To mark Easter weekend, Le Monde traces the history of this symbol-laden ritual.

1214 This sacrament is called Baptism , after the central rite by which it is carried ... including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: "For men who believe in ...

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and the first of the sacraments of Christian initiation, followed by Confirmation and the Eucharist. According to the Holy Scriptures ...

Baptism has been a symbolic way of joining the Church from the very start of Christianity. It actually predates Christianity; John the Baptist baptized Jews before Jesus came on the scene, and so ...