What Are You Looking For? Part 2: The Liturgy and the Sacraments

Baptism: Types of Baptism

Baptism: Types of Baptism

            The title of this blog may seem a little strange since I’ve been writing about the necessity of Baptism by “water and the Spirit”.  “Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.” (CCC 1257)  We see from this, that Baptism is not an outward symbol of an inward change.  In other words, it is not a public witness of salvation already obtained.  It is necessary for obtaining salvation in the first place.  But what about those who haven’t heard the Gospel?  What about those who die before they can receive Baptism?  What about children who die without being baptized?  What about them?  “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.” (CCC 1257)  What this means is that God has made a way for those people, and shown that way to the Church.  Therefore, we have two means of baptism outside the ordinary, common way of water baptism. 

            The first way is the Baptism by blood.  This Baptism applies to anyone who dies for the faith, even though they have not been baptized in water.  The fact that they are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus Christ shows that, had they been able, they would have been baptized in the ordinary way.  For them, receiving the Sacrament of Baptism, for whatever reason was just not possible.

            The second way is Baptism by desire.  This applies to those who are catechumens (people seeking entry into the Catholic Church through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist).  By the very nature of their seeking entry into the Church, should they die before they can receive the Sacrament of Baptism, God honors that clear desire of their heart and considers them baptized.  This also applies to “Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved.  It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.” (CCC 1260)

            Which leaves us with the question of children who die before they can be baptized.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus’ tender love for children is evident.  The same is true for most parents, whether Catholic, Protestant or neither one.  Most parents want only the very best for their children.  Most parents, if they knew of the necessity for Baptism as soon as possible after birth, would, no doubt, have had their children baptized.  Sometimes that’s just not possible.  Sometimes they just don’t know.  God, in his infinite mercy takes all of that into account. 

            For me, personally, my first son died without having been baptized.  I was a Protestant, and my tradition did not practice infant Baptism.  Yet I know, beyond any doubt, that my son is safely in heaven.  You see had I known he needed to be baptized; he would have been baptized as soon as humanly possible after his birth.  I didn’t know.  However, I do know that God afforded to him the grace of the Baptism of desire.  It’s reasonable to think that what he did for my son he has done for countless other sons and daughters as well.