A Parish priest in Kamuli recently sent his flock in bewilderment when he baptised over 80 children at the roadside.
Trouble started when the catechists failed to oblige to his prior instruction of dividing the children in groups (obubondo) of 20, in a bid to accumulate more funds from the expected 15,000 per kabondo.
Enraged by the loss, the priest removed his robes and left the church, entered his car and drove off.
He stopped a distance of four miles from the church after the parishioners rang him pleading with him to carry out the baptism.
He ordered them to take the children to where he had parked, and from his car, sprinkled jets of water on them and left, punctuating his exit with insults.
Hopefully they will get their children to be actually baptized since surely a group baptism is invalid. As far as I know the only group sacrament would be group absolution in an emergency situation, which still has to be followed up with individual confession if they survive.
6 comments
I’d like to think it was an Anglican priest, but an Anglican would do an invalid baptism out of whimsy or ideology. It takes a Catholic priest to show that kind of contempt and scorn for children because he hasn’t gotten what he thought he had coming to him.
Oh well, circle the wagons and get a statement of regret but full support from the bishop. Issue a press release claiming that it’s just a small percentage of Catholic priests–no more than the percentage of the general population who have spitefully invalidly baptized. Have the Pope issue a general apology but ignore any pleas from the families. Wait a few years and pretend it never happened.
Baptism by sprinkling is invalid as well. I just wish he was my associate for a week, I think I find some creative things for him to do. That story if true makes me sick to my stomach.
You can say that at least when priests go postal people just get wet.
Note to self: don’t go messing with people’s kabondos…
I witnessed only today what appeared to be a group baptism of six children at Sunday Mass. First time I’ve seen it, didn’t even consider it invalid. This is Singapore.
Several people at a time can be baptized, but each individually should have the pouring of water with the proper formula of baptism. Then each should also have the other individual parts – blessing the ears and mouth, holy oil, candles, etc. The general parts of the rite can apply to all. That, at least, is my understanding. It’s probably a good thing not to schedule too many at one time for that reason.
I don’t know where Kamuli is or the circumstances there, but what he did was dreadful. I wonder how many of those people will never come back after this experience.
Very tacky and totally inappropriate.