" />
" />
" />
" />
" />| Recent Featured Videos and Articles | Eastern “Orthodoxy” Refuted | How To Avoid Sin | The Antichrist Identified! | What Fake Christians Get Wrong About Ephesians | Why So Many Can't Believe | “Magicians” Prove A Spiritual World Exists | Amazing Evidence For God | News Links |
| Vatican II “Catholic” Church Exposed | Steps To Convert | Outside The Church There Is No Salvation | E-Exchanges | The Holy Rosary | Padre Pio | Traditional Catholic Issues And Groups | Help Save Souls: Donate |  |
The Latin Text of the Oldest Surviving Papal Decree Rejects “Baptism of Desire” - Pope St. Siricius
THE OLDEST SURVIVING PAPAL DECREE REFUTES ‘BAPTISM OF DESIRE’
In AD 385 Pope St. Siricius issued a decree to Himerius of Tarragona. Pope St. Siricius’ decree to Himerius is actually the oldest completely-preserved papal decree in existence. There were papal decrees before Siricius’ time (Siricius makes reference to them), but his decree is the oldest one that has been completely preserved. Pope St. Siricius declared that his decree applies to all the bishops:
In the decree, Pope St. Siricius makes striking statements on the necessity of infant baptism and adult baptism. He also explicitly and completely rejects the concept of baptism of desire. An examination of the Latin text demonstrates without any doubt that Pope St. Siricius (and the teaching of the Catholic Church) contradicted the idea of baptism of desire.
Siricius refers to the discipline of baptizing adult converts at Paschal time. Paschal time is when the Resurrection is celebrated. Since Baptism is the rising from the state of condemnation to new life in Christ (see Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:3-4; etc.), it became customary to celebrate the baptism of adult converts at Paschal time, after the unbaptized catechumens had undergone a period of testing and instruction in preparation for the Christian life. As this decree and others clearly prove, the custom of delaying adult baptisms until Paschal time was not incompatible with the position – and the Church’s infallible teaching – that all those preparing for Baptism would indeed be lost if they died before receiving it. No one can be saved without Baptism, as Jesus declared in John 3:5 and the Church infallibly teaches. God can and will keep good-willed and sincere souls alive until Baptism. He is in control.
The practice of baptizing adult converts at Paschal time (and the custom of an extended catechumenate) was a disciplinary one. It was not a requirement of Apostolic Tradition, as we see in Acts chapter 8. There we read that Philip baptized the Eunuch of Candace after a very brief discussion of the basics of the Christian faith. While declaring that the holy Paschal observance is to be continued, Siricius adds that if these unbaptized catechumens find themselves in any necessity at all (in qualibet necessitate), they are to be baptized with all celerity – that is, with all swiftness or right away. He then explains why he’s insistent on this point. He declares that they must be baptized right away in any kind of necessity, “lest it should tend to the perdition of our souls if the saving font be denied to those desiring it and every single one of them exiting this world lose both the Kingdom and life.” Obviously, that contradicts the concept of ‘baptism of desire.’ The pope teaches that all those who desire water baptism, but die without receiving it, will not be saved.
In the Latin of the decree we find the word “desiderantibus”. That’s the plural present participle in the dative case of the verb desidero (I desire or want). Here, desiderantibus literally means: “to those desiring”. The decree thus speaks directly about unbaptized catechumens desiring water baptism. In that sentence we also find “negato… fonte salutari”. That’s an ablative absolute – that is, a clause generally consisting of a noun and a modifying participle in the ablative case. Here the noun is “fonte,” from fons, meaning: a fountain; a spring; a font. “Fonte” refers to the font of baptism. “Salutari” (which means saving) is fonte’s accompanying adjective in this sentence. “Fonte salutari” means: “with the saving font”. “Negato” is a perfect passive participle. It’s from the verb nego: I deny or refuse. Here “negato,” a perfect passive participle in the ablative case, means “having been denied”. So, “negato… fonte salutari,” the ablative absolute, literally means: “with the saving font having been denied”; or, it could be translated into more flowing English as: “if the saving font be denied”. Denied to whom? The pope says, “desiderantibus,” to those desiring it.
So, the decree deals directly with cases in which the Sacrament of Baptism is being withheld from, or denied to, those who desire it (those who want it). In fact, in these paragraphs the Pope uses numerous verbs to describe the situation in which people would ask for or even beg for baptism (e.g. poposcerint; expetitae). Yet they would all be lost, he teaches, if they don’t get it. The fact is that if someone is of good will, God will keep that person alive until Baptism.
He is a good, all-powerful, and just God. But the Pope’s decree, and the Church’s teaching, make it clear that no one is saved without water baptism, even those who desire it. Moreover, I find it particularly interesting that the decree happens to use desiderantibus – a participle form of desidero. As an etymology will show, desidero is the verb from which we get the English verb ‘desire’. There are numerous Latin verbs that could be used to convey the concept of how one intends, wants or desires something. In fact, Siricius uses a number of them in addition to desidero (i.e. poposcerint; expetitae). Yet, desidero most precisely matches our English verb ‘desire’. If we understand ‘baptism of desire’ as ‘baptism by desiring’, one can see the precise connection between the Pope’s reference to desiderantibus and the concept of ‘baptism of desire’ - a concept his decree directly rejects.
