THE Roman Catholic Church and Its Recognition of the Validity of Baptism in the Name of Jesus (Acts 2

The patristic period saw the shift towards baptism in the trinitarian form, being a later liturgical development, the original form being in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). It is granted that documentary evidence has been preserved quite remarkably from the patristic period to at least the fifth century that shows and demonstrates the recognition of baptism in the name of Jesus by the Roman Catholic Church. To such an extent that even the Roman Catholic Church has noted the validity of baptism in the name of Jesus in a recent call for ecumenical dialogue. Roman Catholic scholars and theologians alike are in agreement with the baptismal formula of the name of Jesus and make no pretense about it, to the degree that even during the Ante-Nicene period we find a trial of individual(s) who baptized in the name of Jesus flowing from period of the early Greek apologist(s). The patristic era to the fifth century will present a large body of literature that convincingly shows baptism in the name of Jesus being validly recognized even within literature housed within the collection of writings of St. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage who was said to oppose such a practice. The Roman Catholic Church at large, voiced through its religious leaders, Church Fathers, Pope and theologians within this period have noted the original form of baptism being in the name of Jesus thereby continuing to acknowledge its validity and recognition.