Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

[bumblebee]

My cousin passed when he was 15 months old and the doctors couldn’t tell why. He was fine one second I guess and then randomly everything went downhill. This all happened 3 years ago, but it was his death anniversary this month and I’m just still hurting. His parents were not catholic at his passing, and he wasn’t baptized either. I think my grandmother might have baptized him herself in her kitchen one day, but that was before anything happened. There were no signs that he wasn’t doing well, so I don’t think that constitutes an emergency baptism, if I am remembering correctly. I know our God is good and just. No questions needed. But just not knowing 100% sure where he is is unsettling. I think I can say he’s in Heaven, but not even a priest will tell me that. There’s just so much around my cousins death that we just can’t know in this lifetime it feels like it it just weighs heavily on me. I think I am just here asking for prayers or if anyone knows more about any of this then I do.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Prayers for you and your family. What a very sad thing.

Here is a video that may help

There is a very good book by Fr Groeschel called “The Tears of God”.

The Catechism tells us:

[1261] As regards children who have died without Baptism , the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,” allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm

This is a detailed document:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...aith_doc_20070419_un-baptised-infants_en.html

 

[ascetic]

We never know where anyone is with a 100 per cent certainty, not even Mother Theresa, and I think it may be a sin to say so, but ask yourself how could a child that young have committed any actual sin. As for original sin, the link to Jimmy Aikin’s article may help some; he obviously puts it better than I can.

I’d say that the odds of your cousin being in heaven and praying for you are close to those of Mother Theresa’s. Maybe you should pray for his or her intercession? Either way, I’m praying for you and your family.

Baptism of Desire | Catholic Answers Magazine

 

[Nita]

If your grandmother baptized him, then the baptism was valid.
(It may be called “illicit” (not in conformity with Church law/regulations) –
but it is “valid” – that is, it did work (it cleansed from original sin and infused sanctifying grace).
So rest assured on that point.