Where can these funeral rites be found of which you have spoken? Can we, the laity, gain access to them to see the difference in wording and prayers? Can the infant funeral rite be used for miscarried children? I am curious to know if these include burial rites - what if there is no body or fetal remains (as in the case of many first trimester miscarriages - the baby is often reabsorbed)?
Also, I’m afraid that a question that I asked a while back got over looked - perhaps you or someone might know the answer: I was told by a priest that the Pope has said (I don’t know where - the priest did not reference it for me and I am wanting to know this) that miscarried babies are in heaven and the priest kind of seemed surprised that I didn’t aleady know this because I had expressed to him that I hope my two miscarried babies are in heaven and that I’m hoping that I make it to heaven so that I can see them some day (since no one can be truly assurred of heaven, even St. Paul hoped he endured to the end). A different priest seemed sure that I would see my two children in heaven. This kind of talk seems not quite in line with the teaching that we truly don’t know the fate of these babies and that we must rely on God’s mercy - that there is not absolute certainty. Why do people talk like there is certainty (I hope it’s not to “make the mourner feel better”) and that these babies are now little angels in heaven (that is not even accurate Church teaching). It seems that folks often have this idea that all you need is the belief, the faith belief and you are destined for heaven - the “we’re all sinners and fall short and that will never change - we’re never going to be perfect, so we have to have the faith in Christ who died for us - that alone will save us” kind of theology. I am a convert to Catholicism from a Protestant background and it seems like the “faith alone” theology of Martin Luther is just as common among many Catholics.
I very much do realize that innocent babies are not in the same situation as those of us beyond the age of reason but my point revolves around the degree to which we can have absolute certainty regarding this issue - salvation is a difficult issue to tackle, at any stage of life, with absolute certainty, it would appear (St. Paul, I think, would agree). We should never presume to know with certainty where we are destined to live out our eternity or our babies for that matter - that in itself seems to be sinful - an act of pride - to think one can know the mind of God. What we must do is have the hope of God’s mercy and that is something that our faith teaches us - to have hope that an all- loving God that willed these little babies into existence for only a short, short time would not damn them to Hell for all eternity because they did not live long enough to receive baptism. Am I way off base here?
is that what the computer wouldn’t let you do???or was it this
…(I am just showing off now!!)
