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JohnDennis
Guest
Can a unborn baby be baptized if in " grave danger"?
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You said, “can”, not “may”, so I will stick to your question.Can a unborn baby be baptized if in " grave danger"?
While I suppose it would technically not be impossible to baptize an unborn baby, it would be absurdly difficult, requiring surgical techniques causing risk to both mother and child.
It’s not like it is easy to pour water on the head/ forehead of an unborn child. I suppose this matter may be discussed more frequently what with some of the new fetal surgical operations that are starting to be done.
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1ke
Guest
You cannot baptized an unborn child because you cannot pour water on the child. Pouring water, for example, on the mother’s stomach is NOT baptism of the child inside. Unless baby were actually accessible for the pouring of water, which isn’t currently possible, the answer is no.Can a unborn baby be baptized if in " grave danger"?
If the baby is delivered in an emergency, then you can baptize the infant. Baptism is a sacrament which, in order to be valid, must be administered by the actual pouring of water upon the person being baptized, while these exact words are said “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (see Mt. 28:19). Baptism is administered to those who are alive. In cases where it is doubtful that the person is alive, the sacrament is administered conditionally.
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1ke
Guest
Yes but even with fetal surgeries, I think it unlikely that the surgeon would allow the pouring of water during the surgery, it is already a delicate enough situation as it is without introducing pouring water on the infant.
**Maybe **if it were sterilized and administered by a nurse or the doctor… but I have my doubts about the surgical protocols allowing it.
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steve93
Guest
What woud be the purpose of wanting to baptizing an unborn infant? Aren’t they destined for heaven having done nothing either good or bad?
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JohnDennis
Guest
Thank you for you thoughtful replies. I guess I’m searching for a way the unborn baby can be " born again " like all of us who have been given this gift from God Himself. What about Baptism of desire through the mother or any baptized Catholic present in the room. With the Baptismal command. Can this desire be transferred from one to another. I know this is a stretch but I truly feel bad for the innocent baby. Maybe I should leave it to the infinite mercy of our all loving God.
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JohnDennis
Guest
For the same reason we baptize born infants. They have not sinned either. We are taught that original sin is present at conception.
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1ke
Guest
They can’t.
No, dear. That is not baptism of desire. Baptism of desire is limited to those who are over the age of reason and explicitly request baptism but who die before receiving it.
No.
Yes, we have hope in our loving God.
This is all we can do because the Church herself does not know. God did not reveal the fate of unbaptized babies, hence, the urgent need to baptize shortly after birth. “Leave it to the mercy of God” is all the Church can ask us to do, because quite honestly, “we don’t know” is the only correct answer.
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