BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Arizona priest resigns after thousands of invalid baptisms

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

(NewsNation Now) — A Catholic priest in Arizona has resigned following a church investigation that found that he performed thousands of invalid baptisms throughout most of his 20-year career.

The baptisms were deemed invalid due to the wording used during in the religious ceremony.

Father Andres Arango, who performed thousands of baptisms, would say “We baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

But according to Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, the words “we baptize” should have been “I baptized.”

In a statement obtained by NewsNation, the diocese says the issue with using “we” is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is “Christ and Him alone” who will preside at all of the sacraments.

Shrugging off the invalid baptisms isn’t an option for many worshipers, because it affects sacred practices for Catholics such as confirmation and communion, and according to the Diocese of Phoenix, that confusion could also affect marriages.

Arango has apologized for his mistake in a statement, saying “It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest regularly using an incorrect formula.”

The diocese is aware of the confusion this may cause parishioners and has set up a website for anyone who believes they had an invalid baptism.

The diocese says baptisms that Arango conducted after June 17, 2021, are presumed to be valid.

Southwest

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

66°F Sunny Feels like 66°
Wind
6 mph SW
Humidity
48%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
50°F A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Wind
6 mph N
Precip
10%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waxing Gibbous