The Baptism of Desire

Baptism by water opens the door of salvation, and the Church holds it to be necessary. Yet some die before receiving it: a catechumen taken the eve of his baptism, a martyr killed for Christ, a man who sought God without ever knowing the Gospel. For them, tradition recognises two other ways, the baptism of desire and the baptism of blood, by which God gives the grace where water was wanting.

The necessity of baptism

The Lord binds salvation to baptism. “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, no one can enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 Baptism by water is the way Christ gave for receiving the grace that saves, and the Church knows no other assured means.

The baptism of desire

Whoever desires baptism and dies before receiving it obtains the grace by that very desire. The Church defined this at the Council of Trent: no one passes from the state of sin to grace without the bath of regeneration or the desire for it, in reality or in desire, in re aut in voto. The desire for the sacrament then takes its place, when receiving it becomes impossible. The desire is explicit in the catechumen, who asks for baptism and prepares to receive it: thus Saint Ambrose mourned the emperor Valentinian, who died a catechumen, as already saved, for what he had asked, he had obtained. It is implicit in the one who seeks God with a sincere heart and does his will according to what he knows of it: moved by the grace that goes before him, he already desires Christ without naming him, in sincerely seeking the true good. Scripture recognises this law written deep in man. “For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law… Who shew the work of the law written in their hearts.” Romans 2:14-15 This desire draws its worth from the faith and the charity that animate it. One must believe, for “without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is: and is a rewarder to them that seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 And one must love: an act of perfect charity, the contrition that regrets sin out of love for God, already carries within it the desire of baptism and obtains the grace that water would have given.

The baptism of blood

Martyrdom likewise supplies for water. Christ himself called his Passion a baptism, and he foretold that his disciples would share it. “with the baptism wherewith I am baptized you shall be baptized.” Mark 10:39 Whoever dies for Christ, or for a virtue that bears on him, is thus baptized in his own blood: he receives the grace by union with the Passion of Christ, which he reproduces in giving his life. The Holy Innocents, those children of Bethlehem put to death because of him, are honoured as the first of these martyrs; and the Church has always venerated as saints those who died for Christ before receiving the water.

The thief on the cross

Scripture shows an example of this at Calvary. The thief crucified beside Jesus acknowledges his fault, confesses the innocence of Christ, and turns to him. Jesus answers him at once. “Amen I say to thee: This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 This man did not receive baptism by water; his faith and his desire, at the threshold of death, opened paradise to him.

Grace without the seal

These two ways give the grace that justifies and saves, without giving all that water confers. Baptism by water imprints on the soul an indelible character and incorporates one visibly into the Church, a member of his body, made able to receive the other sacraments. Desire and blood obtain the life of grace, but leave this character and this visible belonging still awaited. This is why they supply for the sacrament without replacing it: whoever can receive the water remains bound to receive it.

God remains free beyond his sacraments

Baptism remains necessary, and no one may neglect it while holding back to desire or blood. But God, who attached salvation to the sacrament, is not himself chained to his signs: he can give when he wills the grace they contain. This is why Scripture affirms that God “Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4 The baptism of desire and the baptism of blood are the way this will reaches those whom water has not attained.