Having a baby baptized is both an act of faith and a cultural affair. It is both a statement of trust in the goodness of God as well as a family event that can be faith-filled.

When a couple brings their little one home from the hospital, he or she is capable of very little. The baby does not talk, walk, eat with a fork, or brush his or her teeth. The parents need to teach all these things over the course of many years. In broad terms, the parents must introduce their son or daughter to their cultural heritage and social customs so that he or she grows up to be a well-adjusted individual. That’s the goal and the responsibility of the parents. Sharing faith with the child and introducing him or her into the social customs of the faith community are a part of this responsibility for the parents as well. To fail regarding faith formation is a serious reneging of parental responsibility.

But not everyone appreciates that fact. Society has tried to make the practice of religion a private affair, and some even leave the choice of religion up to the individual. We have a responsibility to share our cultural heritage with our children, which includes our religious heritage.

Parents are not alone in this task. They have the help of the godparents as well as the entire faith community, for all share in the mission of passing on the faith (cf. CCC 1255).

This is not always an easy task. Children have free will. But that free will can lead to a child rejecting not only the faith training a parent might offer, but the cultural training as well. In the end, the example offered and witnessed to by the adult faith community often sinks into the child’s heart. There, with the grace of God, Catholic adults are truly formed.

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