Can any priest be a minister for adult baptism in ordinary circumstances?

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The nuance of this question lies on the fact that when adults are baptized, liturgical law prescribes that they should receive a continuous and unified reception of confirmation and the Eucharist: «an adult who is baptized is to be confirmed immediately after baptism» (canon 866).Thus, according to Dacanay, “In this context, the law stipulates that when a presbyter has this faculty to baptize an adult, this same faculty, ipso facto, includes by virtue of this law also the faculty to confirm.” (A.N. DACANAY, S.J., The Sacraments of Initiation, p.76).

At first glace it may seem that canon 866 gives a blanket authority to any priest baptizing an adult to confer the sacrament of confirmation. Instead, it really focuses on the right of an adult who is baptized to fully receive the Sacraments of Initiation. When we speak of the minister of adult baptism we have to turn to canon 883, 2º. Thisis also taken from the liturgical norm which states that besides the Bishop, a priest can also confirm as long as he possesses a faculty granted by the law itself:

«b) in consideration of the person to be confirmed, a Priest who, in virtue of his office or the mandate of the Diocesan Bishop, baptizes a person who is no longer an infant or admits one already baptized into the full communion of the Catholic Church» (Rite of Confirmation, August 22, 1971, Praenotanda, no. 7).

A priest is an ordinary minister of baptism, but only a bishopis the ordinary minister of confirmation (canon 882). That is why the law instructs that adult baptisms are to be referred to the diocesan bishop, especially for those who have completed 14 years of age. (Cfr. canon 863).Nonetheless, a priest can be a minister of confirmation, but only “out-of-the-ordinary” or as special ministers. A priest also needs a faculty in order to baptize an adult because of its extraordinary character to validly confer the sacrament of confirmation immediately after baptism.

The law says they can have this faculty ipso iure, or by reason of the law itself that grants it in two ways: Firstly, it through their pastoral appointment which is generally understood as the parish priests and chaplains. Secondly, the Diocesan Bishop can give a mandate or what is called a delegation.

Clearly, the demand of canon 866 that an adult be confirmed immediately after baptism must be read in accord with canon 883, 2º, or the faculty granted to a priest by law itself. (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1312, footnote no. 129; T. RINCÓN, La liturgia y los sacramentos en el derecho de la iglesia, p. 136: E. TEJERO, A Commentary on canon 833 in Exegetical Commentary, Vol. III-1, p.519; CORIDEN, et al., A Text and Commentary, p. 625;CLSGBI, The Canon Law: Letter and Spirit, p.476).

In an exemplary fashion Liturgial Law grants this faculty in the celebration of the Easter Vigil to the priest who presides over the liturgy. Canon Law also grants this delegation to any priest in situations of periculum mortis, orin danger of death (canon 883, 3º). The person may not necessarily be in articulo mortis,orbe actually dying for a priest to be granted this faculty.