Irish Naming Practice for Boys 1st son named after the paternal grandfather (his father's father); 2nd son after the maternal grandfather (his mother's father); 3r… Kate is a writer, wife to a really good man, and mama to their seven boys ages 1 to 15. Based on this canon, the priest who was to baptize the child would have not only the right, but the obligation to object to the name—as would the child’s godparents as well. Must he/she receive the name of a saint? The previous law would lead the Catholic priest to balk at baptizing the baby as Stanton, since it is not a saint’s name. Let’s say that for generations, the eldest son in his family had been given this name. For about two centuries (from the late 1700s through to the early to mid-1900s) the Irish favoured a precise convention for naming their children that can suggest what names to look for in a previous generation. Note that even under the old law, a child could receive a first name that was not the name of a saint—but he always had to have a middle name that was. At the same time, though, Steve and his wife are not alone in their understanding that baptismal names traditionally had to be the names of saints. Learn more... Baptism for Catholics is a sacrament that is often received by infants several months after they are born. What should the child be called? Get the proven playbook to heal a broken heart. Note that the first part of the canon didn’t actually say that the name had to be a saint’s name; it merely said that the name … When Catholic parents have a child, they may choose a saint's name as the child's given name, and present that name at the infant's baptism. If the parents wanted to give a bizarre, unchristian name to their child, it would be altogether natural for the parents’ pastor to question their intentions! Rather, since it is worded in the negative, we are only told what sorts of names may not be given to a child at his baptism. A: Back in “Inclusive Language and Baptismal Validity,” we saw that baptism is the easiest sacrament to administer validly. All that's needed is for onesibling in a family to have used this pattern with accuracy (even if one's own direct ancestor deviated a little). Why is Google hiding the posts on this website in its search results? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 86,243 times. For Confirmation you choose the name of a saint. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Another name similar to that is Adam, meaning "earth.". So what is an example of a name that could not be given to a Catholic child at baptism, because it is foreign to Christian sentiment? The baptism itself will probably look essentially identical to the baptism of a baby at any Catholic parish; but the Lutheran minister’s intention is to baptize the baby as a Lutheran, and the Lutheran parents’ intention is of course to raise their child as a Lutheran—and that’s what makes the child a Lutheran, rather than a Catholic or a Baptist or anything else. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. CHRISTIAN NAMES FOR CATHOLIC BOYS AND GIRLS The moment has arrived to choose a Christian name for the baptism of a baby boys or girl. Canon 855 directly addresses Steve’s question. Here just some of the names that begin with F that you can choose from: Felix, Fabius, Festus, Faith, Fara, Flora, Faustina, Fedele, Francis, Fergus, Fina, Fiorentina, Finnian, Finlay, Filippo, Fernandez, Fernando, Fransis, Francus, Francisca, Francesca, Francesco, Frances, Felicity, Foster, Felicia, Florentine, Florentina, Florence. When Catholic parents choose a name for their newborn child, they understand that they are also choosing a baptismal name. This article has been viewed 86,243 times. Complementary Norm: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in accord with the prescriptions of canon 877, §3, hereby decrees that: For children baptized after their adoption is finalized, the following information shall be entered in the register: the Christian name(s) of the child as designated by the adoptive parent(s); Jehan means "the world" in Hebrew. This might have been quite possible in his own protestant church; but as his Catholic wife intended to raise their son in the Catholic faith, the baby of course had to be baptized in her Catholic parish, in accord with canon law. And they are not mistaken: the prior Code of Canon Law was much stricter in this regard than the current one. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. What are my choices? If their first name wasn’t a saint’s name, at least their middle name had to be. There are also books of baby names that have specific sections on religious names. A person being baptized in the Catholic Church is expected to dress in white to symbolize purity of faith and the cleansing power of Baptism. Those who are confirmed in the Catholic church have another opportunity to select a name at that time, and it is always the name of a saint. Under current law, there would be no problem baptizing a Catholic child with the name Stanton, since there is nothing about it that is contrary to Christian sentiment! If a second godparent is … If the requirements for certificates are met, the certificates then should be presented to the baptism coordinator for the parish. What names have the same meaning as Jehan? Holy water is poured on the forehead to represent the burial of sin, and resurrection and rebirth through water. When confirmation was split off from baptism as a separate sacrament, the tradition of adding a saint name went with it. Program? None of the content of this website may be reproduced, either in whole or in part, without the advance written permission of the author. ', Solomon is a “ wiki, ” similar to Wikipedia, means. Writer, wife to a really Good man catholic baptism name rules and I am going through RCIA Most baby boomer Catholics three... 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