Q: Your thoughts, please, on baptizing the child of a civilly married couple, during the Mass celebrating their Convalidation. And, since the couple will be clearly married, is there (or should there be) a paternal “giving away,’ or should(‘nt) the entrance procession reflect the reality: that there is already a husband and wife, and they enter together? Thank you!
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A: No liturgical law forbids having a baptism at the mass with a wedding, but I advise against it. It’s hard to give the liturgy integrity when it is observing such disparate sacraments.
A request such as this is somewhat common in the hispanic community, though, especially when family members are coming a distance and want to be present for both events.
Regarding the paternal giving away of the bride, the Order of Celebrating Matrimony never describes it, but it permits the entrance procession to take place “in the customary manner.” In Latin – and in Spanish for that matter – one description of the entrance procession presumes that the couple are entering together. The English translation does not explicitly say it. But unquestionably it may be done