Q&A: Can a child be baptised in more than one denomination?

Some sacraments of the Church may be received only once, others may be received often; still others are not received by everyone in the Church. Baptism belongs to the first category. Like all the sacraments, baptism is a ‘mystery’ of God’s grace working within the Church and in the life of an individual Christian. The important point when looking at baptism is not ‘Can I be baptised more than once?’, but, ‘is the Baptism I have undergone (or will undergo) a ‘real’ (or ‘valid’) baptism?’ The Orthodox Church holds to the belief that we can be baptised only once. You can only be made a member of the Church once; the Church is one Church there are not many Churches!

The Holy Orthodox Church does not arbitrarily decide on whether a baptism is ‘true’ or not. The form and action of baptism is fundamental to its nature. We seek to be true to the revelation of God and to the Holy Tradition of our Church. It is this that makes us Orthodox!

Three main criteria determine the ‘acceptability’ of a baptism:

1. the use of water
2. baptism in the name of the Trinity
3. a ‘sacramental’ understanding of the nature of baptism

The later one refers to an understanding and a belief that baptism is primarily an act of God’s grace at work in the life of a person. Baptism is not a simple action – a mere ‘symbol’, nor is it only a response of the faith of a believer. Baptism is truly a mystery through which God washes away sin creating a ‘new’ creature in Christ and making the new illumed person a member of Christ’s body, His Church.

An Orthodox Christian cannot be baptised again. He or she is already a member of the ‘One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church’ of God. What then do we with this mystery of Grace after we have received it in baptism, well, that is another question that relates to our journey of faith that is the Christian life.

This Q&A taken from www.GreekOrthodox.org.au