Adult Baptisms at the University of Navarra
In the past, most of them were foreigners, but in the last few years there have been cases of conversions of Spaniards.
"The baptisms of adults who study or work at the University of Navarra is a common phenomenon, although it does not occur on a 'large scale: in a typical academic year there may be 2 or 3 conversions," says José Alviar, professor of Theology and chaplain of the high school of Liberal Arts of the academic center. "Years ago, almost all the adults who asked for baptism at the University were from China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia..., but lately there are beginning to be cases of Spanish conversions," he adds.
Cristina Alfaro, a 2nd year medical student from Vitoria, is one of these cases. "I was not baptized because my parents are not believers and I had not experienced any concern about faith, although I had always wondered about the meaning of existence. My existential crises were becoming more frequent and longer lasting, and I found it harder to get out of them," she admits. "On the night of May 16 a year ago, a few days after my grandmother's death, I felt so desperate that, even though it seemed the most absurd thing to do, I began to pray," she recalls.
"I listened and read some things and then I understood that God was calling my heart. Accepting it meant having to rethink a lot of things, so I decided not to rush: I started praying at night, and then I got a rosary and a Bible to find out who Jesus Christ was. Three months later, I decided to ask for Baptism. During this last year I have tried to get to know the faith better, to clarify my doubts, to get closer to Christ, to understand better the extent of his love and to try to love him in the same way".
The power of joy
Professor José Alviar, who has accompanied many adults to Baptism, knows that the important thing is that their friends give them a good example of a coherent Christian life. "What most attracts a non-baptized person to a Christian is their charity, their kindness and, of course, their joy, despite the vicissitudes of life." "Moreover, it is fundamental that the people who give them training know how to adapt, in each case, the instruction to their personal circumstances: language The person's personal circumstances, culture, concerns and questions to which that person is looking for answers. Each person is unique and this must be taken into account", he assures.
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| Víctor Vallejo, a first year medical student, was accompanied by his friends. |
| Photo: Manuel Castells |
Although the Church gives general guidelines for the adult conversion process, there are no rigid rules regarding the time that elapses from the moment a person feels the restlessness of faith until he or she is baptized. Víctor Vallejo, who, like Cristina, was baptized this past May, recalls that "it was a year ago, or maybe two, when I seriously considered being baptized". But it was not by chance: "I have always felt a great concern for the truth. That's why I have always read a lot and questioned myself about the meaning of life, faith and truth, first from a philosophical point of view and then from a more theological one," he adds. Victor is studying medicine and is a native of Honduras. "There, as in Spain, it is also customary to baptize all children as infants. In fact, the country has a percentage of Catholics that is comparable, or even higher, than in Spain. There was no special reason why I was not baptized: it was because my parents are believers, but they were not practicing at the time. For as long as I can remember, I have always had the will to be baptized. I even started going to attend a few times to catechesis while living in Tegucigalpa, but then I would stop and we would forget about it. When I arrived at the University of Navarra I resumed my Christian training , this time seriously: until I was ready to receive Baptism", he explains.