Brother in Christ George,
I apologize for my lack of clarity. I did not mean to insinuate that is why Milla's brother-in-law baptizes these children; I think it is a laudable thing for him to do, most assuredly. I am merely curious as to the question of what would happen to a child who, say, died before he could perform even an arial baptism. What do the Fathers say? And how does that, as Phil has pointed out, reconcile with the Roman Catholic doctrine of "baptism of desire"?
Schultz wrote:I am merely curious as to the question of what would happen to a child who, say, died before he could perform even an arial baptism. What do the Fathers say? And how does that, as Phil has pointed out, reconcile with the Roman Catholic doctrine of "baptism of desire"?
Dear in Christ Shultz,
What I do know is that the Fathers reject the RC doctrine of "limbo"- i.e. that infants who die without baptism go to some intermediate state between heaven and hell which is not purgatory. This is based on the false belief that the guilt of the Ancesteral (or 'Original' )Sin of Adam was passed on to his descendants. We have inherited the consequences, but not the guilt of the Ancesteral Sin. This is why, from an Orthodox perspective, the RC doctrine of the "Immaculate Conception" of the Theotokos is seen as a "stupid solution to a non existant problem". Both the Theotokos and Christ inherited the consequences of the Ancestral sin as we do. If They had not, then neither of Them would have experienced bodily suffering and death, since these are consequences of the Ancestral Sin. We know that Christ is "a man like us in all things except sin." Like us, He lived on Earth under the conditions caused by the Fall of Adam. If the Theotokos inherited the consequences of Ancestral Sin, so did Christ. There is no problem here, because there is no "sin" in simply being born human. There is a problem from an RC and some protestant points of view since "Original Sin" carries guilt according to them. Therefore, without baptism, this "guilt" of sin cannot be removed, and they therefore cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
According to Orthodox doctrine, as a result of the Fall, we are "under wrath" and inclined towards adding our own evil deeds to the sin of Adam; St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. John Chryssostom and St. Photios among other Fathers have said this. It was only Blessed Augustine who said that the inheritance of the Ancestral Sin carries with it a natural moral culpability. In effect, this is to say that Mankind inherits a "natural sin" or "sin of nature"- this is the Manichean Heresy condemned by the Church. According to Orthodox doctrine, sin is always a personal act and not a property of the human nature- which is created by God and is therefore naturally good.
Original Sin makes us corruptable, but it does not make us corrupted. If an innocent dies without baptism, there is no reason they cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
George
"As long as it depends on Monothelitism, then Miaphysitism is nothing but a variant of Monophysitism."
Dear brothers,
I think that the reason of this thread was the arial baptism, that was perhaps neglected for other question.
This Aerobáptisma as the Greek Church named it, is performed (as I know) when for one reason there are an urgency for perform the Baptism and there are not water at hand for him. The Priest or other Orthodox person raised the infant and pronounced the baptismal words. If the person is an adult catechumen is lifted and the words pronounced.
In the Lord,
Giorgos
¡SEÑOR JESUCRISTO TEN PIEDAD DE MÍ PECADOR!
