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Priest resigns after botching thousands of baptisms with single phrase

<p dir="ltr">An Arizona priest has voluntarily resigned from his church after it was ruled that he botched thousands of baptisms over the past 25 years - all by using one incorrect phrase.</p><p dir="ltr">Father Andres Arango left the St Gregory Catholic Church in Phoenix this month <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10511635/Phoenix-Catholic-priest-forced-resign-incorrectly-performed-THOUSANDS-baptisms.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after</a> revealing he used an “incorrect formula” that made the baptisms invalid.</p><p dir="ltr">Rather than invoking the power of God by saying “I baptise you”, as required by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Father Arango said “we baptise you”, referring to the community.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of his phrasing, every baptism he has performed since he was ordained in 1995 until June 2021 has been invalid.</p><p dir="ltr">This could also mean that subsequent confirmations and First Communions for those baptised by Arango could also be invalidated.</p><p dir="ltr">The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix said even some marriages could possibly be affected, though they did not expand on how.</p><p dir="ltr">Father Arango will now work full-time offering spiritual guidance to Catholics whose baptisms have been deemed invalid so he can baptise them again.</p><p dir="ltr">In 2020, the Vatican issued a doctoral note clarifying that baptisms performed with the phrase “We baptise you in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit” were invalid, prompting church leaders to investigate faith leaders including Father Arango.</p><p dir="ltr">His invalidated baptisms also came from his time working in churches in Brazil and San Diego.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b2bb13ae-7fff-280b-bab7-d38f8c5653e4"></span></p><p dir="ltr">In a letter announcing his resignation, Father Arango apologised to those affected and asked the community for “prayers, forgiveness, and understanding”.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/father-arango-letter.png" alt="" width="322" height="826" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Father Arango announced he would leave the church after the Vatican ruled that baptisms he performed over the past 25 years have been invalid. Images: St Gregory Catholic Church Bulletin</em></p><p dir="ltr">“It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula,” Father Arango wrote.</p><p dir="ltr">“I deeply regret my error and how this affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere.</p><p dir="ltr">“With the help of the Holy Spirit and in communion with the Diocese of Phoenix I will dedicate my energy and full time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected.”</p><p dir="ltr">The Diocese has said Father Arango remains a priest in good standing and that he has not been disqualified from his vocation or ministry as a result of his mistake.</p><p dir="ltr">Diocese of Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted said he didn’t believe Father Arango intentionally harmed or deceived parishioners through his error.</p><p dir="ltr">“On behalf of our local Church, I am too sincerely sorry that this error has resulted in disruption to the sacramental lives of a number of the faithful,” Olmsted said in a <a href="https://www.stgregoryphx.com/note-on-baptism-validity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">“This is why I pledge to take every step necessary to remedy the situation for everyone impacted.”</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a7665fe9-7fff-43e3-b9f2-e43368b1e9d8"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Padre Andres Arango Phoenix AZ (Facebook)</em></p>

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Princess Eugenie shares unseen snaps of a royal tradition

<p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p>Princess Eugenie has shared an unseen photograph from her son's christening, in which he appears to be wearing the handmade replica of the royal christening robe.</p> <p>The Queen's granddaughter, 31, shared a series of photos on Instagram yesterday of memorable moments from the past year, which saw both the arrival of her first baby son August, and the death of Prince Phillip.</p> <p>The collection included a first look inside baby August's Baptism at the All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park, which was shared with Zara and Mike Tindall's son, Lucas. <br />The photograph indicates that the babies were christened in the Honiton lace and white satin gown first used at the christening of James, Viscount Severn in 2008 - making August and Lucas the tenth and eleventh royal babies to be christened in it.</p> <p>The frilly cream outfit is a replica of the intricate christening gown made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter that was used for all royal baptisms until Lady Louise Windsor's in 2004.</p> <p>Along with Viscount Severn, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all wore the gown, as did Lord Frederick Windsor's daughter Maud and Zara Tindall's little girl, Mia.</p> <p>It was created by the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly, and features the same lengthy skirt and elaborate collars and bow as its predecessor.</p> <p>The original robe, made in 1841, was worn by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry among others, and has now been carefully preserved.</p> <p>In her 2019 book,<span> </span>The Other Side of the Coin, Ms Kelly, explained how the replica gown was dyed in Yorkshire tea ‘(the strongest, as we all know)’ to ensure it looked authentic, according to The Telegraph.</p> <p>She wrote, "At each stage of the process I would show our progress to the Queen: first the bodies, then the sleeves attached to it, then the skirt with the under-layers on, and finally the completed robe. Her Majesty was very interested to see how it was developing."</p> <p>The original Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace gown was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841 for her first child, Victoria.</p> <p>It was deemed too delicate to be used again following the christening of Lady Louise Windsor in April 2004, so the Queen commissioned an exact replica to be worn by royal babies instead.</p>

