The Catholic Church recognizes baptisms performed in other Christian denominations, including Lutheran churches, as long as the baptism is performed with water and the Trinitarian formula ("I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit").
Therefore, if your son is baptized in a Lutheran church using water and the Trinitarian formula, the Catholic Church would recognize that baptism as valid. He would be considered baptized in the eyes of the Catholic Church, although he would not be considered a Catholic.
Here's a breakdown:
* Valid Baptism: The Catholic Church teaches that baptism imprints an indelible spiritual mark and can only be received once. If performed correctly (with water and the Trinitarian formula), a baptism is considered valid, regardless of the denomination performing it.
* Not Catholic: Being baptized in a Lutheran church does not make someone a Catholic. To become Catholic, a person would typically need to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or a similar process of instruction and reception into the Catholic Church, which usually includes a profession of faith, and confirmation.
* Implications: Recognizing the validity of the baptism has several implications:
* If the child later wanted to become Catholic, they would not need to be re-baptized. They would only need to go through the process of initiation into the Catholic Church (Confirmation and Eucharist).
* The Catholic Church recognizes the person as a baptized Christian.
In summary, a Lutheran baptism is generally recognized as valid by the Catholic Church, but it does not make the person a Catholic. They would still need to go through the formal process of becoming Catholic if they desired to do so.