What if I die before I'm baptized?

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toadessa

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I’m in RCIA right now with the intention of being baptized and receiving the sacraments next Easter. But I worry what will happen to me if I should die before then, especially with a lifetime of unconfessed sins, including many many mortal sins. I’ve heard of “baptism by desire” but only in the cases of saints and martyrs, which I am not. What would happen in my case? I pray everyday that I will not die or become incapacitated before receiving the sacraments. I’d appreciate any answer, even if the answer is not reassuring.
 
I would say don’t worry at all, God knows what’s in your heart.
I kinda used to have that feeling with Confession, when
after I was done, I would think subconsciously, take me
now before I sin again. I realize now, that you can’t live in
fear all the time or you won’t be able to be the best Catholic,
or human being for that matter. All the Sacraments give us
Forgiveness, Grace, etc…Obviously, you want to be
baptized, just be the best person you can be now
and leave the rest up to God.
 
You can be baptized by water, fire or desire. It doesn’t have to be in the catholic church. You can ask God to forgive your sins and he will, it doesn’t have to be through a priest.
 
Don’t worry about that. In fact, the Baptism of Desire **does **apply to you, should you die before the Easter Vigil. I don’t have the Catechism right in front of me, so I don’t have the exact paragraph, but I know it says that for Catechumens who die before recieving Baptism, they are assumed to have been saved through their “implicit desire” for Baptism. Catechumens who die before being Baptized are given Catholic burial.
 
Correction, you don’t need Sacrament of Confession if you are
on the verge of death where ordinary Reconcilation isn’t availible.
However, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great gift, and the
ordinary means of forgiveness of sins for Catholics.

Since you aren’t Catholic yet, your Baptism of Desire
is valid if you died, even if you aren’t a Saint. But,
again don’t worry about dying, if you truely want to
be Catholic, then God knows that. I’ll pray for you.
God Bless 👍
 
The other poster who said you don’t need the priest, although I’m sure
he/she meant if you were in immediate threat of death.
 
toadessa said:
I’m in RCIA right now with the intention of being baptized and receiving the sacraments next Easter. But I worry what will happen to me if I should die before then, especially with a lifetime of unconfessed sins, including many many mortal sins. I’ve heard of “baptism by desire” but only in the cases of saints and martyrs, which I am not. What would happen in my case? I pray everyday that I will not die or become incapacitated before receiving the sacraments. I’d appreciate any answer, even if the answer is not reassuring.
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Since you are in RCIA, please obtain a catechism. Your answers, and comforting ones they are, may be found within it:

“…those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament” CCC 1258

“Every man who is ognorant of te Gospel of Christ and of His Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if had they had known its necessity” CCC 1260

“Those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens, and all those who, without knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill His will, can be saved even if they have not been baptized” CCC 1281
 
The very fact you WANT to be baptized and are taking steps towards it show that you’re covered by the Baptism of Desire until such time as your official Baptism.
 
the specific answer that applies to OP is that a catechumen, a person in RCIA preparing for baptism, who dies before baptism is considered to have desired baptism and so is part of the Church and would have a Christian burial etc. This should be explained to you when you prepare for the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens (the first of several minor rites which will punctuate your journey to Christian initiation).

Welcome Home!
 
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