Does adult baptism erase mortal sins commited?

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Does adult baptism erase all the mortal sins committed by that adult before his conversion?
 
By the grace of God, yes. I say this because I was baptized at the age of 27, and I am*** very glad*** that everything that came before that was wiped clean. I was instructed to go to confession first though… perhaps just for good measure.
 
Yes, Baptism does of course. However I would advise going to Confession as well.
 
JudieK said:
By the grace of God, yes. I say this because I was baptized at the age of 27, and I am*** very glad*** that everything that came before that was wiped clean. I was instructed to go to confession first though… perhaps just for good measure.
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Nothing wrong with that. But if there were some things you forgot to confess, you needn’t worry about them. Congratulations for becoming a Christian.
 
Baptism washes away all the consequences of mortal sin, both the eternal and the temporal. One goes down into death and is born again, in water and the Spirit, to new life in Jesus. If you were to die just afterwards, you would go straight to heaven, no Purgatory, because Baptism cleanses it all. Requiring confession for people being Baptised is redundant and, to my mind, overshadows this once-only Sacrament.

However, I think that a very intense examination of conscience beforehand, perhaps with the aid of a priest, would be helpful to bring to mind everything that is being forgiven and cleansed. I was 28 when I was Baptised and like JudieK, I am so glad that is all washed away.
 
I’d heard a story that centuries before, some people used to purposely delay their Baptism due to that very fact (kind of defeats the purpose though).

Maybe a member could verify this for us ?
 
@NeedImprovement:

Yes it would be a Mortal Sin to do this.
 
NeedImprovement said:
I’d heard a story that centuries before, some people used to purposely delay their Baptism due to that very fact (kind of defeats the purpose though).

Maybe a member could verify this for us ?
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IIRC, the Emperor Constantine delayed baptism till he was on his deathbed. Also, the practice of Confession was not as we know it today. Forgiveness of sins post-baptism was very difficult and usually entailed long (sometimes years) and public penances. You had to be really really sorry and very focused to not just throw it over and worship Zeus instead. Some people would rather delay Baptism to avoid the public penances.
catholicdoors.com/courses/confess.htm
25. In the first century, those who committed grave sins such as idolatry, murder or adultery, (ie. marital unions from non- recognized divorces) had to undergo demanding discipline that sometimes lasted for years before they could be forgiven of their sins. These penitents were rarely admitted back into the Church, in certain regions, only once in a lifetime.
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stisidore-yubacity.org/faqpenance.htm
In olden days this sacrament was used only for the forgiveness of mortal sins. In different times and places there were many variations of procedure and it would take a whole book to describe them all…. In general it may be said that if the sins to be forgiven were secret sins they could be confessed in secret; whereas if they were public sins (murder, adultery, rape, sorcery, perjury, apostasy) then they had to be confessed in public before the whole community.
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The entire Christian community assembled in the church, where the Bishop…sat upon his throne; and his priests, deacons and subdeacons arranged themselves on each side of him. The sinners were led barefoot into the midst of the congregation and prostrated themselves on the ground. They avowed what they had done, and the Bishop delivered judgment as to whether pardon would be granted and what penance was to be imposed (usually a year or more). Then they were walked to the doors of the Church and had to remain outside until they finished their penance.
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On the day of reconciliation [usually on Holy Thursday], the ceremony was even more solemn. Again, barefoot and in penitential garb, the penitents knelt outside the closed doors of the church…until the Bishop came to the door and all the Church prayed that they be readmitted to the body of the faithful. The Bishop brought them forward, prayed over them in thanksgiving, stretched his hands over them, imparted absolution and gave them a blessing. Then the whole community welcomed them back. Now they could go home and change from their penitential garments, have a bath, cut their hair and trim their beards, and resume their ordinary clothes. And there was great joy among all the people."
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There biggest problem with leaving Baptism until your deathbed is that we don’t know when we are going to die. Not all of us make it to old age, dying with our loved ones around us, with plenty time to put our affairs in order. Some drunk driver could clean us up on the freeway and there we are at the Pearly Gates with mortal sins on our souls. Not good forward planning.
 
Don’t forget a very important fact: baptism is the gateway to all other sacraments. Until one has been baptized, it is impossible to receive valid absolution through the sacrament of penance. Thus it is useless, from the standpoint of obtaining forgiveness, to have people go to confession before their baptism. The only function that might serve is to have the penitent recall precisely what he is repenting of and rejecting in his conversion to Christ.
 
Yes, baptism remits all sin.

Actually “going to confession first” is only for cases when it’s not certain if the convert was already baptized. If the convert was definitely not baptized, it’s neither necessary nor possible to receive the sacrament of penance.
 
