Does the Catholic church consider a previous baptism from another faith as valid if that individual as a child was forced to undergo the baptism under threat of punishment?

Answer 1

Any baptism that is forced upon someone else who is in opposition to the baptism is invalid, as the person's dispensation of will is to not receive the sacrament. Sacraments require that the recipient has the explicit or implicit intention to receive them, and if this is missing, the sacrament is either invalid or its graces are impeded from being transmitted. The exact circumstances of the baptism would have to be reviewed, as children are often not in full possession of the faculty of reason until around 7 or 8 years old, which is why infant baptism has the intention supplied by the godparents.

If the baptism was valid (say the child was young and just didn't want to be there, etc.) after the above investigation, the Church would receive it as such. The Catholic Church receives any baptism as valid, no matter who the minister, provided the baptism is performed using the proper form and matter (words and materials). This is because the Church recognizes only one baptism, Her own, given to Her by Christ. Throughout the centuries many groups have split from the Church but have taken the sacrament, retaining the matter and form. Because of this they are performing baptismal rites that join their members to the Church of Christ, the Catholic Church, until such a time that these members can reason and personally choose the heretical or schismatic group they have grown up in. Because of this valid baptism, however, when a person of one of these denominations desires to convert to the Catholic Church they do not need to be baptized again, as they have already been implicitly baptized a Catholic. If there is any doubt in regards to the validity of a baptism, the Church through a priest can administer baptism conditionally to remove all doubt.