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| Volume 1, No. 11 |
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September 15, 1998
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The Morning Offering for the Salvation of Aborted Infants
A Theological Rationale (Part II)
"Abortion is a crime that kills not only the child but the consciences of all involved."-- Mother Teresa
The Development of Theology about Baptism of Desire
Not a few theologians in the past 800 years have hypothesized along these lines in regard to infant baptism. The question arose with some acuity only at the beginning of the 16th century. Previous to that, the prevalent theory ran more or less along the lines of St. Augustine's rigid teaching that all unbaptized infants composed a "massa damnata", a throng of souls damned forever to hell. Up to the time of Aquinas, and well into the 13th and 14th century, the consensus among theologians was that, as the Gospel had been preached virtually everywhere, there was really no excuse for not being a Christian.Aquinas himself did deus the possible exception homo in silva some poor wretch isolated in the forest of Dalmatia, perhaps, who thus had never heard of Christ and therefore, could not be damned "bad faith". Still, Aquinas had no solution for the lack of Baptism of such a man. But all the others, including unbaptized infants (Augustine's influence), were included in that "massa damnata", the mass of souls that descended into Hell because unbaptized. Thomas was so fixed on actual Baptism as the only possible effective Baptism, that he sanctioned taking Jewish infants from their parents and baptizing them against their parent's will.
The discovery of the New World in 1492 suddenly placed the whole question in a new light. Here now was proof that literally millions, probably even billions, of men and women who never had the chance of hearing the gospel, had lived, in good faith presumably without the boon of Baptism. How reconcile that with the essential goodness of God, and that decree of God and His Divine Son that the whole world would be saved? In the Schools, two questions began to agitate theologian's minds; the salvation of the unconverted (De Salute Gentium) and predestination.
The latter question of predestination concerned the reconciliation of free will and God's immutable decrees made in eternity. It does not enter directly into this context. But the question of Baptism of Desire is at the heart of the blood bath that is abortion.
Consideration of this question arose first in regard to adults. Behind the reasoning laid the dogmatically accepted principle that any supernatural element in man's world and indeed "any" morally good element, was there because of the merits of Christ.
The reasoning as regards Baptism of desire, then proceeds as follows.
If God did not allow a man to hear the Good News of Christ's Salvation, but if that man lived according to a good conscience, he would in his own limited way be doing his best; and whatever moral good there was in his life would be, without knowing it, the result of Christ's Salvation. He was cooperating with God to the best of his ability. Hence, that man could be said to desire as much as he was allowed by God's providence what God desires for him that is to say, to be saved by Christ. But to desire to be saved by Christ is to desire to be baptized; that is to say; to get rid of what would block him from achieving Christ's salvation, eternally life. Original Sin, is the primary block.. Original Sin is removed by Baptism. Hence, the man had Baptism of Desire. He was freed from Original Sin in virtue of that Baptism of Desire. He could be saved.Baptism of Desire for Infants
By logical extension, the concept of Baptism of Desire started to envelop the problem of unbaptized infants, i.e. stillborn infants and infants naturally aborted who die in that state, without any fault on the part of their parents. No different from any other infant, they could not be said to desire God. Their consciences hadn't been formed by any morality or ethos.Yet, it was argued, in ordinary circumstance, it is the desire of the parents and/or godparents that functions for the child's desire. Therefore, could not the desire of the parents of a unbaptized dying infant, in extraordinary circumstances, suffice for the infant to be baptized with the Baptism of Desire? The classical case usually cited was that of a dying Christian mother (or father) who is isolated and alone, unable to move, unable to say those precious words of Baptism while pouring the water and who ardently desires baptism for her (his) dying child. Theologians used the analogy with ordinary baptism: in the ordinary baptism, it is the parents, not the child, who, desires baptism for their child. That desire is taken as sufficient indication and guarantee of the child desire. The parents become guarantors for the child; their belief guarantors the child's belief. There is a sacred bond after all between parent and child based on more than mere physical origination. The Church in other words presumes in her Sacramentology and presumes legitimately, that God's providence opens up to adults the possibility of guaranteeing the desire of the child in ordinary circumstances when they have their infant baptized.
Theologians applied the analogy carefully. If in extraordinary circumstances, God is not bound to the exact matter and form of the sacraments (Aquinas), then in the case cited above of the dying parent and dying child, God could take the parent's desire as sufficient guarantee.
