By DON FIER
The Church’s immemorial tradition of baptizing infants demonstrates in a particular way one of the great truths of our Catholic faith — that every human person is in need of salvation. Born into this world afflicted with original sin, “a sin which is the death of the soul” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], n. 403), even the tiniest newborn child needs “to be freed from the power of the Evil One and brought into that realm of freedom which belongs to the children of God” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 258).
Moreover, “the sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism” (CCC, n. 1250), for the grace bestowed upon the helpless infant is a striking reminder that salvation is a free and undeserved gift from God, a gift that cannot be earned or merited.
There are some, however, who downplay or even flatly deny the practice of infant Baptism. As we saw last week, common objections include the following: that a personal act of faith (which infants are unable to give) must precede conferral of the sacrament; that Baptism imposes obligations on infants that will somehow restrict their freedom as they grow into adolescence and adulthood; and that in the sociological situation in which the modern Western world finds itself (where customs and laws are not inspired by Gospel values), Baptism is inappropriate until a person’s personality has sufficiently matured.
In its 1980 instruction Pastoralis Actio, the Church’s magisterial office not only countered these objections and others, but authoritatively reaffirmed her constant “teaching and practice that she knows no other way apart from Baptism for ensuring children’s entry into eternal happiness” (n. 13).
Our consideration of adult and infant Baptism over the past two weeks leads logically to the topic the Catechism now examines in greater depth: the necessity of Baptism. It was our Lord Himself (during His dialogue with Nicodemus) who proclaimed that Baptism is necessary for salvation: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
Likewise, it was Jesus Himself (before ascending to His Father in Heaven) who commanded His disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them with the trinitarian formula that remains in the Church’s liturgy to this day (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). These verses, along with several others, form the basis for the Church’s dogmatic teaching that “Baptism is necessary for salvation. . . .” (CCC, n. 1257).
Two important caveats, however, follow immediately on the heels of this solemn declaration: “…for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and [for those] who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament” (ibid.). The necessity of sacramental Baptism is thus qualified to allow for invincible ignorance and to account for the principle that no one is bound by God to accomplish what is impossible.
Sacramental Baptism, to be sure, is the primary and ordinary channel instituted by Christ to enable entry into eternal beatitude. However, even though “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (ibid.). In other words, it has always been the firm conviction of the Church that God, in His great love and mercy, allows for the effects of Baptism (which are indispensable for salvation) to be received outside of the sacrament in an extraordinary way.
At this point, it would be helpful to recognize distinctions made in philosophy regarding the concept of necessity: necessity of precept and necessity of means.
Necessity of precept, as explained by Dr. Lawrence Feingold, STD, refers to a positive law that is made obligatory with its promulgation by a legitimate authority; it is binding upon those who ought to know about it and for whom it is possible to fulfill what is prescribed. Necessity of means, on the other hand, refers to an indispensable means to an end that is unconditionally required for attainment of that end. As such, the former admits of exceptions and dispensations while the latter does not (cf. Baptism and Confirmation Course Notes [Spring 2014], p. 102).
How does this apply to Baptism? Sanctifying grace is absolutely necessary for one to attain eternal life — no one can enter Heaven who is not in the state of grace. If someone receives the Sacrament of Baptism validly and fruitfully, original sin and personal mortal sins are forgiven and sanctifying grace is infused into the soul (along with the theological virtues). These effects are necessary for salvation by an indispensable necessity of means.
What about the actual Sacrament of Baptism? Christ personally instituted all the sacraments, particularly Baptism, “to be the ordinary channels by which we obtain sanctifying grace in the New Covenant” (Feingold, p. 103). By grave necessity of precept, they are binding on all who ought to know about them and have the possibility to receive them. However, as noted earlier, God is not limited by His sacraments. Thus, even though the grace of Baptism is indispensably required for salvation, God is able to infuse that indispensable grace outside of the sacrament. For example, consider the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the entry of the good thief into Paradise on the very day he was crucified alongside Christ on Calvary.
To summarize, “the effect of Baptism is indispensable for salvation [necessity of means], but not the sacrament itself [necessity of precept]” (Feingold, p. 103). In correspondence with this teaching, “the Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ” (CCC, n. 1257).
In other words, enduring death for the sake of Christ and the faith constitutes what is referred to as Baptism of blood. In like manner, what is referred to as Baptism of desire also “brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament” (ibid.).
Neither of these forms of extra-sacramental Baptism imprints baptismal character on the soul nor does either open the way for a person to receive the other sacraments. However, both bring about the forgiveness of sin, infuse sanctifying grace and the theological virtues into the soul, and incorporate one as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ.
In his Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, defines Baptism of blood as follows: “Martyrdom in the case of a person who died for the Christian faith before he or she could receive the sacrament. The effects of martyrdom of blood are the complete remission of all sin and the title to immediate entrance into heaven” (p. 54).
He goes on to explain that the term entered the Church’s vocabulary early in her history when Roman persecution was widespread. Catechumens preparing for Baptism and pagans who suddenly converted to the Christian faith were often martyred before they had the opportunity to receive formal Baptism by water.
On the other hand, “Baptism of desire,” explains Fr. Hardon, “may occur when a person who has reached the age of reason . . . sincerely seeks God, loves Him, and would be baptized if he realized the obligation” (Basic Catholic Catechism Course, p. 123). This desire for Baptism can be of two kinds: explicit or implicit. A classic example of explicit desire is that of catechumens.
Catechumens are in a condition whereby they have knowledge of Revelation and have come to believe that the Church is the institute founded by Christ as the ark of salvation; they have explicitly expressed their desire to gain entry through sacramental Baptism and are earnestly preparing. “For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity,” teaches the Catechism, “assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament” (CCC, n. 1259).
The Catechism goes on to speak of an implicit desire to enter the Church through Baptism by recalling a statement from Vatican II: “Since Christ died for all men (cf. Romans 8:32), and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery” (Gaudium et Spes, n. 22 § 5).
In other words, since God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4), He offers to all the possibility of attaining salvation. This includes even one who is invincibly ignorant of the Gospel message, provided that he “seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it” (CCC, n. 1260).
Moved By Grace
Lumen Gentium further develops this doctrine:
“Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience” (n. 16).
“It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly,” explains the Catechism, “if they had known its necessity” (n. 1260).
Next week we will continue our consideration of implicit Baptism of desire and go on to examine the Church’s teaching on the condition of infants who die without Baptism.
+ + +
(Don Fier serves on the board of directors for The Catholic Servant, a Minneapolis-based monthly publication. He and his wife are the parents of seven children. Fier is a 2009 graduate of Ave Maria University’s Institute for Pastoral Theology. He is doing research for writing a definitive biography of Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress