In a recent post on his official Facebook page, Reverend Father Oselumhense Anetor addressed a common misconception about Catholics and the concept of being "born again."
Father Anetor tackled the issue head-on, responding to claims often made by other Christian denominations that Catholics are not "born again."
Father Anetor began by acknowledging that many Catholics feel uneasy when confronted with the question, "Are you born again?" He explained, "The 'are you born again' question has become a weapon of 'mass confusion' in the hands of many of our separated brothers and sisters. They come at us Catholics, brandishing this 'weapon,' as though sure that we're not saved. Some have actually told me, 'Catholics aren't saved.'"
To address this misunderstanding, Father Anetor turned to the Bible, citing John 3 where Nicodemus, a Pharisee, visits Jesus at night to ask about the kingdom of God. Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above" (John 3:3). Nicodemus, confused, asks how one can be born again once grown old. Jesus clarifies, "No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5).
Father Anetor highlighted the Greek word ανωθεν (anothen), which Jesus uses to mean "from above" but which Nicodemus understands as "again" or "anew." This confusion, he explained, is at the heart of the misunderstanding about what it means to be "born again."
In Catholic teaching, being "born again" is intrinsically linked to the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. "When someone asks if you're born again, they're simply asking if you're baptized and confirmed," Father Anetor stated.
Baptism, he noted, causes an actual spiritual regeneration, making the baptized person a new creature, an adopted child of God, and a temple of the Holy Spirit, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Father Anetor concluded by affirming that the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in the Catholic Church encompass the true essence of being "born again." He encouraged Catholics to respond confidently to the question with, "more than you can ever imagine!"