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One Phoenix priest has been using one wrong word while performing baptisms for years, invalidating decades of baptisms, reported AZ Family.
Reverend Andres Arango has been saying the word "we" in place of "I" for years. Bishop Olmstead wrote in a letter:
"Specifically, it was reported to me that Fr. Andres used the formula, “WE baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The key phrase in question is the use of “We baptize” in place of “I baptize.” The issue with using “We” is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Christ alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes."
It isn't exactly clear how many baptisms were invalidated, but Arango has been a priest since 1995. He came to Phoenix in September of 2005.
According to the Diocese of Phoenix, any baptism performed by Arango before June 17, 2021 should be considered invalid.
Arango wrote on the Diocese of Phoenix website:
"It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere."
Arango has resigned from his post at the St. Gregory parish in Phoenix.