The Vatican Congregation for Clergy issued a letter directing all Catholic bishops to keep The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from microfilming and digitizing information in Catholic registers, according to a report in the Catholic News Service (CNS).
Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, told CNS that the order was unnecessary because current policy already accomplishes the goal.
"We have a policy not to give out baptismal records to anyone unless they are entitled to have them," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "That isn't just for the Church of the Latter-day Saints. That is for all groups." He told CNS that he does not support giving the Mormons names for the sake of rebaptism.
However, Mormons are not the only people who use the Catholic records. People of all faiths, from all nations are interested in pursuing family history research.
Fortunately, Mormons, the popular name for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have always been willing to share the records they obtain with anyone and everyone at no charge. Anyone can walk into a Latter-day Saint Family History Center anywhere in the world and conduct research without being asked what church they belong to and without paying a single dime.
It is also the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that records can be researched and used only by family members of the dead. The Church has repeatedly advised members not to use records of people to whom they are not related. A recent PBS television documentary entitled "The Mormons" included a great deal of information about the practice of genealogical research and temple proxy baptisms.
In 1984 I asked my grandfather´s elderly cousin in Ireland to help me research parish records in his town in Ireland so I could research my family history. He was excited to help and went to his parish priest who said that every other name in his records was related to me. He told me I was welcome to copy the records for my research.
Those records were so voluminous that the only practical solution was to ask the Genealogy Society of Utah to come in with their microfilming equipment. They provided a written agreement to the parish priest explaining that they would make a microfilm of the records, provide a free copy to the parish priest to help him preserve the records, and would make the records available to anyone who would like to research their family history without charge.
My cousin said that the priest was so happy to preserve the decaying records, and that it would not cost anything to do so. I was happy because I now had the information that would not have been otherwise available to me.
Stories like this have been repeated in communities all around the world as volunteers give up their time and pay their own way to help preserve valuable records that enable people everywhere to learn about their family history and heritage.
I am so grateful that my cousin´s parish priest chose to go against the policy then in place by his bishop, which was that Catholic parish records in Ireland could be researched in person, but the LDS Church was not microfilm them. However, my cousin´s priest was concerned that the records would not last more than a few more years in their present condition, and he knew that many people would be blessed if the records could be preserved. (I have left out identifying information on purpose because even after all these years I do not wish to stir up trouble in Ireland.)
According to the CNS news report, the letter was sent to Catholic bishops out of concern that Mormons believe in proxy baptisms of the dead, something Catholics disagree with. In other words, that baptisms can be performed by family members of those who have died with the hope that the dead family member has been taught about the LDS Church in heaven and has decided to accept the baptism performed for them in this world.
Genealogical research and then the act of proxy baptisms in a temple are acts of faith by Latter-day Saints. They believe that marriages and families can be for more than just "death do us part," and that families can be forever. Their love for family members who are so far back in their family tree that no living person even remembers them is great, and they believe those people have a right to accept or reject a baptism performed on their behalf by a loving family member in a temple.
Freedom and human rights certainly should be a part of the discussion that has been brought up by the Catholic letter to bishops. There are several questions to be considered.
Do people, regardless of religious affiliation, have a right to obtain the religious vital records of their ancestors, particularly when civil records of those ancestors may not be available?
If a Mormon obtains the records of an ancestor who was a Catholic, do they have the right to perform a proxy baptism of that ancestor in a Latter-day Saint temple?
Does a dead person, who was a Catholic or member of any other faith, have a right to accept or reject a proxy baptism performed for them by a Mormon?
Catholics and others believe the proxy baptisms by Mormons have no justification or value, so if such baptisms make no difference why not let Mormons do as they wish and reap the side benefits of free record preservation and free genealogical research for all people?
Who should make decisions on behalf of my ancestors, the Catholic Church or living family members?
I am proud of my rich Irish Catholic family heritage, but I do not think the Catholic Church should restrict my access to records that would enable me to find information about my ancestors. I should think the Catholic Church would want to bring families together, and the current announcement will effectively seal all Catholic records and drive a wedge between people of many faiths and the Catholic Church.
I once took a writing class at what was then Lowell Technological Institute, now the Univ. of Lowell taught by the best writing teacher I ever had. During one of our classes he wisely stated during a minor debate about weird beliefs by Mormons, which I have never forgotten and still have in my notes, "One man´s religion is another man´s belly laugh." To which I stated, "But we all have a right to be different, and we should respect one another even when we think people are nuts to believe one way or another." He agreed, and said, "You´re right. Mormons are nuts, but I respect their right to be nuts as long as they respect my right to believe differently and to say that I think they´re nuts."
Indeed the Mormons are willing to be called nuts. One of their 13 Articles of Faith states: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."
Obviously the reason there are so many different religious beliefs is because they do not agree with each other. However, there are common beliefs on which we can focus, and there are ways we can get along in peace and harmony.
Catholics and Latter-day Saints have a great deal in common, and should focus on those commonalities in an effort to help foster love and respect for one another and those beliefs that they share. Hopefully Mormons, Catholics, and genealogists of all faiths can unite in prayer that those who are responsible for this decision will reconsider, particularly as the consequences of this policy become manifest.
Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, told CNS that the order was unnecessary because current policy already accomplishes the goal.
"We have a policy not to give out baptismal records to anyone unless they are entitled to have them," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "That isn't just for the Church of the Latter-day Saints. That is for all groups." He told CNS that he does not support giving the Mormons names for the sake of rebaptism.
However, Mormons are not the only people who use the Catholic records. People of all faiths, from all nations are interested in pursuing family history research.
Fortunately, Mormons, the popular name for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have always been willing to share the records they obtain with anyone and everyone at no charge. Anyone can walk into a Latter-day Saint Family History Center anywhere in the world and conduct research without being asked what church they belong to and without paying a single dime.
It is also the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that records can be researched and used only by family members of the dead. The Church has repeatedly advised members not to use records of people to whom they are not related. A recent PBS television documentary entitled "The Mormons" included a great deal of information about the practice of genealogical research and temple proxy baptisms.
In 1984 I asked my grandfather´s elderly cousin in Ireland to help me research parish records in his town in Ireland so I could research my family history. He was excited to help and went to his parish priest who said that every other name in his records was related to me. He told me I was welcome to copy the records for my research.
Those records were so voluminous that the only practical solution was to ask the Genealogy Society of Utah to come in with their microfilming equipment. They provided a written agreement to the parish priest explaining that they would make a microfilm of the records, provide a free copy to the parish priest to help him preserve the records, and would make the records available to anyone who would like to research their family history without charge.
My cousin said that the priest was so happy to preserve the decaying records, and that it would not cost anything to do so. I was happy because I now had the information that would not have been otherwise available to me.
Stories like this have been repeated in communities all around the world as volunteers give up their time and pay their own way to help preserve valuable records that enable people everywhere to learn about their family history and heritage.
I am so grateful that my cousin´s parish priest chose to go against the policy then in place by his bishop, which was that Catholic parish records in Ireland could be researched in person, but the LDS Church was not microfilm them. However, my cousin´s priest was concerned that the records would not last more than a few more years in their present condition, and he knew that many people would be blessed if the records could be preserved. (I have left out identifying information on purpose because even after all these years I do not wish to stir up trouble in Ireland.)
According to the CNS news report, the letter was sent to Catholic bishops out of concern that Mormons believe in proxy baptisms of the dead, something Catholics disagree with. In other words, that baptisms can be performed by family members of those who have died with the hope that the dead family member has been taught about the LDS Church in heaven and has decided to accept the baptism performed for them in this world.
Genealogical research and then the act of proxy baptisms in a temple are acts of faith by Latter-day Saints. They believe that marriages and families can be for more than just "death do us part," and that families can be forever. Their love for family members who are so far back in their family tree that no living person even remembers them is great, and they believe those people have a right to accept or reject a baptism performed on their behalf by a loving family member in a temple.
Freedom and human rights certainly should be a part of the discussion that has been brought up by the Catholic letter to bishops. There are several questions to be considered.
Do people, regardless of religious affiliation, have a right to obtain the religious vital records of their ancestors, particularly when civil records of those ancestors may not be available?
If a Mormon obtains the records of an ancestor who was a Catholic, do they have the right to perform a proxy baptism of that ancestor in a Latter-day Saint temple?
Does a dead person, who was a Catholic or member of any other faith, have a right to accept or reject a proxy baptism performed for them by a Mormon?
Catholics and others believe the proxy baptisms by Mormons have no justification or value, so if such baptisms make no difference why not let Mormons do as they wish and reap the side benefits of free record preservation and free genealogical research for all people?
Who should make decisions on behalf of my ancestors, the Catholic Church or living family members?
I am proud of my rich Irish Catholic family heritage, but I do not think the Catholic Church should restrict my access to records that would enable me to find information about my ancestors. I should think the Catholic Church would want to bring families together, and the current announcement will effectively seal all Catholic records and drive a wedge between people of many faiths and the Catholic Church.
I once took a writing class at what was then Lowell Technological Institute, now the Univ. of Lowell taught by the best writing teacher I ever had. During one of our classes he wisely stated during a minor debate about weird beliefs by Mormons, which I have never forgotten and still have in my notes, "One man´s religion is another man´s belly laugh." To which I stated, "But we all have a right to be different, and we should respect one another even when we think people are nuts to believe one way or another." He agreed, and said, "You´re right. Mormons are nuts, but I respect their right to be nuts as long as they respect my right to believe differently and to say that I think they´re nuts."
Indeed the Mormons are willing to be called nuts. One of their 13 Articles of Faith states: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."
Obviously the reason there are so many different religious beliefs is because they do not agree with each other. However, there are common beliefs on which we can focus, and there are ways we can get along in peace and harmony.
Catholics and Latter-day Saints have a great deal in common, and should focus on those commonalities in an effort to help foster love and respect for one another and those beliefs that they share. Hopefully Mormons, Catholics, and genealogists of all faiths can unite in prayer that those who are responsible for this decision will reconsider, particularly as the consequences of this policy become manifest.
