Does mispronunciation of a name invalidate a baptism?
I recently was a godparent at a baptism of a close family member in which the deacon mispronounced the last name of the person being baptized. He did use the proper form, saying “N. (mispronouncing the name), I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The mispronunciation wasn’t just a simple emphasis on a wrong syllable, but he actually added a consonant, so the name was a different name (i.e., if the last name was “Gavis” he said “Gravis”).
I know there have been instances where a baptism was found to be invalid because the wrong words were used. Was this person validly baptized? And should I say anything?
Thank you, Fathers, for putting my mind at ease about this matter.
Posted Aug 10, 2025, 7:40 PM UTC