Considerations for children

In order for a person to enter the covenant of baptism, they must possess the ability to make moral judgments. Authoritative baptism requires a candidate to be capable of learning more about and living like Jesus. Like all phases of human development, this does not occur at a given age for everyone, but depends on their particular environment, capabilities, and choices. Those baptized as babies have never entered into the covenant of baptism, because the choice was made for them by others.² Some baptized as children may feel the same way. In both cases, these individuals should seek to be rebaptized.

Those possessing moral judgment still possess it to varying degrees. A priest will be impeded in his ability to convey what he knows about God to someone with less understanding than he has. The certification of baptism is not “this person knows and lives what I do,” but “this person has learned and lived everything they have the capacity to from me, given their capabilities.” The certification of baptismal worthiness isn’t a question of achieving equivalence in holiness to the person baptizing, but a question of demonstrating complete submission to God.