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File photo of a child being baptised Shutterstock/Ruslan Lytvyn

Declaring thousands of baptisms in US invalid due to word error 'over the top', Irish priest says

Thousands of Catholics in the US and Brazil may have to be re-baptised because the priest in question said ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.

AN IRISH PRIEST has said the declaration of thousands of baptisms in the US and Brazil as invalid because the priest in question used the word ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ is “over the top” and takes “a purely legalistic view” of the sacrament.

Thousands of Catholics in the US and Brazil may have to be re-baptised after it was discovered a priest had gotten one word wrong in the blessing for decades — invalidating the rite.

For 26 years, Fr Andres Arango had been performing the first sacrament of Catholic life with the words, ‘We baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’, instead of the Vatican-sanctioned ‘I baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.

The ‘I’ references Jesus, not the priest.

It is believed that thousands of people are affected by the issue, casting doubt over the validity of their confirmations and marriages. If a person’s baptism is deemed invalid, later sacraments they received may also be invalidated.

The Very Reverend Tim Hazelwood of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland said the decision to deem thousands of baptisms as invalid over the use of one incorrect word is “taking a purely legalistic view of baptism” and ignoring the spiritual side of the sacrament.

“[Arango's] ordination was valid, I think it’s an taking an extremely legalistic view of the whole thing. This has caused upset for so many people,” Hazelwood told The Journal.

He said he is “not advocating that wording should be changed” but, as was the case here, using the term ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ should not invalidate thousands of baptisms.

Hazelwood, a parish priest in Killeagh in Co Cork, noted that priests will “mistakenly say a wrong word here or there” and this should not invalidate sacraments.

“If that was the case, we couldn’t open our mouths, we’d be terrified to say anything,” he said.

Arango’s error was identified in mid-2021, a quarter of a century after he began working as a priest, but made headlines in recent days.

An investigation has determined that the priest had failed to baptise validly over his 26 years of service in Brazil, the Diocese of San Diego, and most recently the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona.

Arango has apologised and resigned as parish pastor in St Gregory parish in Phoenix.

In a message to his parishioners, Arango said: “It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere.”

Phoenix’s diocesan spokeswoman Katie Burke said on Tuesday that Arango “was using the incorrect words from the beginning of his priesthood until it was brought to the attention of the diocese last summer”.

“I do not have an exact number of people baptised between 1995 and 2021, but I believe they number in the thousands,” she added.

Referencing the ‘we’ versus ‘I’ argument, Thomas J Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, said in a statement: “It is not the community that baptises a person and incorporates them into the Church of Christ; rather, it is Christ, and Christ alone, who presides at all sacraments; therefore, it is Christ who baptises.”

‘Baptism is bigger than one word’

The Diocese of Phoenix has set up a question and answer section on its website about the situation.

One of the questions asks ‘Isn’t it legalistic to say a sacrament is invalid over a single word?’

In its response the Diseases notes: “It may seem legalistic, but the words that are spoken (the sacramental form), along with the actions that are performed and the materials used (the sacramental matter) are a crucial aspect of every sacrament.

“If you change the words, actions, or materials required in any of the sacraments, they are not valid. For example, if a priest uses milk instead of wine during the Consecration of the Eucharist, the sacrament is not valid. The milk would not become the Blood of Jesus Christ.”

Hazelwood said the comparison between changing one word and using milk instead of wine is “not comparing like with like”.

He said anyone in Ireland who is concerned about the validity of their child’s baptism if the priest in question used slightly different wording, shouldn’t worry.

I don’t think the Holy Spirit spends time listening to every word priests say. [Baptism] is bigger than that.

Hazelwood added situations like this are part of why Pope Francis is “trying to change what is happening in the Vatican” in terms of how certain strict procedures are implemented.

Arango’s error is not the first of its kind; in 2020, a priest in Michigan discovered that he had to be re-baptised after watching a family video in which the officiant also used ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.

FAQ section

In its online question and answer resource, the Diocese of Phoenix addresses a number of concerns people may have.

Some of the issue raised are as follows:

Do I need to go to confession?

No, but you do need to get your other sacraments resolved promptly. When you are baptized [sic], your sins are forgiven and your soul is wiped clean!

Does this affect my (or my child’s) First Holy Communion?

No, this does not affect your First Holy Communion (or any subsequent reception of Holy Communion) as you can only have one First Holy Communion. If you have received the Eucharist, even when unbaptized, you have received Holy Communion. Going forward, it is important to remember that only the baptized may receive the Eucharist. Please do not take Communion until after you have been validly baptized.

Does this affect my (or my child’s) confirmation?

Yes. Valid baptism is required for the valid reception of confirmation. In other words, if your baptism is invalid, your confirmation is invalid. At the time of your valid baptism, you will also receive confirmation; please contact your pastor to get this arranged.

Does this affect my marriage?

Maybe! Unfortunately, there is no single clear answer. There are a number of variables when it comes to valid marriages, and the Tribunal is here to help. If you were married after being baptized by Fr. Andres, please contact the Tribunal at (602) 354-2275 or tribunal@dphx.org.

Contains reporting from © AFP 2022  

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34 Comments
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    Mute David Stapleton
    Favourite David Stapleton
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:00 PM

    Is there any way to find out if I was not baptised correctly and so am not a member of an organisation that I cannot voluntarily leave?

