German diocese commissions lay people to administer Baptism
December 29, 2023
» Continue to this story on Our Sunday Visitor
CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Gebhard Fürst of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany, has appointed 26 lay people—all theologians—to baptize children in his diocese, citing the shortage of priests available for the task.
Although anyone can administer the sacrament of Baptism in an emergency, the ordinary ministers are ordained clerics. Canon lawyer Michele McAloon, speaking to Our Sunday Visitor, suggests that a desire for “becoming more diverse” may be a more important factor in the bishop’s decision than a shortage of clergy—particularly because the shortage is not particularly acute in the German diocese.
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