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Six-week-old baby dies of heart attack following baptism

<p>There are growing calls for Romania's Orthodox Church to overhaul its baptism ritual after a six-week-old baby tragically died.</p> <p>The baby went into cardio-respiratory arrest on Sunday, after was immersed three times during his baptism at a church in Suceava, north-eastern Romania.</p> <p>“The boy was crying, but the priest immersed him three times in water and he inhaled water,” the child’s distraught father told local media.</p> <p>Over 61,000 people have signed a petition demanding an overhaul of what they believe is an "absurd" tradition.</p> <p>“Given the tragic situations in which infants died after immersion in the water in the baptismal font, the CHURCH must urgently regulate this practice,” the petition reads.</p> <p>“We do NOT demand the cancellation of the practice of Baptism but its modification, so that these are prevented from unnecessary and even absurd risks!</p> <p>Vasile Bănescu, a spokesman for the Romanian Patriachate emphasised that priests are trained to use a specific technique during the baptism.</p> <p>“It is, without a doubt, a tragic case, a case that will have to be investigated. Let’s not imagine that a child can be put in water without covering his nose, mouth and ears,” told Antena 3 Monday.</p> <p>“There is a technique that an experienced priest always uses. This is how a baptism is celebrated with the utmost care “, Bănescu added.</p> <p>Vladimir Dumitru, who started the online petition, told CNN that he did not want to abolish the ritual of Orthodox baptism “but to change that sometimes brutal practice that involves the risk of drowning, especially in the case of children with health problems.”</p> <p>“The petition is not directed against the institution of the Church or against the priests but has a constructive intention,” he told CNN.</p> <p>“Through this petition we want the practice of baptism to be symbolic by sprinkling the baby on the top of the head and not its complete immersion three times, and this non-invasive practice to become mandatory in all Orthodox Churches in Romania and in the Diaspora,” he said in an email.</p>

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Kate looks uncomfortable: Body language expert's verdict on Archie’s christening photo

<p>Body language experts have weighed in on the two beautiful family photos taken at baby Archie’s christening and released by new parents, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan.</p> <p>The verdict, however, has left fans and body language professionals gawking at the apparent awkwardness of the photograph.</p> <p>The portrait taken in Windsor Castle’s Green Drawing Room has left royal watchers admiring the new pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with baby Archie who was christened on July 6 in a private ceremony.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzlHhZylvwT/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzlHhZylvwT/" target="_blank">A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)</a> on Jul 6, 2019 at 8:14am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Experts and fans have said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appear as stiff and awkward in the new snap which is a great contrast to Prince Charles, 70, and his wife, Duchess Camilla, 71, who come off as relaxed and composed.</p> <p>Royal expert, Judi James told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/" target="_blank"><em>The Sun</em></a>: “Given all the rift rumours the rather ‘ready to flee’ tension in her pose could be seen as awkwardness.”</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7828429/royal-family.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/431483bcad2a44368af029e20b297362" /></p> <p>“But it could also show a desire to lower her own status signals and not upstage the happy couple.</p> <p>“With a very relaxed and jolly-looking Camilla down one end of this pose, Kate sits at the other looking oddly self-diminished and prim, with her arms pulled into her torso and a part-smile on her face.”</p> <p>Mum of three,Duchess Kate looked “ready to flee” according to Judi who was pictured sitting upright in her chair, with a tense smile.</p> <p>Further, the body language expert said Prince William was standing like a “nightclub bouncer.”</p> <p>“Kate doesn't have a real smile on her face. She looks pained,” one person took to Twitter to say.</p> <p>“William looks like he smelled something terrible. They don't look thrilled to be there.”</p> <p>Another wrote Duchess Kate “definitely had a forced smile.”</p> <p>The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland were a few members or the small 30 guests present for baby Archie’s baptism, along with Princess Diana's sisters, LadyJane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who are pictured in the official photo.</p>

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Prince Louis' christening date announced – all the details revealed

<p>Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will be christened on July 9, Kensington Palace has announced.</p> <p>The little prince, the younger brother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be baptised in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.</p> <p>The chapel is where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married in 1840 as well as the Queen’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, in 1893.</p> <p>When his older siblings were baptised, they were intimate affairs. Prince George’s christening was attended by just 22 guests and was held at the Chapel Royal at St James’ Palace in London, while Princess Charlotte’s baptism was witnessed by 21 official guests and held at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.</p> <p>The Queen, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend, as well as newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan.</p> <p>On the maternal side, Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, her younger brother James and her younger sister Pippa, who is pregnant with her first child, will attend.</p> <p>As we await the day, scroll through the gallery above to learn about the traditions that usually take place at a royal christening.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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6 royal traditions that will take place at Prince Louis’ christening

