BAPTISM, THE SACRAMENT OF, (Gr. dipping in water). A sacrament of the New Law instituted by Jesus Christ, in which, as a result of washing with water accompanied by the words "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost," a human being is spiritually regenerated, and made capable receiving the other sacraments. It imprints an unremovable "character" on the soul and admits the recipient to membership in the Catholic Church of Christ. The matter of baptism is natural water (remote) and its application so as to flow on the head (proximate); the form is the above or similar words (e.g., in the Byzantine rite "The servant of God N., is baptized in," etc.). The ordinary minister is a priest but baptism by a lay person is valid (see BAPTISM, LAY).

By baptism, a child or adult is united to the visible body of the Church (by whomsoever the baptism was administered) and so remains until he performs any act (e.g., adherence to a non-Catholic body) which involves his exclusion there from. Baptism by water is necessary to salvation.

The Church has made infallible dogmatic statements about the necessity of Baptism for Salvation. The Church made these infallible statements through various Councils. Also, Popes (speaking from the Chair of Peter or what we would call "ex cathedra") made infallible proclamations on this subject. In both cases, these statements are infallible dogmatic proclamations that, as Catholics, we must believe. Here are a few of them:

A. Council of Florence, Decree for the Armenians:

Holy Baptism holds the first place among all the sacraments because it is the gateway to the spiritual life.... And since death entered the universe through the first man. "unless we are reborn of water and the Spirit, we cannot" as the Truth says, "enter the kingdom of heaven" [John 3:5].

B. Council of Trent, Canons on Baptism (Canon 5):

If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema. (Denz. 861)

Also Trent: Canons on the Sacraments (Canon 4):

If anyone says that the Sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation, but that they are superfluous: let him be anathema. (Denz. 847).

C. Benedict XIV (1740-58), Bull Nuper ad Nos (Solemn Profession of Faith Prescribed for Maronites; 1743):

Likewise, I profess that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (Denz. 1470)

D. Pope St. Zosimus, Apostolic Letter to the Oriental Churches (418):

Not one of our children is held not guilty until he is freed through Baptism. (Denz. 109a)

E. Council of Lyons E (1274) it was solemnly defined that:

The souls of those who die in mortal sin or with original sin only, however, immediately descend to Hell, yet to be punished with different punishments (Denz. 464).

F. Council of Florence, Decree for the Greeks (1439):

It is likewise defined that ... the souls of those who depart in actual mortal sin or in original sin only, descend immediately into Hell but to undergo punishments of different kinds. (Denz. 693)

Although not infallible, Vatican Council II said, "For there is one Mediator between God and men, ...Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:45) Neither is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12). Everyone, therefore must be converted to Christ, and everyone must become incorporated into Him by Baptism and into the Church which is His Body. In explicit terms Christ affirmed the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirms also the necessity of the Church; for through Baptism as though a door, men enter the Church.