The Cornelius incident proves (1) the Dimonds are wrong that Trent "rejected" Baptism of Desire. (2) BOD certainly exists and justifies.
I'm content with proving those two things to begin with. Trent says (3) those who now die in justifying grace will be saved, but that's different. Also I didn't derail the thread. I answered the questions posed to me, after asking others to limit discussion to one subject.
We'll start with Fr. Haydock, an authoritative Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, and the Council of Orange. Please give your view on them.
1. Fr. Haydock: "Such may be the grace of God occasionally towards men, and such their great charity and contrition, that they may have remission, justification, and sanctification, before the external sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and penance be received; as we see in this example: where, at Peter's preaching, they all received the Holy Ghost before any sacrament." https://www.ecatholic2000.com/haydock/ntcomment105.shtmlComment: So here at St. Peter's preaching, Fr. Haydock says, because of the Grace of God toward Cornelius, and his great charity and contrition, he received remission, justification and sanctification before any external Sacrament. This shows BOD justifies at least.
2. Council of Orange: "According to the Catholic Faith we also believe that after grace has been received through baptism, all baptized persons have the ability and responsibility, if they desire to labor faithfully, to perform with the aid and cooperation of Christ what is of essential importance in regard to the salvation of their soul. We not only do not believe that any are foreordained to evil by the power of God, but even state with utter abhorrence that if there are those who want to believe so evil a thing, they are anathema. We also believe and confess to our benefit that in every good work it is not we who take the initiative and are then assisted through the mercy of God, but God himself first inspires in us both faith in him and love for him without any previous good works of our own that deserve reward, so that we may both faithfully seek the sacrament of baptism, and after baptism be able by his help to do what is pleasing to him. We must therefore most evidently believe that the praiseworthy faith of the thief whom the Lord called to his home in paradise, and of Cornelius the centurion, to whom the angel of the Lord was sent, and of Zacchaeus, who was worthy to receive the Lord himself, was not a natural endowment but a gift of God's kindness." https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/orange.txtComment: So the Council of Orange says we must certainly believe that the faith of the Good Thief, and of Cornelius post-Resurrection, was not a natural endowment, but a Gift of God's Kindness/Grace=Supernatural Faith. Hence, Cornelius was clearly in a State of Grace.
Baptism of Desire refers to the notion that someone can be SAVED being in a state of justification without having also received the Sacrament of Baptism?
The two are separate. Baptism of Desire at least justifies. It actually may still a disputable question whether it saves or not, although I've not seen any reference to a Church Doctor in the last millenium or post-Trent theology manual that says it still is. But I'm open to it.I'll cite Fr. Laisney's words on the Council of Trent later on. Fr. Laisney showed imo that those who die in grace, now in the NT, will certainly be saved.At best one can argue he entered a state of justification.
Yes. That's all that's being argued here at the moment. The related question, whether Trent said nothing else is required for the justified to be saved, to have fully satisfied the divine law, and truly merited heaven by their works done in God, than to die in grace, can be discussed next. You say you are not personally convinced Cornelius definitely received BOD, but that it is plausible. Is that a fair summary of your position?
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