Shock: Baby Boy Drowns During Baptism Ceremony in Moldova
A tragic (and probably criminal) occurance:
A shocking incident occurred in the village of Mihaileny of Rishcansky district of Moldova with a boy named Laurentiu, who was born six weeks ago in the family of 24-year-old Ludmila and Dmitry Gaydeu.
.. Approximately twenty of the closest relatives and friends came to the church at 4:30PM. Father Valentin began the baptism ceremony.
“He dipped the baby in the water without even covering the baby’s mouth with his hand to prevent him from drowning,” recalls Dmitry Gaydeu, the father of the six weeks-old Laurentiu. “He put his hand on his stomach and dipped him in the water three times.”
The Godparents saw that the boy was not well and warned father Valentine. He answered it was not the first time that he was conducting the ceremony and knew what he was doing. When they saw that the child showed no signs of life, he was immediately taken to the district hospital. (Pravda.ru)
I do not mean to take away at all from the sadness of the story, but the parents may find some small solace that this child surely died in a state of grace.
UPDATE: I’ve received a great deal of feedback and criticism for my initial wording of this post’s introduction. I did not mean to be insensitive to the traditions of the Eastern Catholic Churches (or, as some correctly pointed out, the universal tradition of the Church beginning at the earliest Apostolic times). My theology professors would be mortified to see me guilty of such imprecision.
I love and appreciate the beauty and sacramental symbolism of full immersion, and I would agree that this fatality referenced above is more the fault of the priest conducting the baptism, than the intrinsic nature of the liturgical form used.
It’s no defense, but I wrote this post in a hurried fashion at first, and while I paused before publishing it because I realized the theological issues raised with my introduction, I believed they would be passed over in the interest of the actual story. My discerning readers, of course, miss nothing! And I am grateful especially for the charitable rebukes I have received which have caused me to remove the problematic introduction. My humble apologies.
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34 Comments
This baby was murdered. There is no other word for it. Even when the parents tried to tell the priest something was wrong, the priest ignored them, when he should have checked the baby. I am horrified that this happened.
This is literally the first time I have ever seen or heard of any news regarding a fatality in the immersion of an infant. In normal practice the infant is never held under water only dipped three times very quickly with the child immersed for a no more than a second and often less. This sad event warrants significant further investigation.
I wish you’d take the picture off. The story is tragic enough without a visual to make us actually imagine the act. Horrible.
“A tragic reminder why the Church, in its wisdom, has chosen against full immersion of infants for baptism”
Thomas,
Your original heading for this piece caused pain for Eastern Catholics who read your blog because it was another instance of “Latin Rite = Catholic Church” and this is an attitude we often have to bear from our Catholic brothers and sisters. (And of course, this also touches upon Orthodox Christians.)
I do appreciate your apology, and thank you for your correction.
I also fear there may be some misunderstanding about how such baptisms are done. Apparently there are some Orthodox who fully submerge infants under the water, but this is not the norm for most Orthodox or Eastern Catholics. Immersion does not equal SUBmersion, and I offer the following brief YouTube examples so that people may see how Eastern baptisms are more commonly done.
Greek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjsIEPM1wYM&feature=related
Russian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCuLBRiNemc&feature=related
Serbian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMezAOkK0qY&feature=related
Read the Didache. Full immersion is not necessary for baptism! It is immodest, a health risk and very mesy!
I didn’t see your comment as insenstive to the tradition. It is the neglectful ministering of the sacrament that is appalling and almost criminal. My heart goes out to the baby’s family and my prayers are with them in such a sorrowful time. I hope that though challenged, their faith remains strong.
[...] this article: Shock: Baby Boy Drowns During Baptism Ceremony in Moldova … [...]
Those poor parents. Everyone is arguing about Thomas’ wording and forgetting that those poor parents have lost their 6 week old infant! I can barely imagine. Surely they are in need of our prayers.
[...] Continued here: Shock: Baby Boy Drowns During Baptism Ceremony in Moldova … [...]
Did this really happen?
EXCOMUNICATE THE PRIEST. NOW.
I have to agree with IrishTroubadour here. This poor child died and folks should be more concerned with the poor infants life that was taken, over the idea that it is in fact Orthodox and has a long history. Is that what is really important here? Sometimes people just amaze me with their calous remarks.
I cannot believe what some of you are posting. You’re attacking Mr. Peters because he gave a view of total immersion, of children? If any of you have children (which I expect you do) and I am the oldest of 8, I would in no way submerge my child or my siblings all the way under water. Though it may be a point of reference to the early church (which was done in full nudity, so please lets go back to that) and “the other Lung of the Church” as someone said, has the right to do this, think about what you are doing, you are putting a small child all the way under water, in some instances forcing them under the water, not once, not twice, but three times. You are shoving a child’s head under water!! Pouring water on its head decreases the risk of a child breathing in water and suffocating. Children’s lungs are so fragile at that age and to put through that traumatic stress?? Have any of you done research on stress of a child at that age? I do not see why the whole person has to be submerged, if the water hits the top of the head, and the blessing and oils are applied, what’s the big deal. So why don’t we shove our infant children under water three times and not worry that they choke on water, really?? Watch this clip and tell me this doesn’t bother you (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQzHH7qMqSs) and this one(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_Jo8XcU_s ) .
So if you get offended, I’m sorry, but really look at the matter at hand and the safety of children. Of all the matters of the world, you get hung up on fully forcing children underwater. So forgive me if I applaud the Papist for catching something “the eastern lung” needs to look at.
Pretty shameful for you to turn a tragedy into an attack on Orthodoxy. Not only Orthodoxy, but you attack the practice of the early church.
Caption of the Day/PPOTD
