Send CathInfo's owner Matthew a gift from his Amazon wish list:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/25M2B8RERL1UO

Author Topic: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire  (Read 9022 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Re: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire
« Reply #25 on: March 11, 2021, 02:04:03 PM »
We've heard a lot about Popes Innocent II and/or Innocent the II endorsing the notion of BoD, but the proponents of BoD ignore this decree from Pope St. Siricius.  Unlike those two letters from the Innocents, this was was presented as authoritative papal teaching, addressed to the entire Church, finishing with the statement that what he decreed should be observed by all those who  qui nolunt ab apostolicae petrae, super quam Christus universalem construxit Ecclesiam, soliditate divelli "who do not wish to be severed from the solidity of the Apostolic Rock upon which Christ founded the universal Church."  This docuмent seems to meet all the notes of papal infallibility (unlike the other two, which were not addressed to the Universal Church and in which the Popes were clearly opining rather than authoritatively teaching).

Here's the key section.

MY TRANSLATION:
"Not to derogate in any way from the respect owed to Easter [my comment:  when Baptisms were normally done], so it is our will, in the case of infants who can not yet speak on account of their age, or in the case of those would have any kind of urgent need for the waters of Baptism, that they be given aid with all haste, lest it endanger our souls, were each an every one leaving this world to forfeit "both the kingdom and life" (very literal translation here) by denying the Saving Font to those desiring it."

Notice that he actually uses the term "desire" (vs. votum) here.  His choice of terms is undoubtedly providential, since this teaching effectively shoots down Baptism of "Desire".

He's saying here that "each and every one" or "every single one" of those denied the Sacrament ("wave of Baptism", "water movement of Baptism", another water word like "laver" in Trent) would lose eternal life in the Kingdom while DESIRING to receive it.

In other words, of those desiring to receive it, every single one of them would lose their soul without the Sacrament of Baptism ("water pouring" of Baptism).

Crickets from XavierSem and those of the different flavors of salvation of the "nice" non-Catholics:





Offline Ladislaus

  • Supporter
Re: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire
« Reply #26 on: March 11, 2021, 02:47:53 PM »
Thus far, RomanTheo (Father Kramer) was the only one to attempt a response, which was that the context of this is simply to command that infants and adults in danger of death be baptized right away, instead of waiting for Easter time.

I responded, sure, but he clearly states that each and every one of those who pass away without Baptism will perish ... even while desiring the Sacrament.  So he didn't really address that part of the quote at all.  This is a SUPPORTING REASON for his decree, so I agree that he's not directly defining it, but this still has a lot of weight, and it clearly indicates that the Pope did NOT believe in Baptism of Desire.  Father Kramer said that they should be baptized because there's "no guarantee of salvation" by Baptism of Desire.  But that's not WHAT THE POPE SAYS.  He doesn't say there's "no guarantee" but, rather, that it doesn't happen at all.

See I think that Father Kramer was reading into this docuмent what his own believe is, that, yes we should baptized because there's no guarantee of their salvation by BoD.  But that is simply not what the pope is saying.

Argue if you want that this isn't infallible, but then I would say the same a fortiori about the letters of Popes Innocent II and Innocent III.  Unlike this decree, which was addressed to the Universal Church and having supreme authority, those were merely letters written to individual bishops in which the Popes were merely opining in favor of BoD.  In other words, they had much less authority than this docuмent.

So they simply IGNORE this docuмent because nothing there's nothing they can say about it that would not backfire on them and their entire case in favor of BoD.  In fact, any criticism they could make of this docuмent would totally gut their position that rejecting BoD is heretical or even an error.  And they know it.


Re: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire
« Reply #27 on: March 11, 2021, 03:02:41 PM »
I responded, sure, but he clearly states that each and every one of those who pass away without Baptism will perish ... even while desiring the Sacrament.  
I thought that most here at least believed that the Church taught BOD for catechumens.  How would that be okay based on what this pope said?

