Spanish archbishop defends baptism amid culture of death

Toledo, Spain, Jan 11, 2011 / 18:04 pm

Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez of Toledo, Spain is defending baptism's “yes to life” in the face of the culture of death.

In a Jan. 9 homily, Archbishop Rodriguez spoke of the culture of death, explaining that it manifests itself in: Drug use, lies, fraud, injustice, contempt for others, and contempt for showing solidarity “with the poor and those who suffer.”

The culture of death is also seen in sexuality when it is understood as sheer fun without responsibility, he said.  He added that this leads people to see each other as objects rather than as persons.

Archbishop Rodriguez then remarked that man is being turned into “merchandise and pure objects.”

“To this apparent happiness we must say ‘no,’ in order to cultivate the culture of life,” he added.  The “yes” of Christians at baptism, from apostolic times until today, is a great “yes to life,” the archbishop continued.

“This is our ‘yes’ to Christ, our ‘yes’ to the victor over death and our ‘yes’ to life in time and in eternity.”

For this reason, he explained, the “yes” in the rite of baptism expresses three beliefs—in God the creator, in Christ, and in the communion of the Church.  The “no” is also three-fold—no to temptation, to sin and to the devil, the archbishop said.

Archbishop Rodriguez made his comments after three children received baptism at the Cathedral of Toledo.