# Catholic priest inadvertently changed one word during baptism rites for decades, and apparently it's a BIG PROBLEM **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 15, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494 "2022-02-15T02:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/21 "2022-02-15T07:18:40Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > > > can I baptize myself? > > Can your cat baptize you, with its integrated baptizing instrument? Don’t be silly. Cats lack a soul – the divine spark – that empowers the ability to perform baptism. For that, one needs to employ the _Canis Familiaris_, seen below administering the sacred rite. I ask you, what is “dog” spelled backwards? [https://www.scarymommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/shutterstock\_353813945-587x335.jpg](https://www.scarymommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/shutterstock_353813945-587x335.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/22 "2022-02-15T07:28:18Z")
I would think the backwards spelling proves that dogs are exactly the opposite of godly. The Egyptians worshipped cats–we may have forgotten this, but the cats have not. Their tongue, which can strip meat right off the bone, reminds us that there is no religious connection without suffering. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/23 "2022-02-15T09:51:59Z")
Certainly an interesting case, I have never seen anything like it before. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/24 "2022-02-15T10:13:28Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I have never seen anything like it before. Oh, Catholic history is absolutely rife with these kinds of semantic disagreements erupting into fullblown heresies. > **[History of the filioque controversy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_filioque_controversy)** > > The history of the filioque controversy is the historical development of theological controversies within Christianity regarding three distinctive issues: the orthodoxy of the doctrine of procession of the Holy Spirit as represented by the Filioque clause, the nature of anathemas mutually imposed by conflicted sides during the Filioque controversy, and the liceity (legitimacy) of the insertion of the Filioque phrase into the Nicene Creed. Although the debates over the orthodoxy of the doctrine ... ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/25 "2022-02-15T10:18:48Z")
Yes, but I cannot recall them happening in my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/26 "2022-02-15T11:05:09Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Which makes me wonder further–can I baptize myself? If you’re already baptized, you can rebaptize yourself, I guess? But, if not, no. However, this raises the question – can God create an grammatical rule so ridiculous that even He can’t wriggle His way out of it? Apparently yes. My other favorite bit of Catholic strict adherence to rules was not allowing a girl with celiac to use a gluten-free communion wafer. Can God create a grain so gluten-free that even He can’t transubstantiate into it? What is the Catholic doctrine on people who die knowing about God but who remain unbaptized? I think some Protestants doom them to Hell for eternity. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/27 "2022-02-15T11:14:21Z")
Somewhere in the universe, God sits with his head in his hands, ruing some things. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/28 "2022-02-15T11:19:41Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Is there some reason that you were expecting something else? A little common sense - one doesn’t even need to be a Jesuit - would indicate that “we” necessarily includes “I”. ---
**Author:** ![Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slight_Off_Hand)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/29 "2022-02-15T11:35:54Z")
Thousands of baptisms invalidated due to clerical error. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/30 "2022-02-15T12:15:40Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Can your cat baptize you, with its integrated baptizing instrument? My cat couldn’t baptize its own mother on the baptizingest day of its life if it had an electrified baptizing machine. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/31 "2022-02-15T13:43:37Z")
Nominated thread winner. There is also this - video of the conversation between the Pope and that priest has emerged… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/d1ZRUCTKXWE/hqdefault.jpg "Royal We HD 720p") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ZRUCTKXWE) ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/32 "2022-02-15T14:15:33Z")
[Here](https://dphx.org/valid-baptisms/) is a notice from the Diocese of Phoenix. And here is [one](https://www.aod.org/august-23-2020-letter-to-the-faithful-english) from the Archdiocese of Detroit about a slightly different situation - in this case, a priest, after watching a video of his own baptism realized that the " We" version was used. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/33 "2022-02-15T14:20:08Z")
“Does the Pope shit in the woods?” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/34 "2022-02-15T16:07:43Z")
> [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > “You will be assimilated” This is actually the goal of all (?) organized religions. By force, if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/35 "2022-02-15T16:15:23Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > This is actually the goal of all (?) organized religions. By force, if necessary. This seems like ascribing goal-directed consciousness to evolution. I think a good model is that religions are information viruses, and the viruses that proliferate are those with the highest infectivity. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/36 "2022-02-15T16:35:54Z")
Jeez, re-write to eliminate pronoun: You are baptized in the… . ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/37 "2022-02-15T16:40:36Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > re-write to eliminate pronoun: You are baptized in the… That won’t do. God strangles a kitten every time you use the passive voice. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/38 "2022-02-15T16:52:41Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > “Are you out there, God, it is we, Margaret?" Are you out there, God, it is us, Margaret? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/39 "2022-02-15T16:56:17Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > This is the Catholic Church, the highest moral authority. One of their priests has erred, so their only course of action is full and frank disclosure, immediate action to remove the priest and require his resignation, acknowledgement of the harm he has done with measures to do whatever they can to assist and compensate the innocent victims, while ensuring that such a thing can never happen again. Is there some reason that you were expecting something else? This is funny. (applause) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494/40 "2022-02-15T16:59:58Z")
> [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](#): > > Thousands of baptisms invalidated due to clerical error. LOL. I’m picturing a D&D style cleric that always rolls a 1 on their d20 check for successfully performing a baptism 🤪. Using one of those dice that has oof in place of the one and yeet in place of the 20 🤣. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-priest-inadvertently-changed-one-word-during-baptism-rites-for-decades-and-apparently-its-a-big-problem/959494.md?page=3)