Baptism Invalid: Arizona Priest's Decades of Baptism Declared Void by the Catholic Church Because of One Wrong Word | Here's How to Check If Your Baptism Is Valid

The Diocese of Phoenix concluded that an Arizona priest's mix-up of a single word during the baptisms he performed over his career made them all invalid.

In a notice posted to their website, the Diocese of Phoenix revealed that Rev. Andres Arango, who resigned this month, had used a wrong word in each Rite of Baptism he performed until the error was discovered in June of last year.

It is believed the mistake had occurred since Arango began his priesthood in 1995.

Arango had switched "I" with "We," instead of saying, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" during his baptisms.

The Diocese explained that the error, while seemingly trivial at first, substantially affects a crucial line in the "Baptismal Formula."

According to Thomas J. Olmsted, a Bishop in Phoenix, the issue with using "we" is that it is not the community that baptizes the person.

Instead, it is Christ and Christ alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Jesus Christ who baptizes, added Olmsted in the statement.

Baptized Using the Wrong Words Is Not Baptized, Diocese Declares

The Diocese stated on their website that anyone who has been baptized with the incorrect phrases is not baptized and must be baptized again.

The officials compared it to a priest using milk instead of wine during the Consecration of the Eucharist, which would make it invalid because the milk would not become the Blood of Jesus Christ.

A spokesperson for the Diocese, Kate Burke, emphasized that Arango "remains a priest in good standing," adding that he had voluntarily resigned as pastor of St. Gregory Parish.

Arango apologized for his error in a separate statement posted on the Diocese's website.

"I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere," he said, adding that his resignation went into effect at the start of February,

The baptism error could present other problems for those affected.

Because baptism is the "entry point" for all other sacraments, a nullified baptism would also invalidate any subsequent confirmation, marriage, or holy orders.

How to Check If Your Baptism Is Valid

Although the church has found any other sacraments performed by Arango to be valid, only the baptisms appear to be invalidly performed.

The church recommends locating your baptismal certificate.

Acquirement of baptismal certificates can be done through contacting the parish where you were baptized. Any photos or videos of your baptism may be used to determine who performed it and whether it was valid or invalid.

If you think your baptism was invalid, you can reach out to your pastor and email valid-baptisms@dphx.org with questions or concerns.

The Diocese of Phoenix has notified all pastors of the problem, and churches are aware that the people affected will require new baptisms.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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