Offline Pax Vobis

  • Supporter
Re: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire
« Reply #28 on: March 12, 2021, 08:37:08 AM »
XavierSem's response:
.
.
I will answer that, and it is easy to do so, but answer my question first, Last Tradhican. I addressed it to Ladislaus above and I'm asking you now.

Q. 1. "Let me ask those who may agree with the Dimonds on some matters one simple question: Let's say His Holiness Pope St. Pius was alive today. Let's also say you submitted a theological study, with some "Dubia" to him. H.H. reads it, then says, "No, my son, the Church truly teaches BOD. I did myself in my Catechism. And now, I as Vicar of Christ assure you of it"? Would you submit to his teaching? Or attack and condemn H.H. for it?"

As to Pope St. Siricius' decree, "Sicut sacram ergo paschalem reverentiam in nullo dicimus esse minuendam, ita infantibus qui necdum loqui poterunt per aetatem vel his, quibus in qualibet necessitate opus fuerit sacra unda baptismatis, omni volumus celeritate succurri, ne ad nostrarum perniciem tendat animarum, si negato desiderantibus fonte salutari exiens unusquisque de saeculo et regnum perdat et vitam." notice the Pontiff does not use the term "voto", which signifies a supernatural desire with contrition, but rather desiderantibus, which speaks of a mere natural desire. A mere natural desire, as everyone should know by now, as St. Thomas explains and even for that matter the Holy Office Letter mentions (when it says supernatural faith and supernatural charity are necessary for desire to be supernaturally efficacious) does not suffice to receive the Baptism of Desire. That should clear it up.

This is also a disciplinary decree, not a dogmatic definition. It also mentions infants. Even the New Catechism says every effort must be made to bring little children to Baptism, since only Baptism itself provides assurance that original sin is remitted and they go to heaven. Every effort must always be made to bring Baptism to adults, since adults also may not be able to attain contrition and thus have a purely natural desire for the Sacrament, which doesn't suffice.

This would satisfy most people, but I won't be surprised, Last Tradhican, if it doesn't satisfy you, and I subsequently hear "crickets" from you on this thread

Now, here's the Second Question, pertaining to BOD being de fide, because of the Pope and Bishops teaching it as divinely revealed in Church Catechisms.

Q.2. Church Catechisms approved by the Pope have not only taught BOD but presented it as divinely revealed. Now when something is taught by the Pope and the Bishops as divinely revealed, theologians say that is sufficient for the doctrine to be accepted as de fide. Do you want to see the quote of Fr. Tanqueray again saying this? I cited it in another thread and I believe even in this thread earlier. What some of you Dimond-disciples fail to understand is that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit not only in the first millenium but in the second also The divine assistance of the Holy Spirit promised to the Successors of St. Peter was not promised only in the 4th century, when Pope St. Siricius lived,  or for some arbitrary time limit like 1000 years only, to cease to exist in the second millenium, when the Popes taught BOD, and in the 19th or 20th century, when Pope Leo XIII or Pope St. Pius X, lived. The Church has deemed the doctrine of Baptism of Desire safe to teach Her Faithful.

Your argument is ultimately not with us, but with the Catholic Church and Her Supreme Pontiffs itself. You believe the Church erred and contradicted dogma.

If She actually did do that, that would make Her a false religion, just like the others. False religions are false because they contradict dogma, as they all do.

So why the exception for the Catholic Church? If supposedly She taught heresies as dogma, then She's false also. But rather Dimondism alone is false.

And it has never actually happened that the Church has contradicted Her own dogma. Struthio essentially claimed all Popes who taught BOD are heretics. 

See the absurdity and stupidity of the anti-BOD position. It leads to the belief that Popes, Saints and Doctors are Heretics and denies Church Indefectibility.

Re: Pope St. Siricius rejects Baptism of Desire
« Reply #29 on: March 12, 2021, 08:55:21 AM »
What an idiot.