The Catholic bulletin., 1919-07-19


the patients denomination baptizes
correctly?
If there be any doubt about bap-
tism, the priest should be called to
take care of the case, because he safe
guards the patients eternal salvation
by adding to the conditional baptism
the conditional absOlution, which the
nurse cannot do. Still in a case of
emergency, and where no time is to be
lost, a nurse should baptiZe a nom
Catholic who doubts the validity Of his
baptism. She should eXhort her pa
tient to make an act of sorrow, or
rather say it with him and for him,
and then pour the water and say at
the same time: If you are not bap-
tized. baptize you in the name Of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost In every case send for
the priest, even in the greatest emer-
gency; but you may administer condi-
tional baptism while awaiting his az
rival, il you have solid grounds for
believing that the patient would die
before the priest would reach him.
Can an adult who has never been
baptized go to heaven?
He can if he be in good faith and
sincerely believe that he is doing
Gods will in not being baptized. If
such persons are intelligent beings a
little instruction ought TO set them
right and have them stand in line for
baptism like our Lord at the river
Jordan.
Will people who are not Catholics,
be saved if they live up 10 the teach
ings Of their church?
Yes, provided they are sincere in
their Lelief and avoid every grievous
sin, or if they have committed any
such sins, are truly sorry for them.
10 man is condemned except through
his own fault.
Is it advisable to baptze all non
Catholics who are dying?
No. To receive baptism validly one
must have the desire to receive it, and
must express that desire in some way.
dren, who are dying. may be baptized.
Does convert have to GO to con-
fession?
That would depend on whether the
convert had been baptized. If he has
never been baptized he cannot re-
ceive the Sacrament of Penance and
therefore could not make a sacramen-
tai confession If he has been bap-
rized outside of the Catholic Church
he must go to confession and receive
absolution, but conditionally. This is
necessary because his baptism out
side of the Church may be valid and
if so, if he has been guilty of mortal
sin, he must receive pardon for those
sins through the Sacrament of Pen
ance. In such a case he would also
receive conditional Baptism. One
who has not been baptized outside of
the Catholic Church may go to con-
fession not for the purpose of receiv-
ing absolution but he may get advice
and counsel
Did not a General Council once de-
pose Pope? If so does it not prove
that a General Council is superior to
the Pope?
No General Council ever deposed
Pope You probably refer to the
Council of Constance, which declared
that Martin was the lawfully elected
Pope. 1t did not depOse the other
claimants to the Papacy but simply
declared that they were anti-Popes.
There is nothing in the whole history
of the Church that would prove that
the Church at any time believed that
a Council was superior to the Pope.
Why DO you have confession?
Because it is the will and law of
God. Where essential doctrines and
practices are concerned the Christian
has but one question to ask: What
is the will of God in the matter? Has
He instituted such a doctrine and
practice as confession? If He has,
there is nothing for me to do but to
accept that doctrine and practice 1t
may be that it does not appeal to
me; there may be many features
about it that are hard for me to ac-
cept But who am | to put myself
before the Creator? What right have
/ to allow my personal prejudices to
outweigh the expressed will of God?"
Catholics have confession because
Jesus Christ conferred upon the first
priests-the Apostles-the power of
forgiving sins, and comforting that
power in such a way as to make con-
fession a matter Of necessity. You
should note that at no time in the
early history of the Church was the
charge made that confession had been
invented by the priests for some
selfish end. So true is this that when
heretics and schismatics cut them
selves from the body of the Church,
they never thought of rejecting con-
fession, but accepted it, and their fol-
lowers practice the confession of sins
today. Our Lord said to the Apostles:
Whose sins you shall forgive, they
are forgiven them; and whose sins
you shall retain, they are retained
(John XX-23). Now words are not
used to deceive, but to convey in
telligence; our Lord used very plain
words, and He meant what He said
He gave the Apostles the power of
fOrgiVino Or retaining mot fOrgiying)