A Romanian archbishop has brushed aside demands to change the baptism ritual after anger erupted following the death of a tiny baby after immersion.
Teodosie, the Archbishop of Tomis, who has often held services in defiance of Covid-19 restrictions, said that baptism was a sacrament inscribed in church canons and would not be altered.
Many Romanians were outraged after the six-week-old baby died this week after immersion in the baptismal font.
The Orthodox ritual involves the priest plunging the baby into a water-filled font three times, covering its mouth and nose to prevent the infant inhaling water.
Almost 50,000 have signed a petition urging for the practice to be changed “so useless and absurd risks can be avoided.”
Signatories called for a priest to „symbolically wet” a child’s head with water from the font, suggesting a ritual which is similar to Catholic and Protestant traditions
.Romania’s patriarchy said Monday that church rules allow for a priest to sprinkle water on an infant’s head rather than the customary immersion.
However Teodosie, who is known for his hardline stance on religious matters often at odds with the patriarchy, said the ritual should remain the same.
“These canons related to faith have been valid for 1,000 years. So we won’t change. We won’t be intimidated,” he told Antena 3 on Tuesday.
The six-week-old infant, who was born prematurely, was baptized on Sunday in the northeast city of Suceava.
There are conflicting reports about what happened after immersion. The priest said the child cried after the ritual and his vital signs were good.
However, the baby’s father said the infant went floppy and an ambulance was called. He went into a cardiac arrest, was resuscitated, but died the next day.
Doctors said the baby had 110 milliliters of water in his lungs.
Police are investigating manslaughter but haven’t filed charges. The priest has been suspended pending the investigation, church spokesman Vasile Banescu said.
The patriarchy has called on the Suceava archbishopric to investigate what happened. It sent its condolences to the family, Mediafax news agency reported.
„The Romanian patriarchy has deep compassion for the family of the dead child, whose suffering we can’t fully understand, the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Teodosie made headlines when he celebrated the Easter service more than a month late, after churches were closed during lockdown.
