Mass & Burial of Aborted Babies in Detroit

[Des]

May we trust in God’s mercy to embrace all the souls of those little ones who never got to see the light of day.

 

[KathleenElsie]

May we trust in God’s mercy to embrace all the souls of those little ones who never got to see the light of day.

Amen & Amen

 

[lynnareyno]

I attended the mass and burial. It was a very moving and spiritual experience. I appriciate the effort of the organizers, Bishop & priests. Everyone deserves the dignity of a decent burial. I know those babies are in God’s hands. I pray for the mothers and fathers of those babies and all those who have made such horrible decisions.

 

[Teelynn]

It sounds like a good question for an apologist.

From my perspective, since we believe that a person is ensouled at conception itself, it would seem to me that if a mother captures a baby in miscarriage, regardless of stage, the baby could have a funeral. I have known women who did their best to baptize a miscarried baby.

Our Parish Priest has gone running to the hospital to baptize a baby and gotten there just a little too late, but baptizes them anyway. Sounds like another good question for an apologist.

 

[jmcrae]

Our Parish Priest has gone running to the hospital to baptize a baby and gotten there just a little too late, but baptizes them anyway. Sounds like another good question for an apologist.

With so many people seeming to be revived “from the dead” it is really impossible to know at what point the soul leaves the body, so even though the baby is apparently dead, the soul may still be present, so the priest takes the chance, and says, “If you are still alive, I baptize you …” etc.

 

[Teelynn]

With so many people seeming to be revived “from the dead” it is really impossible to know at what point the soul leaves the body, so even though the baby is apparently dead, the soul may still be present, so the priest takes the chance, and says, “If you are still alive, I baptize you …” etc.

Good Point…never thought of it.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Frommi asked (on page 1):

Random question (I think)…

I understand the desire to give burial to aborted babies…is it Catholic tradition to give funeral rites to miscarried babies?

I responded…

It sounds like a good question for an apologist.

From my perspective, since we believe that a person is ensouled at conception itself, it would seem to me that if a mother captures a baby in miscarriage, regardless of stage, the baby could have a funeral. I have known women who did their best to baptize a miscarried baby.

UPDATE

Frommi,

I had answered this previously, but since it has come up in other forums, I put the question to my parish priest, who provided a very detailed and methodical response to what you raised, along with what others had qeustioned. This is copied from my own blogpost here:

1. 
   *]Baptism is essential for salvation. Without it, you can’t get to heaven. This is why the Church developed the theologoumenon [a theological opinion] on Limbo for unbaptized babies and the just who were not baptized.
   *]There are three ways in which baptism can take place: water, blood, and spirit (desire).
   *]Catechumens who intended to be baptized but die before baptism are considered baptized by desire and receive a regular funeral. Likewise were those who died as martyrs for Christ before baptism—they were baptized in their blood. Unbaptized or unborn children of parents who intended to have them baptized could be considered to be Catechumens and, therefore, could be considered baptized by desire. This is why canon law affords them a funeral. Aborted children, however, were not likely going to be baptized and their being considered Catechumens is more remote—not impossible, just more remote.
   *]Aborted babies are not in Purgatory. If they are not in Purgatory, then there is no reason for praying funeral prayers for them asking God to release them from Purgatory. (It goes without saying that neither are prayers offered for souls in heaven or hell.)
   *]The Church entrusts these souls to God’s mercy with prayer. Their eternal fate is in God’s hands, but the Church’s funeral rites are not among the prayers intended for them.
   
   He further adds…
   
   The Mass intention on that Friday was for atonement for sins of abortion, not the souls of the unborn. However, since they were human beings with an eternal soul, we perform the corporal act of mercy of burying the dead. The Mass offered on that Friday was not a funeral Mass—it did not use the funeral prayers or rites in any way. I hope this clarifies various forms of these points raised by you, and others.