BAPTISM OF DESIRE – A CONTINUOUS AND UNNECESSARY CONTROVERSY
Rama P. Coomaraswamy, M.D.

It seems that the controversy on the above titled issue simply will not go away and that innumerable traditional Catholics are caught up in this unfortunate controversy. Recently Fr. Cekada has published on his web page under the title of Feeneism [traditionalmass.org] an excellent study that clearly demonstrates that those who hold to the absolute necessity for water Baptism for salvation are unaware of the constant teaching of the Church on this matter.

I offer below a recent letter by Father Martin Stepanich O.F.M., S.T.D, a former Seminary Professor of Theology and traditional Catholic, a letter dealing with this subject (Other letters of his are to be found in the section on my web page under Guest Articles. I place this letter here because of the importance of the matter.)

Dear M.

Thank you for your letter of the past September 21 (2004) with its various questions regarding the Church’s salvation doctrine and concentrating, as it does, mainly on the Church’s understanding of what is called Baptism of Desire;

:To begin with I first enclose, for your careful reading a series of seven articles on Feeneyism that appeared in the Remnant in  1973-74. One of those articles is specifically entitled “Aquinas’ ‘Heresy’ of Baptism of Desire.” All of those articles are still very much of current interest and importance, because Feeneyism has not changed (unless that happened just last night) and its veteran adherents still resolutely hold on to their erroneous and un-Catholic interpretation of the Church’s “Outside the Church there is no salvation “ Doctrine.

Also enclosed is a more recent article on the same issue of Baptism of Desire that was directed to one Brother Michael Dimond, a devoted monastic Feeneyite.

In addition to the foregoing, there is also the very informative compilation of quotes on Baptism of Desire and of Blood from the Council of Trent and from Popes and traditional theologians that appeared in The Reign of Mary magazine.

And then there is the scholarly treatise by Father Anthony Cekada on “Baptism of Desire and Theological Principles (12 paged dated 20000 which I would very much like to enclose but I do not happen to have an extra copy of it.  If you  have not seen it, but would like to have a copy, let me know.

In your September letter, you indicated much bewilderment and confusion as to just what is meant by the term Baptism of Desire, which so many do not understand. And you also wonder whether or not some kind of definition of Baptism of Desire might be put together, so as to clarify its meaning for you.

Once you have read through the enclosed papers (if you have that much time to read and endurance), you should have a good idea of what is meant by Baptism of Desire, and you will see too that it is fully in accord with the teaching of the Church. But let us nevertheless continue on this issue with additional observations, because it does take extra time and thought for something difficult finally to register firmly and clearly in our slow-comprehending minds.

We need to make it clear right from the start that Our Lord’s categorical precept “unless 
a man be born again of water and the holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3.5), applies only to those who are still living on this earth.

Baptism of desire, on the other hand, applies only to those who have died without being baptized with water, but who had the desire and the intention of being Baptized with water before death. Because of their death they were not “Born again of water,” but because of their desire to be baptized with water before death, they were at the moment of death “born again of the Holy Ghost.”

That they were “born again of the Holy Ghost” means that they were cleansed of the stain of Original sin at the moment of death and were sanctified by the Grace of the Holy Ghost, and were thus made fit for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The main difference then between  Baptism of Water and Baptism of Desire, is that the supernatural effect caused by Baptism of Desire comes only at the moment of death, not before death. The “supernatural  effect” that we are speaking about here is purification from original sin and regeneration and sanctification and justification by the grace of the Holy Ghost.

We can also mention the difference in regard to “entry into the Kingdom  of Heaven.” Because of water makes one an “heir to heaven, but actual entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is delayed until after death, provided one remains faithful until death. One who is saved through Baptism of Desire is, on the other hand, entitled to immediate entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.

You wondered if those saved through Baptism of Desire could be classified as members of the Mystical Body of Christ. You undoubtedly had in mind that Mystical Body of Christ on Earth, the Church on earth.

Recall what you presumably learned, in your earlier years, about the Church in its full reality, the Church of the Communion of Saints. In its full reality the Church includes those in Heaven, those on Earth, and those in Purgatory. All are united together in Christ in His Mystical Body and in the Communion of Saints.

That lets you realize that those saved through Baptism of Desire are not, and never were members of the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. They were regenerated and incorporated into Christ only at the moment of Death. Before death they were still “outside the Church” and outside the Mystical Body of Christ and outside the Communion of Saints.

You asked for some kind of definition. for the term Baptism of Desire. Keeping in mind what you now know about the distinctions that must be made between Baptism of Water and Baptism of Desire, you can formulate the following definition: the term, Baptism of Desire, means that God gives the Grace of Baptism, without anyone pouring the water and pronouncing the essential words for Baptism, at the moment of death, to those of good will who desired Baptism of water but were prevented by death from being thus Baptized.

