Load up, target ... baptize! These priests are not baptizing babies with water pistols, this is a joke

Social distance is part of what we already call new normality. Where the covid-19 has wreaked havoc, we are still far from returning to a music festival like last summer's and filling a bar like we used to do. Masses, weddings and baptisms have also been altered in recent months. Although little by little the churches of many countries are active again, there are those who have not wanted to suspend the appointments they had with them, such as the parents of two children from the United States who have celebrated their baptisms at home and have immortalized the moment by pretending that the priests shot the little ones with a water pistol to seal the sacrament. The photos are real, but the children were not baptized with the guns, they just posed like that to joke around.

Little Wesley James was baptized on March 29, just as his parents, Mary and Kyle Nielsen had planned. However, the health crisis caused the venue to be changed: instead of at his Minnesota church, the boy was baptized at home. Despite the fact that the baptism was done in a normal way, the parents wanted to portray the moment by taking a photo in which the priest points the child with a water pistol, as if he were baptizing him in that way. The image on Facebook alone has already been shared more than 300,000 times. Mary Nielsen, overwhelmed by the repercussion, explained on KKTC television that it was only a joke: "When I called my family to tell them that they were not going to be able to be at the christening, my brother asked me what the pastor to respect social distance and he said he could use a water gun. "

The mother admits that she was amused by the idea and that is why she proposed it to her husband and the pastor: “She wanted a photo like that. When the day came, we baptized Wesley, of course, and then we took the picture with the water pistol, so that our families laugh because they couldn't share this day with us. ” Mary jokes about how she will tell all this to her son: "You became quite famous when you were only two months old."

Wesley's was not the only alleged baptism with a water pistol shared on social networks. This time it is not known who the child is or his parents, but the name of the priest, Stephen Klasek, who from the Facebook account of the Saint Mark Catholic Church (Manchester, Tennessee) has explained why the photo was taken. with the water gun. In the publication it is clear that the purpose was "to have fun". In addition, he says that it was the family who asked to take the photo after having seen some similar ones on the Internet and clarifies that the water from the gun was not blessed, that the baby was not baptized with this improvised ritual and that he did not even get to wet the child, shot at the father.

Although the two previous images portray jokes and not the celebration of the baptism of those babies, the parents who wanted to have this memory for the future could have been inspired by Tim Pelc, who did resort to a water pistol to follow a custom of Holy Saturday. On April 11 this Catholic priest from Michigan blessed the Easter baskets - which traditionally contain food and gifts - shooting holy water at the cars that were queuing at the door of his church. The parish itself recounted it the next day on its Facebook page, although it was on May 15 when Pelk's photographs, taken by Larry Peplin, reached more people from a tweet that in two weeks adds up to more than 120,000 retweets.

A Priest giving social distance blessings with a squirt pistol and what, I'm assuming, is Holy water. 2020 folks. pic.twitter.com/iDnYs33hs9

Recommendations for the faithful in the time of Covid-19

Although two of these viral photos are only jokes, the churches are taking into account the social distancing now that they can return to the temples. The Episcopal Conference of Spain published 27 precepts to carry out in the churches, which can be accessed from phase 1. The capacity of these is limited; the confessionals, empty; It is recommended that the choir be reduced to one person singing and to take communion it is necessary to establish turns. In addition, to give peace you can no longer shake hands or kiss.

In other countries, such as Germany, religious services are also active again. In fact, this week more than 100 infected were detected in Frankfurt after attending a Baptist church in the city. In the United States, Trump declared churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship a few days ago as essential services and called for their reopening against what the health authorities think, that they believe may be sources of contagion.

* You can also follow us on Instagram and Flipboard. Don't miss the best of Verne!