Catholic Church Invalidates Thousands of Baptisms After Priest Used Wrong Word in Ceremony

One wrong word used by the priest during the ceremony prompted the Catholic church to invalidate thousands of baptisms in Phoenix, Arizona. In two decades, Rev. Andres Arango of the St. Gregory Catholic Church uttered "We baptize you," instead of "I baptize you" in the baptism rites he officiated. According to Bishop Thomas Olmsted from the Diocese of Phoenix, the use of "we" posed an issue with the Catholic Church since "we" corresponds to a community.

"It is not the community that baptizes a person," Olmsted said in his statement. "Rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes.

Olmsted also cited a provision in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued by the Vatican in 2020 that stated the use of "we" during the baptismal sacrament is considered invalid. It is emphasized in the "Baptismal Formula" followed by every church.

Apology from Arango for Invalid Baptisms

Arango has been officiating baptisms since 1995, which was at the beginning of his priesthood, and has also served in churches in San Diego and Brazil. In February, he resigned as the pastor of St. Gregory's, but the diocese said he "remains a priest in good standing," per NBC News.

In a statement, the pastor said that he is sad to learn that many of the baptisms were declared invalid in his ministry. He expressed deep regret for his error, which has affected many people. However, he will stay in Arizona to help the church remedy the situation. The priest said that he would focus his energy on helping the people who may have been impacted by his mistake.

Katie Burke, the spokesperson for the Diocese of Phoenix, said that Arango's use of "we" was brought up to them last summer. Thus, the baptisms Arango officiated past June 17, 2021, have been validated since they were aware of the use of the wrong word.

Action on Baptisms Declared Invalid

Burke also said that they have no exact numbers of the baptisms declared invalid, but it is expected to run up to the thousands. St. Gregory's has informed its parishioners that they or their children might have to repeat some of the rituals to make their baptism valid. For parishioners who have moved residence, the Diocese of Phoenix will provide a letter for their current pastor to explain the situation that will enable them to secure a new baptism rite.

The Catholic Church said that the Sacrament of Baptism is a "requirement for salvation." While the mistake might be deemed "legalistic," the priest's words are crucial to all the sacraments during the ceremony. Thus, the need to repeat the rites if they are invalidated.

When the Vatican first released the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, some Detroit and Oklahoma City priests also found out about the baptisms declared invalid, including their own rites. Their cases led to prolonged investigations with the Catholic Church.