Question on Salvation

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EternalPromises

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Hello brothers and sisters, I hope all is well. I’m currently in the process of converting to Catholicism and I’m quite excited about it. I’ve been baptized as a Baptist and I’ve been attending Protestant church’s for most of my life.

I’m 25 and I really feel that Jesus is calling me to his Catholic Church and I’ve recently started in the RCIA program. I’ve also been going to mass regularly and praying the rosary daily. It isn’t going to be easy because my family is predominantly Protestant but they’re by no means anti catholic.

My question tonight is one that’s been nagging at me for a few weeks. Since I’m not yet a member of the church I can’t partake in the most holy eucharist.

So now the question…if I were to die today would I go to hell because I’m not a member of the church and because I’m not partaking in the eucharist? I know Jesus said that without his blood and body we have no life.

I know the multitude of other reasons my soul could be damned to hell and I accept those fully and I’m trying daily to become a better Christian but it takes about a year to go through RCIA and I’ve thought about what happens to my soul if I die before then.

I don’t expect a decisive or definitive answer because really god only knows but I’d like to get some feedback.

This is my first post but I will go do an intro post soon 🙂

Thank You,

John.
 
i am in the same canoe as you and i will probably be a long time candidate. i was very concerned with this same issue. BUT, you must remember, our Lord and Savior knows our hearts and has both justice AND mercy. He is fully aware of any limitations we have to the sacraments and knows our desire to be in full communion with his true church.
Carry on and have faith
 
I plan on sitting down with a priest soon to discuss some of my concerns. Our parish has 5 or 6 rotating priests and one of them recognized I was new and welcomed me very warmly. He made me feel welcome and I hope to meet with him soon.
 
It is by no fault if your own that you are not able to partake of the eucharist. In God’s mercy, we believe this is something that he will not hold against you.
 
The Catechism says:
Death Before Baptism (1258)
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Some, although not baptized, have suffered death because of faith in Christ. This Baptism of blood, much like Baptism of desire, brings about the fruits of the sacrament.
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Catechumens who die before Baptism are assured of eternal salvation by their desire for Baptism and their repentance for sins.
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EternalPromises said:
Hello brothers and sisters, I hope all is well. I’m currently in the process of converting to Catholicism and I’m quite excited about it. I’ve been baptized as a Baptist and I’ve been attending Protestant church’s for most of my life.

I’m 25 and I really feel that Jesus is calling me to his Catholic Church and I’ve recently started in the RCIA program. I’ve also been going to mass regularly and praying the rosary daily. It isn’t going to be easy because my family is predominantly Protestant but they’re by no means anti catholic.

My question tonight is one that’s been nagging at me for a few weeks. Since I’m not yet a member of the church I can’t partake in the most holy eucharist.

So now the question…if I were to die today would I go to hell because I’m not a member of the church and because I’m not partaking in the eucharist? I know Jesus said that without his blood and body we have no life.

I know the multitude of other reasons my soul could be damned to hell and I accept those fully and I’m trying daily to become a better Christian but it takes about a year to go through RCIA and I’ve thought about what happens to my soul if I die before then.

I don’t expect a decisive or definitive answer because really god only knows but I’d like to get some feedback.

This is my first post but I will go do an intro post soon 🙂

Thank You,

John.
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The Church has always held that catechumens who die before entering full communion with the Church go to heaven. (With the usual provision: unless you are in mortal sin.) This is because God is in charge, and He can apply the graces of the Sacrament in advance, if the case is necessary. (Technically He can do it whenever He wants, being God, but this is how He has revealed He does it.) So if you are about to die, God will bestow the graces of Baptism and Communion on you in advance, and you’ll be good to go. 🙂

One of the early controversies in the Church was over catechumens who were martyred before they got to be baptized. Did they fulfill the requirement of being baptized? Well, the Church answered yes:
  • “[Catechumens who suffer martyrdom] are not deprived of the sacrament of baptism. Rather, they are baptized with the most glorious and greatest baptism of blood, concerning which the Lord said that he had another baptism with which he himself was to be baptized [Luke 12:50].” - Cyprian of Carthage, Letter 72[73]:22
  • “But I hear you lamenting because he [the Emperor Valentinian] had not received the sacraments of baptism. Tell me, what else could we have, except the will to it, the asking for it? He too had just now this desire, and after he came into Italy it was begun, and a short time ago he signified that he wished to be baptized by me. Did he, then, not have the grace which he desired? Did he not have what he eagerly sought? Certainly, because he sought it, he received it. What else does it mean: ‘Whatever just man shall be overtaken by death, his soul shall be at rest [Wis. 4:7]’?” (Sympathy at the Death of Valentinian).
    You are in a similar situation – or anyway you WOULD be, if you died before receiving the baptism you desire. And God would see that, and bestow the grace in advance, because He desires mercy and a right heart more than the physical act being accomplished.
 
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
― Padre Pio
 
dmar198 said:
The Church has always held that catechumens who die before entering full communion with the Church go to heaven. (With the usual provision: unless you are in mortal sin.) …
… You are in a similar situation – or anyway you WOULD be, if you died before receiving the baptism you desire. And God would see that, and bestow the grace in advance, because He desires mercy and a right heart more than the physical act being accomplished.
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Two questions, the OP said he was baptized Baptist. Normally Baptist baptisms are valid, unless it was out of the ordinary in a way that made it invalid. So why is everyone talking about catechumens and baptism instead of candidates and confirmation, and first communion?

