Baptism and Salvation

[Marcus_T]

I have an aquaintance whose husband and her were both raised and married in the Catholic Church. However, shortly after their marriage and before they had any children, they had a falling out with the Catholic Church and became lapsed catholics (reason unknown to me). After three children they eventually divorced and she confided in me that none of her children were baptized nor have they ever been to church in their entire lives. I asked her if she has any plans to tell her now adult children (all in the 30’s) that they never were baptized. She said no and said she would leave it up them if they wanted to get baptized. I responded, if they don’t know they were never baptized, then how will they know to seek it out later in life and she told me that is their problem. So, my question is, if her children should die without ever being baptized or ever go to church and receive the Sacraments, can they still get to Heaven in this situation?

 

[pensmama87]

God’s mercy is infinite and He is not bound by the Sacraments.

Pray and trust in Him.

 

[Della]

Yes, they can be saved. God is not limited to the sacraments, rather he gave them to us as the sure means of obtaining saving graces. Of course, the unbaptized don’t have a free pass into heaven because of this, either. They have to be people who seek God and desire to know and serve him with the knowledge they have. They are still accountable for their actions, but children are not automatically damned if their parents don’t baptize them, no.

 

[jmcrae]

I have an aquaintance whose husband and her were both raised and married in the Catholic Church. However, shortly after their marriage and before they had any children, they had a falling out with the Catholic Church and became lapsed catholics (reason unknown to me). After three children they eventually divorced and she confided in me that none of her children were baptized nor have they ever been to church in their entire lives. I asked her if she has any plans to tell her now adult children (all in the 30’s) that they never were baptized. She said no and said she would leave it up them if they wanted to get baptized. I responded, if they don’t know they were never baptized, then how will they know to seek it out later in life and she told me that is their problem. So, my question is, if her children should die without ever being baptized or ever go to church and receive the Sacraments, can they still get to Heaven in this situation?

The ordinary means of salvation is to be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church who has received and is receiving the Sacraments that are appropriate to their age and state in life. That’s the norm, and that’s how the vast majority of those in Heaven got there.

However, as others have already pointed out, God isn’t bound by His Sacraments, and it’s possible, technically, that He could suspend His laws in their case, if there is something extraordinary about them in His sight.

It’s not something I would want to count on, if I were in their situation. Certainly, if they ever show an interest and the opportunity arises, you would be right to encourage them to seek out Baptism in the Catholic Church.