The process of justification starts with faith, fear, hope, etc. It is completed when when one loves God with the love of friendship i.e. when he has obtained a supernatural charity. This is when the sinner is transformed form the state of sin to that of justification or sanctifying grace. This process can be obtained without baptism when sacramental baptism is impossible such as when one, through no fault of his own, is not aware of the necessity of baptism.
Babies cannot obtain sanctifying grace apart from baptism. The implication is that adults can.
This is obtained by sacramental baptism or for those when sacramental baptism is impossible, through no fault of their own, the love God with a supernatural love which constitutes at least an implicit desire for the Sacrament.
Thus the justified are not denied the beatific vision over a technicality.
Water Baptism - Necessary with a relative necessity of means does not trump sanctifying grace, supernatural faith and charity, necessary with an absolute or intrinsic necessity. For the Feeneyite the relative necessity trumps the absolute necessity faith. How they get themselves in this hole with all the teachings to the contrary at their fingertips I do not know.
God works spiritually. He is not forced raise the dead and come down and physically baptize with water one who died without baptism. This was obvious in better times.