St. Ligouri he is referring to those who desire baptism of water ( I shouldnt even have to make this distinction since the only form of baptism is in water cf. Trent) but can’t seem to make it. He correctly points out that one receives the grace of baptism but not the mark.
The mark is recieved only in baptism of water and is what incorporates us into the Mystical Body. We can reject our membership by heresy or schism (when we reach the age of reason if we were baptised as a baby) This may or may not be a mortal sin, but by rejecting the Church one rejects the helps Jesus would like to give for salvation.
Trent does not say: that no one can be **saved **
‘without the laver of regeneration or the desire for it.’"/
What it is talking about is justification
Session 6, Chapter IV, Decree Concerning Justification (Jan. 13, 1547):
In which words is given a brief description of the justification of the sinner, as being a translation from that state in which man is born a child of the first Adam, to the state of grace and of the adoption of the sons of God through the second Adam, Jesus Christ, our Savior. **This translation **however cannot, since the promulgation of the Gospel, be effected except through the laver of regeneration or its desire, as it is written: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The word translation does not = salvation.
It is talking about justification which = sanctyfing grace.
Baptism of desire does not incorporate one into the Church it gives santifying grace. One can not recieve the other sacraments if one had only BOD. Sanctifying grace is
NECESSARY but
NOT SUFFICIENT. Membership in the Church is also necessary :
**“Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary **for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”
Read the series of three articles I linked to. There is such a thing as membership in voto, that is, membership by desire. It is not the full communion that is membership in res, but it suffices for salvation. Such a person is truly united to the Church subject to the Roman Pontiff.
One cannot even be in the state of sanctifying grace without being united in some way to the Church of Christ. To say one can be in the state of grace but not united to the source and mediator of grace is at odds with Catholic teaching. There is no remission of sins apart from the Church.
St. Alphonsus Liguori was discussing salvation. He includes an implicit desire for water Baptism as well. St. Augustine explains what this is:
“I find that not only suffering for the sake of Christ can replace that which is lacking in Baptism, but also faith and conversion of the heart (fidem conversionemque cordis), if perhaps the shortness of the time does not permit the celebration of the mystery, of Baptism.”
You are not reading Trent according to teaching that came before it–you have to apply a hermeneutic of continuity. The series of articles I linked to earlier discuss that teaching.
Here is another good read from the Holy Office under Pius XII addressing the Fr. Feeney situation:
matt1618.freeyellow.com/appendixe.html
Here is an exerpt, but I really suggest reading the entire letter:
“The same in its own degree must be asserted of the Church, in as far as she is the general help to salvation. Therefore, that one may obtain eternal salvation, it is not always required that he be incorporated into the Church actually as a member, but it necessary that at least he be united to her by desire and longing.
However, this desire need not always be explicit, as it is in catechumens; but when person is involved in invincible ignorance, God accepts also an implicit desire, so called because it is included in that good disposition of soul whereby a person wishes will to be conformed to the will of God.”
