RCIA/baptism query

[didymus]

My brother-in-law who is interested in becoming a Catholic. He was never baptised & was previously (mis)informed before that he couldn’t become Catholic because he is divorced. I directed him to talk to a priest about RCIA, &c.

My question is, since he recently suffered a heart attack, so there is some urgency – is there any possibility of his being baptised previous to completing RCIA?

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

This to my mind is an issue best addressed by a priest, the catechumen, and possibly his doctor. Some heart attacks are worse than others. If you are running errands for your BIL, maybe you could call your priest or call his priest. With HIPPA being what it is, his priest may not even know he’s in the hospital.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Have a priest come and talk with him. The priest can assess your brother-in-law’s readiness to be baptized. If there is danger of death, it is certainly possible to bypass some of the usual catechetical requirements.

It may be comforting to know that the Church teaches about the possibility of “baptism of desire.” This means that, if a person dies without the opportunity to be sacramentally baptized, but sincerely desired Baptism, he can be saved just as if he had been baptized. Catechumens who die during the process of preparing for Baptism are considered to fall into this category.

 

[jmcrae]

My brother-in-law who is interested in becoming a Catholic. He was never baptised & was previously (mis)informed before that he couldn’t become Catholic because he is divorced.

If he is divorced and remarried, this could be a stumbling block (there are remedies, but they take time), but as long as he is single, he’s fine.

I directed him to talk to a priest about RCIA, &c.

My question is, since he recently suffered a heart attack, so there is some urgency – is there any possibility of his being baptised previous to completing RCIA?

Yes; talk to his parish priest ASAP. (The priest of the parish that he resides in, regardless of whether he has ever attended Mass there.)

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Have a priest come and talk with him. The priest can assess your brother-in-law’s readiness to be baptized. If there is danger of death, it is certainly possible to bypass some of the usual catechetical requirements.

It may be comforting to know that the Church teaches about the possibility of “baptism of desire.” This means that, if a person dies without the opportunity to be sacramentally baptized, but sincerely desired Baptism, he can be saved just as if he had been baptized. Catechumens who die during the process of preparing for Baptism are considered to fall into this category.

This means that, if a person dies without the opportunity to be sacramentally baptized, but sincerely desired Baptism, he can be saved just as if he had been baptized. Catechumens who die during the process of preparing for Baptism are considered to fall into this category

Not exactly. A Catechumen who has participated in the Rite of Acceptance, during which they state their desire for Baptism, who dies without being able to receive Sacramental Baptism. Receives “Baptism of Desire”. this is not equal to Sacramental Baptism, but does remove Original Sin and any Actual Sins. It does not supply the Sacramental Mark of Baptism on the soul, which many believe is required for entry into the Beatific Vision. It also does not remove any Temporal Punishment.

A person who dies with the desire for Baptism, but who is not a Catechumen or who has not made their desire known, may be saved by a means known only to God. We cannot know for certain however like we can for a Catechumen.

Generally speaking if a priest knows that a person is near death and asks for Baptism or has made their desire for Baptism known in some way, the priest will Baptize them and if an adult, Confirm amd Anoint them with the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

 

[didymus]

Thanks for all the responses. I’m just praying he’ll follow thru.