Tens of thousands of people are reported to have signed an online petition for the Romanian Orthodox Church to stop dipping babies in water during baptisms amid a growing reaction after the death of a baby.
A six-week-old boy had cardiac arrest on Monday after having his head underwater three times during the baptism in Suceava, Romania, and died hours later in a hospital, Agence France Presse reported. An autopsy revealed water in the baby’s lungs.
An involuntary manslaughter investigation was opened to the priest who performed the ceremony.
“The death of a newborn baby because of this practice is a major tragedy,” wrote someone who signed the petition, which had more than 56,000 signatures on Thursday night. “This risk must be ruled out in order for the joy of baptism to triumph.”
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A photo taken on May 11, 2014 shows a Romanian Orthodox priest sinking a child in holy water during baptism, in a church in Bucharest. (Photo by Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL MIHAILESCU / AFP via Getty Images)
Local media have reported similar incidents in recent years, AFP reported.
Others called the ritual “brutal” and accused those who believe that immersion is “God’s will” as “stubbornness”.
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Church spokesman Vasile Banescu suggested that priests could spill or sprinkle water on the baby’s forehead, which is common practice worldwide, but Archbishop Teodosie, who leads the traditionalist wing, refused to change the ritual, AFP reported.