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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Praying for non-Catholic husband's conversion	Katharine	Sunday, December 7, 2008
Question: I have been praying for my husband's conversion but I'm afraid he would not dare to enrol in RCIA class since my mother-in-law is anti-Catholic. He has been brought up not to keep any secret from her and also she regularly calls him so it is impossible to keep anything from her. He never says that my mother-in-law prohibits him from becoming a Catholic. The excuse he always gives is that he does not have the time to attend the weekly RCIA class. But he said that I could call a priest to baptize him on his death bed. Although he does not do it on a regular manner, he prays with me and attends Mass on certain feast days. He has also requested prayers. Is there any special prayer that I can pray for his conversion? When I was small, I was told that a Catholic could baptize somebody who was dying when no priest could make it in time. Is that still the teaching of the Church, and if that is so, where can I find more information about it? Thank you very much and God bless.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Katharine: Since the mother seems to be a stumblingblock I would focus a lot of prayer for her to either convert herself or at least back-off on pressure to her son about this. For your husband to come to the Catholic Church you might use this Prayer for our Separated Brethren. This prayer is to ask God to place a hedge around a non-Catholic Christian that in doing so the person will come to know the Catholic Church as the true Church and therefore convert. As for your second question about laity baptizing a person in danger of death, Canon Law 861.2 states (bold is my emphasis): If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local Ordinary, may lawfully confer baptism; indeed, in case of necessity, any person who has the requisite intention may do so. Pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to be diligent in ensuring that Christ's faithful are taught the correct way to baptise. Not only can laity baptise in cases of emergency, but pastors are to be sure to teach the laity how to baptise just in case it is needed. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Praying for non-Catholic husband's conversion

Katharine

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Question:

I have been praying for my husband's conversion but I'm afraid he would not dare to enrol in RCIA class since my mother-in-law is anti-Catholic. He has been brought up not to keep any secret from her and also she regularly calls him so it is impossible to keep anything from her.

He never says that my mother-in-law prohibits him from becoming a Catholic. The excuse he always gives is that he does not have the time to attend the weekly RCIA class. But he said that I could call a priest to baptize him on his death bed.

Although he does not do it on a regular manner, he prays with me and attends Mass on certain feast days. He has also requested prayers. Is there any special prayer that I can pray for his conversion?

When I was small, I was told that a Catholic could baptize somebody who was dying when no priest could make it in time. Is that still the teaching of the Church, and if that is so, where can I find more information about it?

Thank you very much and God bless.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Katharine:

Since the mother seems to be a stumblingblock I would focus a lot of prayer for her to either convert herself or at least back-off on pressure to her son about this.

For your husband to come to the Catholic Church you might use this Prayer for our Separated Brethren. This prayer is to ask God to place a hedge around a non-Catholic Christian that in doing so the person will come to know the Catholic Church as the true Church and therefore convert.

As for your second question about laity baptizing a person in danger of death, Canon Law 861.2 states (bold is my emphasis):

If the ordinary minister is absent or impeded, a catechist or some other person deputed to this office by the local Ordinary, may lawfully confer baptism; indeed, in case of necessity, any person who has the requisite intention may do so. Pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to be diligent in ensuring that Christ's faithful are taught the correct way to baptise.

Not only can laity baptise in cases of emergency, but pastors are to be sure to teach the laity how to baptise just in case it is needed.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum