Q: Hi Father, thanks for your valuable insights. I recently saw a video of an adult baptism by immersion (not in a Catholic church) and it got me wondering- if someone is baptized and sprinkled or immersed only once, instead of three times after each Person of the Trinity is named, does this invalidate the baptism? I don’t like to get nit-picky but with the sacraments, if form or matter is lacking, there’s a problem. (I also ask because I only recently learned that the water must flow over the head or the heart, which is not a given anywhere in the ritual text.)
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A: I would defer to canon lawyers to determine if a sacrament was administered validly, so I suggest you contact one in your own diocese for an opinion in this case.
I have noted in the past that popes have baptized with a single pour https://paulturner.org/vatican-baptism/.
The Catechism in 1239 notes the ancient practice of pouring water three times on the head. I don’t know of any legislation advising water flowing over the heart.