Combined Articles: Anti-Feeneyite Catechism & Baptism of Desire by Most Rev. Donald J. Sanborn
In the late 1940’s, a certain Fr. Leonard Feeney, S.J., a priest functioning in the Archdiocese of Boston, published articles and books declaring that the Catholic Church never taught the doctrine of baptism of blood and baptism of desire. Reacting to the nascent ecumenism and liberalism of Cardinal Cushing, he held that unless someone were baptized with the baptism of water, he could not be saved. He and his followers also said that the Church’s doctrine, that outside the Church there is no salvation, means that those who do not externally belong to the Catholic Church are necessarily going to hell.
The Catholic Church never said or taught the doctrines of Fr. Feeney. The Catholic Church has universally taught and teaches that there is a baptism of blood and a baptism of desire, and that those who are invincibly ignorant of the truth of the Catholic Faith are not guilty of the personal sin of infidelity in their failure to embrace the Catholic Faith.Fr. Feeney’s error was condemned by the Holy Office in 1949, under the reign of Pius XII.
In the late 1940’s, a certain Fr. Leonard Feeney, S.J., a priest functioning in the Archdiocese of Boston, published articles and books declaring that the Catholic Church never taught the doctrine of baptism of blood and baptism of desire. Reacting to the nascent ecumenism and liberalism of Cardinal Cushing, he held that unless someone were baptized with the baptism of water, he could not be saved. He and his followers also said that the Church’s doctrine, that outside the Church there is no salvation, means that those who do not externally belong to the Catholic Church are necessarily going to hell.
The Catholic Church never said or taught the doctrines of Fr. Feeney. The Catholic Church has universally taught and teaches that there is a baptism of blood and a baptism of desire, and that those who are invincibly ignorant of the truth of the Catholic Faith are not guilty of the personal sin of infidelity in their failure to embrace the Catholic Faith.Fr. Feeney’s error was condemned by the Holy Office in 1949, under the reign of Pius XII.
In the late 1940’s, a certain Fr. Leonard Feeney, S.J., a priest functioning in the Archdiocese of Boston, published articles and books declaring that the Catholic Church never taught the doctrine of baptism of blood and baptism of desire. Reacting to the nascent ecumenism and liberalism of Cardinal Cushing, he held that unless someone were baptized with the baptism of water, he could not be saved. He and his followers also said that the Church’s doctrine, that outside the Church there is no salvation, means that those who do not externally belong to the Catholic Church are necessarily going to hell.
The Catholic Church never said or taught the doctrines of Fr. Feeney. The Catholic Church has universally taught and teaches that there is a baptism of blood and a baptism of desire, and that those who are invincibly ignorant of the truth of the Catholic Faith are not guilty of the personal sin of infidelity in their failure to embrace the Catholic Faith.Fr. Feeney’s error was condemned by the Holy Office in 1949, under the reign of Pius XII.