But, granting that such theologizing what legitimate and the dying infant did receive Baptism of Desire, the analogy has to be applied more carefully to an already dead infant i.e. an infant aborted by the usual medical means in use today. For Baptism, like all the Sacraments is a Sacrament of living.
The last step in reasoning about Baptism of Desire on behalf of our modern aborted infants can use the same analogy but it must include intentionality. For example, in the case of a dying man who sends for a priest in order precisely to receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, but who draws his last breath before the priest arrives, the Church teaches that the priest can and normally should give the deceased body Extreme Unction.
The living intention of the recently deceased was to be anointed and shriven of his sins. That intentionality carries over.The value of the proposed MORNING OFFERING FOR ABORTED INFANTS can be said to rely on in its intentionality.
Application of Aborted Infants
The Morning Offering for the Salvation of Aborted Infants is constructed on the presumption and theological reasoning that the providence of God would open up to adults as the voluntary spiritual parents of the child the possibility of guaranteeing the desire of the aborted infant. This presumption is justified by the extraordinary circumstance that the infant's own parents have deliberately refused to do so, and have also refused to let the infant live to maturity when the individual could choose and desire and perhaps be baptized. In both cases, the classical case and the case of the aborted infant, the desire for baptism is totally beyond the spiritually captus and the psycho- physical ability of the infant.Ultimately, the reasoning here implies the interaction described above between the members of the Mystical Body and their participatory redemptive role in the whole economy of Salvation. I intend, when I make that Morning Offering each morning, to apply it to many or all aborted infants, if God permits. All in all, the practice of such a Morning Offering could afford great advantage.
The first and critical advantage is the salvation of the souls of those pitifully murdered infants who can do nothing to save themselves from destruction. At the present moment, and for the foreseeable future, there appears to be no stopping legalized abortion on- demand. Until now, the chief weapons used against this plague of death have been, to an almost exclusive degree political and social. And yet, despite the fact that Christians have been given specific weapons, the truth is that we have, like Peter at Gethsemane, chosen first the weapons of the world at large. We must learn with Peter that what we face is not primarily a political or social struggle, but, in fact, a spiritual and moral war. The weapons we have been given to waged such wars are prayer and sacrifice.
As in the case with all spiritual advantage, the benefits multiply. A Morning Offering such as the one suggested, if implemented, implies much prayer, much purity of intention, much sacrifice. One could even be numerical. For example, if as few as 5,000 Americans recited this Offering every morning, every one of the 4,500 5,000 infants aborted each day in the U.S.A. would have a spiritual parent and, if God so wills, Baptism resulting in their immediate entry into Heaven.
Surely, further graces, further advantages would follow: the prayers of such a mass of sinless witnesses increasing with every pathetic minute of our human day, and allied to the prayers and sacrifices of their spiritual parents on Earth, would obtain some release for us all from this plague of infanticide. Surely, the prayers of infants thus saved would draw down special graces for would-be aborting parents, for abortionists, for us all.
Let us remember, then, what we have always known as Christ's people.Only a miracle of grace can reverse and undo what is now been cleverly and brutally erected into an accepted way of life in most countries of the Western World, in China, in India, in Africa, and elsewhere, and which directly satisfies the base instinct and death lust of that Archangel whom Jesus pithily and mercilessly described as "a Murderer from the beginning".
Morning Offering for the Salvation of Aborted Infants
Lord, Jesus, through the hands of Your Blessed Mother, I offer You all my thoughts, words, and actions this day for all the intentions of Your Most Sacred Heart. Especially, I offer You all the acts of faith in You and Your Love that I perform, in order to obtain from Your Sacred Heart the grace of Baptism for all the innocent babies who will be murdered by abortion today. Because their own fathers and mothers will violently refuse them life, and thus refuse to stand before You as guarantors of their baby's faith in You, accept me as the spiritual father/mother of those babies. And, within the Divine economy of Your Mystical Body except me as guarantor of those babies' desire to be with You forever, so that having been killed most cruelly, they may be admitted to Your Presence as sinless, martyrs to the truth of Your Love and Your Salvation. I ask this for Your Holy Name Sake. Amen.
Ave Maria Gratia Plena
- Malachi B. Martin (August 15, 1998)
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