Q: I am trying to get a hold of the second Latin typical edition of the Baptism of Children to check something in the text. I am curious when the USSCB says that the post-baptismal anointing with chrism should not be omitted if this was an adaptation allowed for in the typical edition. I thought if anyone might know the answer and also have access to the text it would likely be you!
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
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A: If you’re referring to OBC 24/4, that is indeed a USCCB adaptation. In Latin it says the following:
Si permulti simul baptizantur, unctio chrismatis omitti potest (n. 125).
Although it looks as though these are saying totally different things, I think they’re in concord. The USCCB is basically saying that we don’t have the pastoral situation where hundreds or thousands may be baptized at one time. That’s what the original is trying to address.
That said, interestingly enough, the Spanish translation of the same line in the USCCB bilingual edition agrees with the Latin:
En el Bautismo de muchos niños, si el número de ellos es muy grande, puede emitirse la unción postbautismal con el santo Crisma (n. 125).