Six-week-old Infant Dies After His Head Was Put Into Water Three Times At Romanian Orthodox Church

By Sumaiya Ghani in Heartbreaking On 9th February 2021
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A six-week-old baby died in a heartbreaking incident when he was being baptized in an Orthodox Church in Romania

As a result of this tragic incident, the Orthodox Church is facing immense pressure to change baptism rituals in Romania. The baby died during a ceremony when his head was put underwater not once but three times.


 

The infant was taken to the hospital in an emergency after suffering from a cardiac arrest

The infant was rushed to the hospital after he suffered from cardiac arrest. The little baby died a few hours later as a result of the liquid that was filled his lungs. 


The priest, from the northeastern city of Suceava, is facing a manslaughter case against him. 


 

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People want changes to the ritual

People of Romania have started a petition calling for changes to the ritual and till Thursday, the petition had already gained more than 56,000 signatures. 


The petition said: 'the death of a newborn baby because of this practice is a huge tragedy,


'This risk must be ruled out for the joy of baptism to triumph.'

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People think this is brutal and dangerous

People on the internet are outraged after hearing the sad demise of a newborn baby. One person called it the 'brutality' of the ritual and another criticized the 'stubbornness of those who think that it is the will of God' to maintain it. 


 

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Church spokesman suggested that instead of immersing the baby's head into the water, the priests could pour or sprinkle a little water on the face

It's not the first such case, the local media has reported several similar incidents in past years but still, the tradition continues. 


Church spokesman Vasile Banescu suggested priests could pour or sprinkle a little water on the baby's forehead instead of immersing it into the water three times. 


Though the case is going on and the petition is being signed by thousands of people, still, the leader of the Church's traditionalist wing, Archbishop Teodosie,  insisted the ritual would not change.




This ceremony is as large as a wedding in the country

Romanian Orthodox church baptism is quite an old religious ceremony where a baby is completely submerged in water three times in a row while the priest is meant to hold their nose so that the water doesn't go inside. 


It is in fact a large event in Romania, sometimes as large as a wedding, where hundreds of guests attend a big party and congratulate the parents. 


80 percent of Romanians are Orthodox which is one of the main reasons why the Romanian Orthodox church is one of the largest and the trusted institutions in the country.