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    Mute Charlie
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:04 PM

    @David Stapleton: You can certainly leave but they will still consider you a catholic.
    Even if you choose to be another religion, or you can try and get excommunicated. If you succeed will you spread the “word”?

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    Mute Irish Antichrist
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    Feb 17th 2022, 7:14 PM

    @Charlie: You need permission to get excommunicated and no you cannot voluntarily leave they made it illegal 15 years or so ago.

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    See 3 more replies ▾
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    Mute Miriam Kelliher
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    Feb 17th 2022, 8:17 PM

    @Irish Antichrist: illegal? Seriously

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    Feb 18th 2022, 12:28 AM

    @David Stapleton: If you don’t want to belong – leave. No need to make a drama out of it.

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    Mute Marie Gunbay
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    Feb 18th 2022, 1:10 AM

    @David Stapleton: love your humour ha ha hope you are not stressing out about this.

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    Mute Stephen Mogerley
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:03 PM

    This is like an Onion article.

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    Mute David F. Dwyer
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:11 PM

    Is there anything to be said for another mass?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Feb 17th 2022, 5:08 PM

    @David F. Dwyer: that would be an ecumenical matter

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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:00 PM

    @David F. Dwyer: it would depend on the wording used if it would be beneficial

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    Mute Larry Whack
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:02 PM

    Remember, these people are supposedly educated adults.

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    Mute Maximus_Demonus
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    Feb 17th 2022, 4:33 PM

    Ah no, if you’re going to do magic spells get the wording correct, otherwise anything can happen.

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    Mute Tony Durran
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:25 PM

    @Maximus_Demonus: Mickey mouse showed us the horrors that can unfold.

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    Mute Séamus White
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:05 PM

    Lucky them

    56
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:09 PM

    But I thought their god was three people?

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:59 PM

    @John Mulligan: When you look at a shamrock, is that one leaf or three leaves in your opinion. Jazus.

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Feb 17th 2022, 9:03 PM

    @Watchful Axe: we have no idea of the relevance of your question.
    And my name’s not Jazus.

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    Mute Larry O Reilly
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:09 PM

    What the big deal, it down to interpretation we v I, who cares they lucky anyone want to be associated with this corporate sinful organisation

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    Mute Ann Harman
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:56 PM

    We=God and I.No problem

    31
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    Mute Mike Ryan
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:13 PM

    Who knew identity politics would be such a pervasive issue in the catholic church

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    Mute Tony Durran
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:24 PM

    They’ve got a point. What if the spell doesn’t work without the correct invocation?!

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    Mute Padraic McDonagh
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    Feb 17th 2022, 3:50 PM
    38
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    Mute Mary Nugent
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:15 PM

    @Padraic McDonagh: Boris at it back then, my God.

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    Mute Irish Antichrist
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    Feb 17th 2022, 7:13 PM

    Why would a universe creator give a toss??

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    Mute Colm de Cleir
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    Feb 17th 2022, 9:36 PM

    Hilarious! So what does the all-powerful, all-loving God look down on the baptism and snark… “Hmmm… no, he didn’t quite say that right, so that baby can’t come in I’m afraid”? – It’s hard to believe that a church who continuously preaches about how God and The Holy Spirit and Jesus love us all so much and is super-powerful and super-intelligent, and how we should rejoice that He even exists… would also consider Him that incredibly petty…

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    Mute Pete Brady
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    Feb 17th 2022, 7:25 PM

    They need to train priests better so that this doesnt happen again and set up a freephone helpline for concerned Catholics who may be affected by this error. I mightn’t sleep tonight unless I can pull out my documents on the off chance my parents christened me in Brazil.

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    Mute Christopher Mc Camley
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:27 PM

    Usual anti Catholics that the Journal attracts out with their comments. This Cork priest hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about. He merely confirms that the Association of Catholic Priests isn’t representing the views of majority of priests.

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    Mute Pat Conway
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    Feb 17th 2022, 8:02 PM

    @Christopher Mc Camley: What difference does it make anyway whether it’s a ‘correct’ baptism or not. What benefit does it bring to the child? None whatsoever.

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    Mute katholic
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    Feb 17th 2022, 7:24 PM

    Asking the Association of “Catholic” Priests to comment on something like this is pretty pointless. They’re nothing but the media’s “go-to” Fr. Trendys. They can always be relied upon to misunderstand and fudge the details of any issue relating to the Church.

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    Mute Piggy
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    Feb 17th 2022, 4:42 PM

    No, he was on trial in Liverpool

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    Mute Ken Miles
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    Feb 17th 2022, 6:56 PM

    Should have stuck with the proper version, no mistake then

    ego te baptizo in nomine + Patris, et Filii, +, et Spiritus + Sancti.

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    Mute Irish Antichrist
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    Feb 17th 2022, 7:16 PM

    @Ken Miles: + Et Nonsense

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    Mute Colm de Cleir
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    Feb 18th 2022, 12:32 AM

    Maybe it’s a computer running it all up there and they forgot an important rule of UI: Never allow free text on data you’re going to validate. They need to spell it out for them and the priest just ticks a box or something.

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 18th 2022, 7:59 AM

    Why would milk not work for consecration? After all it isn’t actually the blood of Jesus that is used. It is just red wine with a drop of water.

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