- how long after birth do babies normally get baptised here? (back in Asia, usually after 1 month is ok).
- can we choose the Church to hold the Baptism in (not within own Canton)
- how long does one need to notify the Church
- etc.
Thanks.
Would appreciate some guidance on how to organise a Baptism or Christening in a Catholic church for a baby here in Switzerland, i.e.
We are not Catholic, but i have friends who are. We had our babies christened at 5 and 6 months, a church not in our canton (it was the church we got married in). We had to give the church a few months notice, and had to have a meeting with the priest so we could find a date for our babies to be christened.
Thanks for that advice! It's good to know it can take a few months to get a date.
Some of our families will be visiting after the birth (I'm due end-Jan '09) so we need to make sure they arrive around the time of Christening.
Hi There,
I would suggest that you have a talk with the local priest fairly soon, in order to find out exactly what the requirements are. In our case (Lucern) we had to dig up the following documents:
- Mother & Father Baptism certs (not birth certs, ask for them in Latin and you will avoid have to get then translated)
- Wedding Certificate (church certificate, not civil certificate, again get Latin ones if German is not an option)
- One of the god parents must be catholic and they will also need to produce there Baptism cert.
If you don't meet the requirements, it is still possible, but you'll have to start looking for exceptions and they can take a lot of time, so start early.
Jim.
PS - At the end of the day it is what the Bishop says goes, and he can over rule everthing - so you may find it much easier depending on the place you pick.
Wow. I thought that I heard the Catholic Church was hurting for new members. Seems kind of strange that they make you jump through so many hoops to join.
Don't forget that you have to be registered as Catholic ( and pay church tax ) at your Gemeinde to be able to apply in the first place . If you are not , the church will ask you to go and register . Did this in 2002 ...
Thanks a lot, Jim !
We should be able to submit most of the requirements you mentioned, but of course will call/discuss with the Church asap. Actually...I'm still choosing the Church, one that can hold the ceremony in English, as the one near our place seems to be all-German. Hope this won't be a problem.
Btw, my husband is not a Catholic, but we got married in a Catholic Church (he fully consents to bringing up our child/children as Catholic/s).
Thanks, Marcashvin.
Yes, I'm registered as Catholic in my Gemeinde and had been paying my dues
We had our son christened at 9 months - very late but we did it in Australia. All the other babies were less than 3 months old.
Did you know that the ceremony is only a naming ceremony to introduce your baby to God? A baby that is not christened will still go to heaven should something happen.
I wouldn't recommend planning anything before the baby is in your arms.
For me, Baptism/Christening is more than a naming ceremony...
If it will take a few months to organise this, and given that rellies are coming over, I definitely should start planning for it.