Conditional Baptism

Mainline Christian theology (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant) has traditionally held that only one baptism is valid to confer the benefits of this sacrament. In particular, the Council of Trent defined a dogma that it is forbidden to baptize a person who is already baptized, because baptism makes an indelible mark on the soul. Therefore, in cases where the validity of a baptism is in doubt, a "conditional" baptism may be performed.

Such uncertainty may result from questions about whether the Triune name of God was used by the person administering the baptism. In some cases, there are doubts about whether a church from which someone is converting baptizes in a valid manner. For example, the Catholic Church has said that the validity of baptisms in the LDS Church and in some other communions is doubtful. Another example of a case requiring conditional baptism would be where an emergency baptism has been performed, if impure water was used the validity of the baptism may be in question. In that case a conditional baptism is later performed by an ordinary minister of the sacrament with certainly valid matter.

In a typical baptism, the minister of the sacrament (in the Catholic Church usually a deacon or a priest, but sometimes, especially when the baptized is in imminent danger of death, a lay person) says

I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

while pouring water upon the head of the one being baptized, or immersing him or her in water. In a conditional baptism, the minister of the sacrament says

If you are not yet baptized, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.