Baptism is the gateway to the spiritual life, through which original sin and all personal sin are washed away, and the baptized are incorporated into Christians and His Church (CCC 1213). The Nicene Creed professes, “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins” (CCC 1246).

At Baptism, the Church invokes the Holy Spirit over the water, recalling God’s promise:

“Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that all may be born anew from water and the Spirit.”

As Saint Paul teaches: “We were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Baptism is received only once and bestows an indelible spiritual mark.

Infant Baptism, grounded in the early Church tradition (CCC 1250), reflects the Church’s belief that even the youngest are in need of grace and salvation. Parents are obliged to have their infants baptized promptly (CCC 1252). For infants who die without Baptism, the Church entrusts their souls to the boundless mercy of God (CCC 1261).