Second. I too am converting, I don’t understand your comment…“unless you are in mortal sin”. Seems most who were baptized earlier would have committed at least one mortal sin (of course not all) and from what I understand you can’t confess and be absolved of your sin until confirmation and first communion are imminent? So most candidates would be in danger of going to hell if they died. I would love to hear more since I myself and in this situation.
 
Honour said:
Two questions, the OP said he was baptized Baptist. Normally Baptist baptisms are valid, unless it was out of the ordinary in a way that made it invalid. So why is everyone talking about catechumens and baptism instead of candidates and confirmation, and first communion?

Second. I too am converting, I don’t understand your comment…“unless you are in mortal sin”. Seems most who were baptized earlier would have committed at least one mortal sin (of course not all) and from what I understand you can’t confess and be absolved of your sin until confirmation and first communion are imminent? So most candidates would be in danger of going to hell if they died. I would love to hear more since I myself and in this situation.
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Honour…I have been told that my baptism is a valid trinitarian baptism. I too am interested in your question on the mortal sin issue.

My main concern was with my absence in participating in the Eucharist and what effect if any that had on my salvation. My questions have been answered and for that I’m thankful.

Hopefully someone will answer your question about confession, mortal sin, and catechumens.
 
EternalPromises said:
So now the question…if I were to die today would I go to hell because I’m not a member of the church and because I’m not partaking in the eucharist? John.
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Hi John and welcome to the forums.

No one can tell anyone where they will go when they die. Only Christ knows the state of your soul at the moment of death. We trust in the mercy of God but know that you do NOT need to be a “card carrying member” of the Church to enter Heaven. Jesus died to redeem all. He does desire that we are all “one” within His Church, but He leaves open paths of salvation for our separated brothers and sisters.

As to the “mortal sin” question, it depends. See, in order for a sin to be mortal three things must be true:
  • It must be grave matter (it has to be something bad)
  • You must know it is grave matter
  • You must freely engage your will and knowingly sin
For most converts coming into the faith, they do not fully understand what the Church teaches as grave matter nor are they aware that what they are doing is a sin. For example, those raised in a faith expression who are taught that abortion is not a sin cannot commit a sin by having an abortion (they did not know). Of course, once you do know then further sins of this type can be mortal.

Hope some of that helps, oh, and welcome on the journey home to you and dee.
 
Honour said:
Two questions, the OP said he was baptized Baptist. Normally Baptist baptisms are valid, unless it was out of the ordinary in a way that made it invalid. So why is everyone talking about catechumens and baptism instead of candidates and confirmation, and first communion?

Second. I too am converting, I don’t understand your comment…“unless you are in mortal sin”. Seems most who were baptized earlier would have committed at least one mortal sin (of course not all) and from what I understand you can’t confess and be absolved of your sin until confirmation and first communion are imminent? So most candidates would be in danger of going to hell if they died. I would love to hear more since I myself and in this situation.
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Hi Honour! The Church teaches that if someone is in mortal sin, but has the desire to make a confession, and plans on doing it, but say is hit by a car on their way into church and dies, they would be forgiven.
It’s exactly the same principle as baptism of desire or of blood, which I suspect is why other posters were referencing it. God gave us the sacraments, but He’s not limited to them. He knows our hearts, and if we desired the sacraments He established, but circumstances out of our control prevented our reception of them, He can give us the grace and forgiveness.

A helpful saying for me is that we are bound by the sacraments, but *** God*** is not. Since He’s the one who established them for us, we don’t want to fall into the mistake of saying they don’t matter at all, because if they didn’t, then why would God bother?! But we also can’t say God is bound by his own creation.

Kind of like the laws of nature, God set them up, I can’t just ignore them, they are there for my own good, but He can still intervene, hence miracles happen!

Hope that made sense a little. 🙂 Congrats on your journey home by the way! 👍
 
Honour said:
Two questions, the OP said he was baptized Baptist. Normally Baptist baptisms are valid, unless it was out of the ordinary in a way that made it invalid. So why is everyone talking about catechumens and baptism instead of candidates and confirmation, and first communion?

Second. I too am converting, I don’t understand your comment…“unless you are in mortal sin”. Seems most who were baptized earlier would have committed at least one mortal sin (of course not all) and from what I understand you can’t confess and be absolved of your sin until confirmation and first communion are imminent? So most candidates would be in danger of going to hell if they died. I would love to hear more since I myself and in this situation.
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CCC 1298 When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, as is the case in the Roman Rite, the Liturgy of Confirmation begins with the renewal of baptismal promises and the profession of faith by the confirmands. This clearly shows that Confirmation follows Baptism.110 When adults are baptized, they immediately receive Confirmation and participate in the Eucharist.111

CCC 1304 Like Baptism which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it too imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the “character,” which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be his witness.119
 
Honour said:
Second. I too am converting, I don’t understand your comment…“unless you are in mortal sin”. Seems most who were baptized earlier would have committed at least one mortal sin (of course not all) and from what I understand you can’t confess and be absolved of your sin until confirmation and first communion are imminent? So most candidates would be in danger of going to hell if they died. I would love to hear more since I myself and in this situation.
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Honour,

True, we cannot participate in the sacrament of confession, however; you are not prevented from asking our Lord for forgiveness of any mortal sins you may have. Jesus can and will forgive you as you stand right now. That is the Catholic Churches teaching - as soon as you realize your have committed a grave sin you immediately ask Christ for forgiveness until such time as you can go to confession, which for us guys is near confirmation.
Thats the beauty of Christs death and resurrection, it is to forgive any who asks, not just those confirmed Catholic…🙂 alleluia, alleluia…:extrahappy:
 
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