Linda_Marie said:
IIRC, the Emperor Constantine delayed baptism till he was on his deathbed. Also, the practice of Confession was not as we know it today. Forgiveness of sins post-baptism was very difficult and usually entailed long (sometimes years) and public penances. You had to be really really sorry and very focused to not just throw it over and worship Zeus instead. Some people would rather delay Baptism to avoid the public penances.

.
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The sources you quoted deal with forgiveness of sin following baptism. Once baptized, you could be forgiven of grave sin only once in your lifetime and to do so you were enrolled in the Order of Penitents, which is described in your post. People delayed baptism because they did not want to have to go through the Catechumenate and then the Order of Penitents if they sinned.

In my opinion, to go to confession prior to Baptism is not only redundant, as someone stated, but goes against the very purpose of Baptism, which is to be born again in the Spirit. Baptism washes away ALL sin without the need to confess it. It is like a once in a lifetime “Get out the jail free” card.
 
@ Linda Marie & Joannm : Thanks so much for the excellent info and its presentation.

…kind of makes one wonder doesn’t it ? …We have many Catholics who don’t go to confession anymore for any variety of reasons; while those back in the earlier ages who’d delayed their Baptism because of bona fide hardships would have found themselves almost in heaven had they received the sacrament of Reconciliation today…🤷
 
It’s also amazing how casually we take the sacrament of confession now. So many people don’t go, even though the penance today is often “Say one Our Father” or something like that. In the middle ages, it was common to have a penance of “eat only bread and water for a year” or “make a pilgramage to the Holy Land in your lifetime” or “take part in a Crusade.” These could lead to death, but people cared enough about absolution that they undertook them! Wow!

Thanks for the congratulation about becoming a Christian… it’s been 13 years now, but I am still glowing! I absolutely LOVE the Catholic faith!!!
 
Baptism remits original sin and all personal sins for which one is sorry. It is possible to receive Baptism unworthily; e.g., suppose someone were living with another person as man and wife, but they were not married, and that person received Baptism. The Baptism would remit original sin, but not the sin of fornication. If the person later repented, he would have to confess the grave sins of both fornication and the unworthy reception of Baptism.

God bless,

Fr. Boyd
 
Yes, Baptism does of course. However I would advise going to Confession as well.
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This is not possible, as an unbaptized person is not a Catholic until he is baptized. Normally he cannot receive the sacrament of confession until he is Catholic.
 
No. It can’t. The ONLY thing that can erase sin is Christ and His work on the cross. If He paid for your sins, they are paid for once and for all. To depend on some kink of magical incantation to accomplish that which only He can accomplish will land you in Hell for sure.

I would be very cautious about leaning on something like this for salvation. You will be far more in danger than you realize… especially if you think you are “safe” because of some work accomplished on your behalf. This false sense of security will prevent you from seeking HIM.
 
Chatter163 said:
This is not possible, as an unbaptized person is not a Catholic until he is baptized. Normally he cannot receive the sacrament of confession until he is Catholic.
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Do you realize how dangerous this kind of thinking is? To place dependence on a physical act such as baptism to cover your sins is a matter of WORKS. This is not what Jesus died for on the Cross, which was for the remittance of sins. This kind of thinking makes a mockery of His unfathomable act of love and sacrifice. He either fully paid for our sins or He didn’t. You are saying He came short of that. So what was the point of the Father pouring out His wrath upon the son if it was not efficacious?

I seriously don’t understand this at all. Those of you who are really thinking that a physical act such as baptism can really “save” need to be very very frightened right now. You have no assurance and appear to be making the same mistake the Old Testament Jews made when they began to believe that their sacrifices and offerings had efficacy in and of itself. IOW, they mistook the types and shadows they SHOULD have recognized for the SUBSTANCE.
 
holdencaulfield said:
Yes, Baptism does of course. However I would advise going to Confession as well.
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you will make your first confession sometime after baptism, not before, as that would negate the reality of the sacrament. Keep attending your RCIA after Easter so you can prepare for your first confession. At that time you will confess any sins committed after baptism

do not critique what Jesus said of baptism: unless a man be born again of water and the holy spirit he shall not have eternal life within him. If you don’t like it, complain to Jesus, the Catholic church carries out the sacrament as he instituted it. How can anyone dare to label a sacrament established by Christ as “empty works?”
 
heavenjoans7 said:
I was baptized at age 13 and had some mortal sins as well as I did not make restitution for some things I stole. So would I have to confess all sins before baptism? I also did not make a resolution to amend my life and I think I did not repent. I am worried, I recieved the sacrament invalidly although people have said otherwise.
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The sacrament was valid. You might be concerned with some of the graces; however, if you really meant to repent for all of your previous sins then you are good to go. Examination of conscience before baptism, even in the presence of a priest, is a good thing to do but it is not the sacrament of confession and it will not be until you are baptized.
 
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