January 1, AZ Priest Accidentally Invalidates Thousands of Baptisms

An Arizona priest resigned after he was found to have performed baptisms incorrectly for decades, rendering the rite invalid for thousands of people.

The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix announced it had found that Rev. Andres Arango’s baptisms performed until June 17, 2021, had been off by one word.

Arango used the phrase “we baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” He should have said “I baptize,” the diocese explained.

“It is not the community that baptizes a person and incorporates them into the Church of Christ; rather, it is Christ, and Christ alone, who presides at all sacraments; therefore, it is Christ who baptizes,” it said.

“If you were baptized using the wrong words, that means your baptism is invalid, and you are not baptized.”

Diocese spokesperson Katie Burke said that Arango is believed to have used the incorrect word since the beginning of his priesthood in 1995.

“I do not have an exact number of people affected, but I believe they number in the thousands,” she added.

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An Arizona priest used one wrong word in baptisms for decades. They’re all invalid