Invalidly baptized Oklahoma priest baptized and ‘re-ordained’
Fr. Zachary Boazman, a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, thought he was validly ordained in 2019. But in August, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a doctrinal note, reminding Catholics that baptisms are not valid if the minister of the baptism changed the words, or formula, of the baptism from “I baptize you” to “We baptize you.”
Boazman, who was baptized in another diocese in 1992, reviewed a videotape of his baptism after the announcement from the Vatican and discovered that the deacon ministering his baptism had used the invalid “We baptize you.”
A Sept. 14 letter sent to priests, deacons and staff of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, and shared with CNA, said Boazman was “immediately contacted Archbishop Paul Coakley to explain the situation and seek guidance” after his discovery.
Because Boazman’s baptism had not been valid, the subsequent sacraments he received - reconciliation, Holy Communion, confirmation, ordination - were therefore also not valid. His invalid baptism also invalidated many of the sacraments he offered before his valid ordination, including Masses, confessions, and some marriages. A key exception to that are the baptisms ministered by Boazman, as baptisms can be validly performed by anyone using the correct formula (wording) and the right intention.
3 comments:
What would happen if the priest says "I baptize THEE" instead of "I baptize YOU."? You know, like ye old English, thees and thous!
I suspect that would be valid. We baptize thee, though, rhymes.
I was listening to Gus Lloyd on Catholic radio interviewing a canon lawyer. She said that we must presume that every Catholic baptism, like a Catholic marriage, is valid until there is proof that it isn't. In these two cases, video evidence proves the "priests" were not Catholic because of not validly being baptized.
But the same holds for their sacraments, until it is proven they weren't actually baptized or there was some omission in the ordination rite, such as not laying on of hands.
Post a Comment