A question about absoultion before deathbed (Catholicism)
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Yes. Catholics do have emergency baptism. No it is not standard for priests to perform emergency baptisms. It is used for non-baptized infants (newborns) who are in imminent danger of death. The priest is usually aware that the family of the dying infant is Catholic. Catholic priests do not randomly baptize dying people. (They respect the fact that people may not WANT to be baptized as Catholics or may already be baptized into another faith.)
I was in a Catholic church on 6-6-06. Because of the superstition surrounding the numbers in the date there were people going into the office and asking for a priest to baptize their children. (I was in the office for something else and asked what all the hub-bub was about.) They were told that the priest would not perform emergency baptisms, simply because of the date, and given a pamphlet on standard procedures for baptizing children as Catholics.
I *think* emergency baptism could also be provided to a dying non-Catholic person who asked specifically to be converted to the faith before death - I've always heard the example of in the case of a car accident or something. But I could be wrong, only a Roman Catholic priest could answer for sure.
(Also according to the book "Why Do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Orlin Johnson the whole 6-6-6 thing was just the numeric symbol of the Emperor Nero.)
I *think* emergency baptism could also be provided to a dying non-Catholic person who asked specifically to be converted to the faith before death - I've always heard the example of in the case of a car accident or something. But I could be wrong, only a Roman Catholic priest could answer for sure.
I think you're right. I hadn't meant that example to be the one and only reason. (After I posted it I realized I'd worded it poorly.)
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