Answering the objection that infants cannot have faith, so they should not be baptized

Infants should be baptized even though they cannot yet make a personal profession of faith. Baptism is God’s gift of new life, received within the faith of the Church.

Baptism is God’s action. Baptism is more than a public declaration that someone has already chosen Christ. It forgives sin, gives new birth in the Holy Spirit, and incorporates the person into Christ and His Church (CCC 1213). Infants need this grace because they are born with fallen human nature and need rebirth in Christ (CCC 1250). Jesus says that no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5).

Faith can be received within the Church. Every baptized person receives the sacrament through the faith of the Christian community. The Church describes Baptism as the sacrament of faith, but the faith required does not need to be mature or complete. It is a beginning meant to grow (CCC 1253-1254). For an infant, parents and godparents profess the faith and promise to raise the child as a Christian. As the child grows, that baptismal faith must become personal, informed, and freely lived.

Scripture treats children as members of God’s covenant people. Under the old covenant, infant boys received circumcision before they could profess faith. St. Paul connects circumcision with Baptism, the sign of the new covenant (Col 2:11-12). At Pentecost Peter proclaims, “The promise is made to you and to your children” (Acts 2:38-39). The New Testament also records entire households being baptized (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16). These passages do not identify the ages of every household member, but they fit the biblical pattern of God dealing with families, not isolated adults alone.

The practice comes from ancient Christianity. The Church baptized infants from its earliest centuries. The Catechism calls infant Baptism an immemorial tradition and notes explicit testimony to it from the second century (CCC 1252). Early Christian writers such as Origen described infant Baptism as a tradition received from the apostles.

Parents accept a serious duty. Infant Baptism should not be treated as a family custom with no intention of Christian formation. Parents and godparents must help the child know Christ, attend Mass, pray, and learn the faith (CCC 1255).

If your child is unbaptized, speak with your parish priest or deacon. Baptism gives a child a priceless gift, and Catholic parenting helps that gift bear fruit.