Q: What information is usually recorded in the baptismal register?
A: Canon Law specifies that the baptismal register should include the full name of the person baptized, his or her place and date of birth, the place and date of baptism, and the names of the minister of baptism, the parents, the sponsors, and any witnesses (Can. 877, §1).
Q: What are the special instructions for registering baptisms of adopted children?
A: In 1998, the U.S. bishops approved norms to clarify how baptisms of adopted children are to be recorded in parish registers. These norms function as complementary legislation for canon 877, §3 of the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States. The Congregation for Bishops granted recognitio to this legislation in 2000, and the decree took effect on December 1 of that year.
The norms take into account two factors. First, maintaining detailed sacramental records is of great importance in the life of the Church and for the pastoral care of each individual. Second, families choose how and when to disclose the fact of adoption in various ways, and it is not the place of the Church to needlessly divulge such information. These instructions balance the integrity of sacramental records with proper confidentiality regarding adoption.
The bishops decreed that, for children baptized after their adoption is finalized, the baptismal register should contain:
- the child’s Christian name as chosen by the adoptive parents
- the names of the adoptive parents
- date and place of birth
- sponsors’ names
- date and place of baptism
- the minister’s name
- “the fact of adoption but not the names of the natural parents.”
The decree further specifies: “Baptismal certificates issued by the parish for adopted children will be no different from other baptismal certificates. No mention of the fact of adoption shall be made on the baptismal certificate.”
For children baptized before their adoption is finalized, certain notations are required once the adoption is legally recognized. In the register:
- parentheses are placed around the names of the natural parents
- the adoptive parents’ names are added
- the child’s former surname is parenthesized and the new surname inserted
- a notation is made that the child was legally adopted
In these cases, baptismal certificates are even more carefully worded. They should list only the adoptive parents, the child’s new legal surname, the date and place of baptism, and the name of the minister. The certificate is not to include the name(s) of the sponsor(s) nor the mention of the fact of adoption.
For pastoral convenience, the bishops also allowed that “a baptismal entry for the adopted child can be made in the baptismal register of the adoptive parents’ parish citing the date and location of the original baptismal record.” This record lists only the names of the adoptive parents, and the date and place of birth. This helps preserve access to sacramental documentation without disclosing sensitive details.
Finally, the decree underscores confidentiality: “Parish personnel having access to parish registers have an obligation not to disclose to any person any information which would identify or reveal, directly or indirectly, the fact that a person was adopted.”
—Answered by the Editors
