Should I baptize a dying child against the parents' wishes?

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chazk728

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According to the Code of Canon Law, “An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents can be baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents” (CIC 868 §2).

I am a resident physician in a children’s hospital where I will be likely to witness children in danger of death right in front of me. Am I obligated to baptize any child that I see who is dying, regardless of the parents’ wishes? Am I to understand the canon as saying that it would be licit, but not obligatory, to do so? And if it is licit, then should I? I imagine the medical-legal repercussions could be severe, or I could lose my job - what is a Catholic to do in this situation? Would it be permissible to baptize the child in secret without asking the parents? Thank you for all of your thoughts.
 
It sounds as if it is not obligatory. Personally, I would do it, but maybe only I felt certain that the parents were not religious and therefore had not had the child baptized. Either way, you need not stress, for we can always place our trust in the mercy of God.
 
CaseyDeAnn said:
It sounds as if it is not obligatory. Personally, I would do it, but maybe only I felt certain that the parents were not religious and therefore had not had the child baptized. Either way, you need not stress, for we can always place our trust in the mercy of God.
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Placing our trust in the mercy of God means that we can hope that unbaptized infants can be saved, not that we are sure of it. If, on the other hand, an infant is baptized before death, then we can be sure of salvation.
 
chazk728 said:
According to the Code of Canon Law, “An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents can be baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents” (CIC 868 §2).

I am a resident physician in a children’s hospital where I will be likely to witness children in danger of death right in front of me. Am I obligated to baptize any child that I see who is dying, regardless of the parents’ wishes? Am I to understand the canon as saying that it would be licit, but not obligatory, to do so? And if it is licit, then should I? I imagine the medical-legal repercussions could be severe, or I could lose my job - what is a Catholic to do in this situation? Would it be permissible to baptize the child in secret without asking the parents? Thank you for all of your thoughts.
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Difficult question. If caught you’d be warned; if caught again you’d be fired. I’m sure you’re aware. If I were you I would talk with a priest that you trust and whose judgment you respect. Perhaps the priest could pose the issue to the bishop.

What sort of practice do you have? If you “miss one” because you don’t have a private moment and you’re protecting your job how will that affect you? I’m not suggesting that should drive your decision, but you should think through the situation before it happens - lest you be forced to make that decision in an emergency.

Good luck. Please let us know what you decide.

Pax,
OA
 
Will_S said:
Placing our trust in the mercy of God means that we can hope that unbaptized infants can be saved, not that we are sure of it. If, on the other hand, an infant is baptized before death, then we can be sure of salvation.
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An all-knowing and all-loving God isn’t going to send an infant to hell because his/her parents failed to get it baptized before it died. I don’t “hope” God has mercy on these children; I know He does.
 
CaseyDeAnn said:
An all-knowing and all-loving God isn’t going to send an infant to hell because his/her parents failed to get it baptized before it died. I don’t “hope” God has mercy on these children; I know He does.
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I dunno. I wouldn’t be sure of knowing what God does. The church doesn’t have a definitive stance on whether unbaptized children go into limbo, go to heaven, go to hell, or somewhere/something else.

It’s too difficult and touchy of a situation to assume that God will do what we think is right, or merciful, or whatever. It very well may be the case that God sends these kids to heaven, but we can’t just assume. It’s probably best in this situation, even if I’m wrong above, to baptize the child secretly just to be 100% certain. We’ve got trust in the power of baptism, and that’s the only thing we’ve got.
 
Limbo…that is why its teaching is a good thing. (but I beleive hte church does not really teachi it any more), People did not have to despair if their
child died before baptism.
 
God is fair. God is just. He knows all the circumstances and all the factors. I cant imagine a Baby going to hell because they werent baptized in time. That would be rediculous. The baby has no control over these things
 
gtrguy155 said:
God is fair. God is just. He knows all the circumstances and all the factors. I cant imagine a Baby going to hell because they werent baptized in time. That would be rediculous. The baby has no control over these things
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Personally, my conscience wouldn’t be in a good situation if I just assume things that aren’t taught by the church, especially to this magnitude.

I’m not saying God sends kids to hell. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying, we don’t know what God does in this situation; there’s no teaching on it. So let’s not assume. Let’s baptize the kids and be 100% about it. We can argue about it, but seriously, what’s better? Assume, or be sure? For the sake of the children. Baptize them. Be sure.
 
chazk728 said:
According to the Code of Canon Law, “An infant of Catholic parents or even of non-Catholic parents can be baptized licitly in danger of death even against the will of the parents” (CIC 868 §2).

