Title: The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
Headings: The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
Learn About the Practice and Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism
The Necessity of Baptism
The Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism
The Form of the Sacrament of Baptism
The Minister of the Sacrament of Baptism
What Makes a Baptism Valid?
Does the Catholic Church Consider Non-Catholic Baptisms Valid?
Infant Baptism
Adult Baptism
Baptism of Desire
Baptism of Blood

Content: The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
Abrahamic / Middle Eastern Christianity
The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
Learn About the Practice and Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism
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Pope Benedict XVI baptizes a child in the Sistine Chapel on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 8, 2012. Photo by L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool / Getty Images
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The Sacrament of Baptism is often called "The door of the Church," because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church. Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the doors of the main part of the church, to signify this fact. The Necessity of Baptism
Christ Himself ordered His disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus ( John 3:1-21 ), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation: " Amen, amen I say to thee unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." For Catholics, the sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of a Christian because it brings us into a new life in Christ.