<p>The youngest member of the British royal family may only be 7 weeks old, but he will soon be the star of the show at his christening.</p> <p>With the palace busy celebrating Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in May, and most recently the Trooping the Colour parade on the weekend, it’s believed Prince Louis’ baptism announcement will be made by Kensington Palace any day now and is expected to take place in July, when the little prince is 3 months old.</p> <p>When his older siblings were baptised, they were intimate affairs. Prince George’s christening was attended by just 22 guests and was held at the Chapel Royal at St James’ Palace in London, while Princess Charlotte’s baptism was witnessed by 21 official guests and held at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.</p> <p>While everyone awaits the palace to announce the date Prince Louis will be christened, here is a list of the traditions that usually take place at a royal christening.</p> <p><strong>1. Blessed bowl</strong></p> <p>All royal offspring are baptised in the sacred Lily Font bowl. The stunning silver bowl has been in the royal family and used at christenings since 1841. It is part of the Crown Jewels and was used at both Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s baptisms.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Princess Charlotte will be baptised in the Lily Font, commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840. <a href="http://t.co/BBL9QcMCso">pic.twitter.com/BBL9QcMCso</a></p> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/617654687895040000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2015</a></blockquote> <p><strong>2. Holy water</strong></p> <p>Did you know all royal babies are christened with holy water from the River Jordan in the Middle East? For Princess Charlotte’s christening in 2015, the holy water was flown into the UK especially for her baptism. The royals use this water to acknowledge their religious beliefs.</p> <p><strong>3. Royal family christening gown</strong></p> <p>Just like his big brother and sister before him, Prince Louis will wear the same gown as his siblings (see Prince George pictured below). The royal christening gown is a replica which was created 10 years ago, after the lace garment made for Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Victoria in 1841 became too fragile to handle and wear. The original gown was worn at royal christenings up until 2008.</p> <p><img width="376" height="524" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819073/screen-shot-2018-06-12-at-11712-pm.png" alt="Screen Shot 2018-06-12 At 1.17.12 Pm"/></p> <p><strong>4. Lots of godparents</strong></p> <p>This is not an unusual tradition in the royal household, with Prince William and Kate choosing seven godparents for Prince George, and five for Princess Charlotte. The parents-of-three tend to ask good friends over close family relatives who are already aunts and uncles through blood.</p> <p><strong>5. Archbishop of Canterbury</strong></p> <p>Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is the palace’s preferred bishop for all royal weddings and christenings. It’s believed the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the most senior-ranking bishop in the Church of England and presided over Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, will conduct the baptism service for Prince Louis.</p> <p><img width="423" height="524" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819074/screen-shot-2018-06-12-at-11800-pm.png" alt="Screen Shot 2018-06-12 At 1.18.00 Pm"/></p> <p><strong>6. New royal family photo</strong></p> <p>This special occasion will mean there will be new photos of the sweet royal family released, and the first time we will see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge photographed as a family of five, along with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.</p>

Family & Pets

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Prince Oscar of Sweden’s surprising christening gift

<p>Sweden’s little Prince Oscar will be christened this Friday in the royal chapel of Stockholm, but one of his baptism presents has already been revealed.</p> <p>According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, there are plans to build a playground named after the young royal. The playground will be located in Söderåsen National Park in the southernmost region of Skåne – where Oscar is the duke.</p> <p><img width="150" height="239" src="http://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/royalty/2016040430716/prince-oscar-sweden-christening-details/0-149-367/princess-victoria2--z.jpg" class="irc_mi iNn1FldZ4gTA-pQOPx8XEepE" style="margin-top: 0px; float: left;"/></p> <p>Governor Margaret Palsson came up with the idea and wrote to 33 municipalities in Skåne and the Skåne region, to get them board with the special gift.</p> <p>"We are expected to deliver a gift from Skåne associated with the baptism and I want us to do something really good," she wrote. "My idea is to create something lasting that promotes good health among children and young people, which I know that the Crown Princess thinks is important."</p> <p>The playground will only be made of natural materials and be open to children of all ages.</p> <p>Prince Oscar will be presented with a painting of the proposed playground at his christening as it will not have been completed yet.</p> <p>What has been the most unusual baptism gift you’ve seen? Share your experience with us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/tips-to-help-shy-grandchildren-to-become-more-confident/"><em>5 ways to help shy grandchildren to become more confident</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/secret-to-mindful-children-banning-bedroom/"><em>The secret to raising mindful children</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/important-things-to-let-little-children-do/"><em>7 important things little children should be allowed to do</em></a></strong></span></p>

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