As a Catholic, can I baptize my own child after he is born?

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Q: As a Catholic, can I baptize my own child after he is born?

Can. 837 §1. Liturgical actions are not private actions but celebrations of the Church itself which is the sacrament of unity, that is, a holy people gathered and ordered under the bishops. Liturgical actions therefore belong to the whole body of the Church and manifest and affect it; they touch its individual members in different ways, however, according to the diversity of orders, functions, and actual participation.

While your baptism of your child would be a real baptism (provided you used proper sacramental form and matter), there are some issues with doing so. Starting with the canon cited above. The normal reception and administration of the Sacraments are in a sacred place (such as a church), at a sacred time (baptisms usually can be done whenever one can be fit in the schedule, but things like ordinations or marriages occur during particular times in the liturgical year), and by a sacred minister (principally the bishop, then the priests and sometimes deacons under him). This is because the Sacraments are public acts of the entire Mystical Body of Christ, not that of any particular individual. We should always follow the Sacramental law because the Church is the custodian of the Sacraments. It is her right to determine their celebration.

With regard to Baptism:

Can. 857 §1. Apart from a case of necessity, the proper place of baptism is a church or oratory.

§2. As a rule an adult is to be baptized in his or her parish church and an infant in the parish church of the parents unless a just cause suggests otherwise.

And there is also to be considered the Baptismal certificate, which is necessary for the reception of future Sacraments, and sometimes for admission to places like schools, etc.

Can. 875 A person who administers baptism is to take care that, unless a sponsor is present, there is at least a witness who can attest to the conferral of the baptism.

Can. 876 To prove the conferral of baptism, if prejudicial to no one, the declaration of one witness beyond all exception is sufficient or the oath of the one baptized if the person received baptism as an adult.

Can. 877 §1. The pastor of the place where the baptism is celebrated must carefully and without any delay record in the baptismal register the names of the baptized, with mention made of the minister, parents, sponsors, witnesses, if any, the place and date of the conferral of the baptism, and the date and place of birth.

However,

Can. 859 If because of distance or other circumstances the one to be baptized cannot go or be brought to the parish church or to the other church or oratory mentioned in can. 858, §2 without grave inconvenience, baptism can and must be conferred in another nearer church or oratory, or even in another fitting place.

Can. 860 §1. Apart from a case of necessity, baptism is not to be conferred in private houses, unless the local ordinary has permitted it for a grave cause.

These canons make it possible for parents to licitly baptize their child immediately after birth if there is reason to believe the child will not survive long enough for the normal procedures to take place. It doesn't sound like you are expecting this sort of situation.

Lastly, your question has an element of morality ("would be sinful if...") and C.SE explicitly cannot address these sorts of matters. There is no substitute for seeking the advice of your parish priest.

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