When I was recently asked to be a godparent, I decided to explore this ancient practice in more detail. Since I felt a little shaky about the theological basis for the Catholic Church’s teaching on infant Baptism, I figured this would be a good place to begin my investigation.
On its surface, infant Baptism seems counterintuitive. Babies obviously cannot formally consent to the sacrament, and in no other part of life is it possible for someone to confess another person’s sins for them. So what makes it legitimate for parents to seek Baptism on their child’s behalf?