In other words, it's not just a coincidence that Siricius’ decree uses a participle of desidero. God made sure the decree would employ a word that precisely matches our English verb ‘desire’ so that the idea of ‘baptism of desire’ would be directly rejected in the oldest surviving papal decree. Siricius was a father of the Church. He was a saint, and (most importantly for this particular point) he was a pope. He had the authority of St. Peter and his legitimate successors. His decree proves that the early Church rejected the idea of baptism of desire. Even though the meaning of his decree is quite clear, some obstinate proponents of baptism of desire are so dishonest that they actually claim that his decree does not contradict baptism of desire. A few even have the audacity to claim that his decree teaches ‘baptism of desire’ simply because it mentions the word desire. Many of them even have the audacity to claim that no father, saint or pope rejected the idea of baptism of desire. Their claims are untrue and demolished by the facts. Siricius’ decree by itself – and there are many other points we could bring forward – proves that the early Church rejected baptism of desire. Siricius also describes water baptism as the “unico credulitatis auxilio,” that is, “the unique help of faith or belief”.
THE POPE EVEN MENTIONS ACCIDENTS, UNEXPECTED EVENTS, ETC. – THE VERY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH PEOPLE CLAIM A ‘BAPTISM OF DESIRE’ WOULD MOST PARTICULARLY APPLY – AND HE DENIES THE IDEA OF BAPTISM OF DESIRE IN THAT VERY CONTEXT
In these passages the pope also speaks of how such people, who desire water baptism, might be in the peril of a shipwreck, an enemy incursion, an illness or something similar. It could be a sudden or unexpected event that comes upon them. He refers to various necessities and any kind of bodily sickness.
Yet, what does he say about the fate of unbaptized catechumens in such circumstances – people who desire Baptism but die without having received it? He teaches that all of them lose the Kingdom and life if they exit this world without water baptism.
He uses the word “unusquisque”, which means “every single one of them”. This indicates that there are no exceptions in this matter. The Latin word “quisque” means “each one”. “Unusquisque” is a strengthened form of the word meaning “every single one”. Siricius’ use of this word (in this context) shows that he did not believe in “baptism of desire”. If Siricius thought that some unbaptized catechumens could be saved without baptism, he would have mentioned the idea of “baptism of desire” or expressed that only some of them might be lost. Instead, he uses a word meaning “every single one” (unusquisque) to indicate that the denial of baptism would result in the loss of salvation for every single person.
SIRICIUS ALSO DECLARES THAT WATER BAPTISM IS THE “UNICO CREDULITATIS AUXILIO” (THE UNIQUE HELP OF FAITH): THE ONLY WAY TO BE SAVED
In the next paragraph, the Pope emphasizes that water baptism is their only help, their only way to be saved, whether they are infants or people who desire Baptism and find themselves in danger, in accidents, etc.
He refers to water baptism as the “unico credulitatis auxilio,” that is, “the unique help of faith or belief”. Credulitatis, meaning of faith or of belief, is the genitive form of credulitas (faith or belief). According to the pope’s teaching, receiving the Sacrament of Baptism is the unique help of faith. Receiving it is the first condition, and the only way, to be saved through the faith, as Scripture also teaches.
There is no such thing as a belief or faith (a credulitas) that can bring a person to salvation without water baptism. It is the only way that one receives the true, saving faith. That’s why the Church has also taught that only those who have received the Sacrament of Baptism are part of the faithful. The words “unico auxilio” are in the ablative case. They are an ablative of means connected with “subveniri”, which here means: “to be relieved”. Siricius says that those in any necessity who beg for the Sacrament of Baptism are to be relieved “unico auxilio,” by the unique help “credulitatis” (of belief). Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism is the only way for them to be saved.
THE UNIQUE HELP EXCLUDES OTHER WAYS OF SALVATION AND OTHER SO-CALLED “BAPTISMS”
“Unico,” which is a form of “unicus,” means: “unique; one-and-only; peerless; unparalleled”. There can be no alternatives, no other kinds of baptism. Receiving water baptism is the only way to be saved – for infants, for those who desire it, for those who are in any kind of predicament, necessity, accident, illness, etc. That’s the teaching of Pope St. Siricius. That’s the teaching of the Catholic Church. That’s what we find in every single infallible and dogmatic decree to the universal Church on the issue, even though God allowed errors to be taught on this matter in fallible sources and by fallible men.
CONCLUSION
Siricius’ document is a decree from an early Church pope and saint in which he invokes his supreme authority and applies his decree to the universal Church. Siricius declares that “all priests should maintain” (omnes teneant sacerdotes) his rule, “who do not want to be torn from the solidity of the apostolic rock upon which Christ constructed His universal Church” (qui nolunt ab apostolicae petrae, super quam Christus universalem construxit Ecclesiam, soliditate divelli).[5] In fact, he makes this declaration in the very paragraph that rejects “baptism of desire”! His decree is the highest and most authoritative decree a pope can issue on a matter of Church law. The official teaching of Pope St. Siricius in this document contradicts “baptism of desire”.
[1] J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 13:1146
[2] Detlev Jasper and Horst Fuhrmann, Papal Letters in The Early Middle Ages, The Catholic University of America Press, 2001, p. 21.
[3] Detlev Jasper and Horst Fuhrmann, Papal Letters in The Early Middle Ages, p. 40.
[4] J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 13:1134-1135
[5] J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 13:1136
Sign up for our free e-mail list to see future vaticancatholic.com videos and articles.
Recent Content
^