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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Sacrament of Penance	Pam	Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Question: I have mixed emotions regarding this topic. If a person who was baptized as an infant passes away at any age, say my age, 27...will this person not be accepted into heaven because he did not go to confession or be re-baptized prior to his passing? Does that make sense? Do you need to be re-baptized as an adult even if you were as an infant to "wash away your sins" prior to death?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Pam: There is no such thing as re-batpism. Baptism can only be validly administered once. Baptism washes away Original Sin and any actual sin (if the person is old enough to commit actual sin at the time they are baptized). Washing away post-batpism sins is not accomplished by re-baptism. If a Baptized Catholic, regardless of whether they were baptized at 2 weeks old or 80 years old, commits mortal sin they must repent and bring that sin to the Sacrament of Penance. If the person deliberately refuses to repent and seek the Sacrament of Penance then that person is rejecting God and if he dies in that state will go to hell. This make perfect sense. God will not force anyone into heaven. If anyone rejects God's grace, that is their choice and they must live eternally with the consequences. The solution is easy. Accept God's grace, seek the Sacrament of Penance and be reconciled with God and His Church. Each time one gravely sins, go back to the Sacrament of Penance. Then if one dies in this state of grace that the Sacrament of Penance provides, they will go to heaven. The choice is the person's. 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

Sacrament of Penance

Pam

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Question:

I have mixed emotions regarding this topic. If a person who was baptized as an infant passes away at any age, say my age, 27...will this person not be accepted into heaven because he did not go to confession or be re-baptized prior to his passing? Does that make sense? Do you need to be re-baptized as an adult even if you were as an infant to "wash away your sins" prior to death?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Pam:

There is no such thing as re-batpism. Baptism can only be validly administered once. Baptism washes away Original Sin and any actual sin (if the person is old enough to commit actual sin at the time they are baptized).

Washing away post-batpism sins is not accomplished by re-baptism. If a Baptized Catholic, regardless of whether they were baptized at 2 weeks old or 80 years old, commits mortal sin they must repent and bring that sin to the Sacrament of Penance. If the person deliberately refuses to repent and seek the Sacrament of Penance then that person is rejecting God and if he dies in that state will go to hell.

This make perfect sense. God will not force anyone into heaven. If anyone rejects God's grace, that is their choice and they must live eternally with the consequences.

The solution is easy. Accept God's grace, seek the Sacrament of Penance and be reconciled with God and His Church. Each time one gravely sins, go back to the Sacrament of Penance. Then if one dies in this state of grace that the Sacrament of Penance provides, they will go to heaven. The choice is the person's.

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