that way, it's really not part of the living body anymore.  The same could be said of a thick callus on the hand or foot, which is just sitting there dead, waiting to be sloughed off in time.  Though it's the height of pedantry to speculate on it, if water were applied to a callus and just to the callus, it seems even more highly doubtful that it would be valid, than if it were applied (for instance) to a hand or finger.
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Offline Cryptinox

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Re: Validity of baptism where water flows on the hair alone?
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2024, 06:57:42 AM »
Quote from: Joe Cupertino on February 25, 2024, 08:06:07 AM
The WM Review has some good articles on this.

When the water is not applied to the head – The WM Review

Doubtful Baptisms – reflections on the necessity for widespread access to conditional sacraments – The WM Review

Is it valid? The proximate matter of Baptism – The WM Review
Hmm. My current issue is evaluating whether I need conditional baptism. I currently have what I'd call a "less probable positive doubt" about thr validity of mine. I was baptized by a conservative novus ordo priest but my head was looking at the ground so there still seems to be a chance the water just touched the hair even if it is less probable. I don't have any video or photos of the ceremony either. This issue especially concerns me because I want to fulfill the Easter Duty which I haven't done in years because of my doubt. At the same time, I don't want to commit sacrilege by getting a conditional baptism for insufficient reasons.
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