Question about baptism (of desire) and salvation

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Lia

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My grandfather was a Buddhist his whole life (or some variant of the religion) He was very old when he died, I am worried about his salvation. It’s almost impossible to live to 90 without committing mortal sins.
Before he died he decided strangely that he wanted to be baptised, to the disapproval of his family (he barely knows anything about Christianity I think). A non-denominational protestant group came and “baptised” him. It was invalid because it wasn’t in the name of the Father Son & Holy Spirit. He died a week later.
Does this count as baptism of desire? How can i know if he is baptised by desire? This really bothers me i wish he’d had a proper baptism because I’m not confident he is in heaven.
I’ve heard that you can pray for someone even after they’ve died, and they can be saved because God is outside of space-time. Is this true? I don’t want to pray for a condemned person because that makes it worse for them.
 
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It’s true.

Work on gaining indulgences for him, and pray very much for him
 
Yes, it certainly sounds like Baptism of desire. It wasn’t his fault if the correct Trinitarian formula wasn’t used. Have you asked your pastor?
Lia said:
I don’t want to pray for a condemned person because that makes it worse for them.
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Nonsense. Pray for him.
 
We have no infallible, 100% way of knowing the state of any loved one after they die. We aren’t God.

Your grandfather was committed into the hands of a God that desires his salvation more than you or he himself does. God will use the slightest flicker from a soul to lead them to beatitude.

Praying for the repose of the soul of the deceased is a spiritual work of mercy and should always be done. Not doing this is a sin of omission. Your prayers will always be used towards good no matter what. God never lets anything go to waste.

Peace.
 
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He wanted to be baptized. God wants him saved.
Yes, we can pray for the dead, and they can be helped by our prayers.
 
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My great grandfather was baptized but an atheist, anti-Christian who killed himself. Despite his baptism he actively opposed the Church. And he killed himself. He was boatized but we don’t know the state of his soul either. He killed himself before I was born. But I make sure to pray for him because he needs all the prayers he can get.
 
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