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Question

In the town where I live, a young man of 18 had a heart attack and was in a coma.

He is better now, it seems like the doctors want to attempt to make him breathe unaided.

The young man’s name is Giuseppe, but his parents didn’t baptize him. They are the kind of people who say: my son will decide for himself, if he wants…

A friend thought that a priest could have baptized him, as he was unconscious and in a life-threatening condition… but it seems to me an impossible thing to do in the case of an adult, if one doesn’t know whether he would consent or not… or am I wrong?

Luigia

Answer from the priest

Dear Luigia,

1. Baptism is the sacrament which incorporates one in Christ.

For this incorporation to be true and real, it is required that the person who is about to receive baptism knows what baptism is and has the intention of receiving it.

If there is no intention, baptism is invalid.

In the case of children, it is different because – for this as for any other realm of life – the interpretative intention of the parents stands in for their own.

2. The case you put forward is that of an unbaptized young man who is in serious life danger.

He did not explicitly ask for baptism. Can it be administered to him?

We can find an answer in a response from the Holy Office dated March 30, 1898.

It was asked about whether a missionary could administer deathbed baptism to an adult Muslim, who was supposed to be in good faith in his religion, while only encouraging him to the sorrow for sins and the trust in salvation, without saying anything about the truths of our faith for fear of rejection.

3. The answer of the Holy Office was the following: “No, it is not licit to administer baptism to a Muslim either in an absolute way or in a conditional way (sub conditione)” (DS 3335).

“Under condition” means to administer baptism by connecting the validity of the sacrament to some form of internal intention expressed by the subject.

4. Also on that occasion, the Holy Office specified: “With regard to Muslims who are dying and are by this time unconscious, it must be answered as in the decree of the Holy Office of 18 September 1850 to the bishop of Perth, namely: “If he had previously given signs of the wish to be baptized, and in the present condition either with a nod or in another way has shown the same disposition, he can be baptized under condition, provided however that the missionary, having considered all the circumstances, has so prudently judged” (DS 3335).

5. Similarly, in the case of our young man as well, to whom we sincerely wish to regain full health: if while speaking at home, with friends or with someone else, he expressed a refusal to be baptized, he must not be baptized in any way.

It is necessary to respect his will and it is equally necessary not to desecrate the sacrament by leaving it at risk of invalidity. If this were done, it would be a sacrilege.

6. If he, on the other hand, had said: “I am thinking about it, I do not rule out receiving baptism”, that is already enough to be able to administer it to him at least sub conditione.

Sub conditione of what?

That if he is repentant of his own sins and is willing to accept all that the Lord wants to bestow on him, baptism will bring in him all its salvific effects.

Wishing that this young man will be well, will receive baptism, and become a saint, I assure you of my prayers and bless him.

Together with him, I also bless you.

Father Angelo