So that we can better understand just what God sees in those who are not Baptized, and who are therefore still “outside the Church,” yet are nevertheless “acceptable” to Him, let us recall the words of praised heaped upon the unbaptized Cornelius the centurion in the tenth chapter of St. Luke’s Acts of the Apostles.

As you may know it already , St. Luke begins the story of Cornelius by telling us that Cornelius was “devout and God-fearing, as was all his household, giving much alms to the people and praying God continually.” But, despite all his virtues, the man was not yet Baptized, so he was still “outside the Church,” where there is no salvation.

An angel of God appearing  “in shining garments,” instructed the unbaptized Cornelius to have some of his men bring St. Peter to his house. When Peter came and saw how close to God Cornelius was, despite being as yet unbaptized, he exclaimed in amazement, “Now I really understand that “God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation, he who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.”

And now we too understand that God looks upon any person anywhere in the world as “acceptable,” if such a person is “God-fearing and Devout and charitable,” even though he is not Baptized , and may not even know that there is such a thing as Baptism

It is unthinkable and totally impossible, that the justice and mercy and goodness of God, could keep the door of Heaven closed to anyone “acceptable to Him, just because he happened to die without being Baptized with water and maybe without even knowing that “unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Such a man unknowingly desired Baptism, because he Desired always to do “what is right” in the eyes of God.

To the words of St. Peter the first Pope, let us add the words of one of his successors, Pope Pius IX. In his 1863 Encyclical Quanto conficiamur moerore, Pius IX was very definite and clearcut about what God sees in those not guilty of willful sin and the time of death and who are therefore worthy of eternal life, even if not baptized with water.

You have that Pope’s words quoted in the first of these seven articles on the dogma “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” But we give the main part of his Declaration here again, so as to get all the better acquainted with what he said.

“We know and you know,” Pius IX declared “that those who are invincibly ignorant of our most holy religion, and who, carefully observing the natural law and its precepts place by God into the hearts of all men, and being disposed to obey God, lead an honest and upright life, can, with the help of Divine Light and Grace, merit eternal life; for God, who has perfect knowledge, examines and judges the minds, souls, and thoughts and the deeds of all men and He does not permit, in His sovereign goodness and mercy any man not culpable of willful sin to be punished with eternal torment.,”

There should hardly be any need to explain anything further, for the Pope’s words are detailed and clear. What we can repeat here is that if God finds unbaptized souls, such as those Pius IX describes, at the moment of their death, there can be no doubt that His mercy and goodness and justice will grant them the grace of salvation even though they have not been baptized with water. And to this we can add that God will give the grace of salvation to those well disposed persons who are baptized but who are not Catholic and therefore do not possess the gift of the true Faith.

You seem puzzled by the expression, invincible ignorance, but there should be no problem with that. You know that there are well-disposed persons who have had no way of being correctly informed about the Catholic Faith because of the kind of education and upbringing that they have had and because of the kind of people with whom they have lived and associated, so for them their ignorance of the True Faith, has been practically impossible or at least extremely difficult, to overcome by human means. And that is the kind of ignorance that is called “invincible ignorance.”

God takes all of that into consideration when judging men. In His eyes, well-disposed persons can merit eternal life despite their ‘invincible ignorance,’” for God sees that they nevertheless have merits  that are pleasing to Him and make them acceptable to Him. It is those merits that earn form them eternal life, in spite of their lack of full knowledge of all that God has revealed and established for the salvation of men.

In conclusion, we need to stress once again the fact that salvation through what is called Baptism of Desire (as well as Baptism of Blood) is definitely in accord with the mind and teaching of the Church, and it has been so from the earliest centuries.

The infallible teaching of the Council of Trent, leaves no doubt whatsoever that man can be saved only through Baptism or by a desire for it.

It is no surprise than many theologians of past centuries have classified Baptism of Desire as an Article of Faith, which no Catholic can deny or reject without the guilt of heresy.

And it is very significant that Canon 12349.2  of the 1917 Code of Canon Law declares that “catechumens who through no fault of their own, die without Baptism, are to be treated as Baptized.” This is so because, at the time of death, catechumens expressly desired Baptism, expressly intended, to be Baptized and were prepared for it, so God rewarded them with eternal salvation, even thought hey were not actually Baptized with water.

October 20, 2004                               Father Martin Stepanmich, O.F.M., S.T.D.

ã Copyright Rama P. Coomaraswamy, M.D., F.A.C.S., +