I am a resident physician in a children’s hospital where I will be likely to witness children in danger of death right in front of me. Am I obligated to baptize any child that I see who is dying, regardless of the parents’ wishes? Am I to understand the canon as saying that it would be licit, but not obligatory, to do so? And if it is licit, then should I? I imagine the medical-legal repercussions could be severe, or I could lose my job - what is a Catholic to do in this situation? Would it be permissible to baptize the child in secret without asking the parents? Thank you for all of your thoughts.
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Find a priest who is a hospital chaplain, and talk this over with him. It could be that a chaplain could be called to do exactly what you are describing, but that you could not take it on to do yourself without harming the ability of the hospital to convince parents to bring their children to the hospital when they are gravely ill or injured. These are the kinds of issues that need to be taken into account, so talk to someone who is aware of the directives of the local bishop and the standards of medical practice in the area.
 
lisahiku said:
Limbo…that is why its teaching is a good thing. (but I beleive hte church does not really teachi it any more), People did not have to despair if their
child died before baptism.
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Limbo for Infants has NEVER been a Church teaching. It was only ever a theological hypothesis.
 
Personally, I would definitely baptize any children in the situation you mentioned.:yup:
thistle said:
Limbo for Infants has NEVER been a Church teaching. It was only ever a theological hypothesis.
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I am so glad limbo has never been an official church teaching. In my mind, I can’t reconcile the idea with our Blessed Lord. We should not dispair but hope for Heaven for all of the unbaptized. :heaven: Christ is not bound by the sacraments.
 
A woman at my church did this very thing.
She was a volunteer at a local hospital in the nursery with the severely ill children. There was a baby there that they didn’t think would make it through the night. The parents had no faith. My friend baptized the baby.
She had a fellow volunteer help her by holding the baby and that volunteer did not think it was right so told the hospital about it.
They told her she could no longer volunteer there and asked her to leave.
We all thought she did the right thing.

It is best to speak to a priest.
 
Bearontherun said:
Personally, I would definitely baptize any children in the situation you mentioned.:yup:

I am so glad limbo has never been an official church teaching. In my mind, I can’t reconcile the idea with our Blessed Lord. We should not dispair but hope for Heaven for all of the unbaptized. :heaven: Christ is not bound by the sacraments.
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[SIGN]Amen[/SIGN]
 
CaseyDeAnn said:
An all-knowing and all-loving God isn’t going to send an infant to hell because his/her parents failed to get it baptized before it died. I don’t “hope” God has mercy on these children; I know He does.
Click to expand...
gtrguy155 said:
God is fair. God is just. He knows all the circumstances and all the factors. I cant imagine a Baby going to hell because they werent baptized in time. That would be rediculous. The baby has no control over these things
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Do not make God into what you would like him to be, that it is idolatry of a false god. We only know what the church teaches us and the Church teaches us that an infant that is baptized just before his death will go the heaven. We are allowed to hope and we should do so; however, making judgments about possibilities that we do not like is wrong because we do not know the details of God’s plan.
 
I have never been in your situation.
My TAOR was inside or near to an ambulance.
I have baptized, on an emergency basis, as I was trained to do.
Your OP qualifies with “against the parents’ wishes” – my situation was neither with nor without, but it was the right thing to do.
When an infant is dying, feelings are high, the family is screaming along on adrenaline and we have to maintain an iron claw of discipline over our own feelings: I had a few seconds while my partner finished prepping for intubation and I was stringing IV tubing and spiking the bag.
Normal saline served in this situation and the father shouted, “WHY’D YOU DO THAT?” and I reared up and shouted right back, “BECAUSE I’M IRISH AND I’M GIVING THIS CHILD A FIGHTING CHANCE!”
We worked the pediatric code all the way to the hospital, and ER worked the code a while longer.
A year and a half later a couple came to our station with a wee child, a laughing boy with blue eyes and an immense curiosity, and they wanted to see that big Irishman that wouldn’t give up on their little boy.
Oh – yes – when our chief found out about it, he asked me to be departmental chaplain.
 
Absolutely not!!!..if I had found out someone had baptized my child against my wishes, I would make sure they didn’t do it again to anyone elses child. It does not speak well for the trust the parents have placed in you to care for their child…it does not speak to Truth.

Would you deny you had baptized the child if faced with prosecution and loss of your practice?

My son only lived less than 30 minutes after he was born…to know the physician I had trusted with the care of my family had betrayed that trust would have been one more burden to bear in a tragic situation I already had found myself having to deal with. Rational or not…it would have been a blow I and my wife need not have had to bear…to know our faith had been violated. To know that YOU had not respected our faith traditions…even though as a Friend I do not believe baptism does anything other than get the head wet…I would have still felt betrayal…it is not YOUR decision.

Some Catholics sure get up in arms over Mormons baptizing for the dead on their behalf without their permission…but when it comes to them doing an “unauthorized” baptism…

I guess I am just too close to the scenario to give a nod that it’s ok…IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD TAKE UPON YOUR SELF TO DO…I certainly would not consider you as my physician knowing such a deeply personal violation had taken place.

To realize you would have placed your need to assage your conscience by imposing your beliefs upon my grieving wife and myself at the expense of our beliefs…would be hurtful at the very least.
 
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