[Question:]{.underline} Does an adult who receives baptism insincerely receive a valid sacrament?
[Answer:]{.underline} The question of the necessary disposition in receiving a sacrament is entirely different for an infant than it is for an adult. An infant cannot place an obstacle to either the reception or the grace of the sacrament of baptism, for he is not capable of having an intention one way or the other. The sacrament is administered in virtue of the intention of the Church, represented by the godparents, and consequently it is always received validly and fruitfully.
However, the same is not the case for adults. The reception of a sacrament requires that the adult (unless he is insane or mentally incompetent) act as a human person, with sufficient knowledge and will as to act freely. Hence for all sacraments except the Holy Eucharist (because it is previously consecrated), there must be some intention of receiving the sacrament. However, the intention required for validity and fruitfulness varies from one sacrament to another. This is explained by Fr. Prummer, Man. Th. Mor. Vol III, §87), quoting the condemnation of Pope Innocent III of the proposition that sacraments administered to those who are unwilling are valid.
The insincerity in an adult receiving Baptism can be understood in two ways, depending upon two different kinds of defect of intention. The first kind of defect of intention takes place when a person submits unwillingly or hypocritically to the ceremony of baptism, without any intention of receiving it. In such a case it is manifestly invalid, since the minimum intention of receiving baptism validly is the implicit habitual intention that is contained in the effort to live a Christian life. Nobody who is interested in living a Catholic life, even if not in the state of grace, nor truly contrite for his sins, is invalidly baptized due to lack of intention. This kind of insincerity is a rare thing, and is summarized by St. Thomas Aquinas: “If in an adult the intention of receiving the sacrament of baptism is absent, then he must be re-baptized. However, if this is not obvious, then he is to be baptized with the formula `if you are not baptized, I …`” (IIIa, Q. 68, a.7, Ad 2).
However, there is a much more frequent kind of insincerity and defect of intention. It takes place when the adult has at least habitually the intention of receiving the sacrament, but does not ensure that he has the necessary dispositions for fruitful reception of the sacrament. In such cases, the sacrament of baptism is receiving validly but without fruit. It is the case when a person receives baptism without having the Faith, or without having at least imperfect contrition for his sins, or without having confidence in the merits of Christ`s passion to save him from his sins.
This is what St. Thomas Aquinas describes in the above mentioned article: “Through baptism a person dies to the old life of sin and begins a certain newness of life…and so just as it is required, in the person who has free will, that he have the will of repenting for the old life in order that he die to it, so likewise is required the will by which the newness of life is intended, of which the principle is the reception of the sacrament. And so the will of intention of receiving the sacrament is required on the part of the baptized person.”
The sacrament received insincerely in this case exists when the adult does not have the intention of receiving grace from it. Consequently, it does not give sanctifying grace, and is received sacrilegiously, adding to the burden of the adult`s sins. However, in such a case it is not to be repeated. Rather the adult is to repent of the sin of sacrilege, make acts of Faith, true contrition and Hope and the sacrament will revivify. Since the sacramental character is already on the soul, the correction of the defective disposition results in sanctifying grace and the graces of the sacrament flowing onto the soul. The insincere adult convert must therefore regret his sin, do penance, confess the sins of the sacrilege and turn his heart to God. These insincere baptisms are most frequently the case of non-Catholics receiving baptism so as to marry a Catholic. The priest`s responsibility is to ensure that it is a true and not an insincere conversion.
Answered by Father Peter Scott, SSPX.