Baptism

[John Paul]

I f someone who is not baptised be able to go to Heaven or because of Original Sin can they not. I was looking in a book today but it didn't make sense.

[Little Flower]

Hi John Paul,

First and foremost, we trust in the mercy of God. The Catholic Church teaches in union with scripture that baptism is necessary for salvation. Baptism cleanses us from all sin, both Original Sin and any sins we have committed. It initiates a relationship with God that makes us his sons and daughters. It places within our souls the life of God known as sanctifying grace. It is through baptism that we receive the graces of the death of Christ on the cross, the graces that enable us to be saved.

So, since it is through baptism that we receive the benefit of Christ's death on the cross, it is clearly necessary for our salvation. However, that baptism can take multiple forms. The primary form is what you would probably think of, baptism by water, which most of us received either as infants or adults when we were received into the Church. However, the Church also recognizes that the mercy of God extends to those who, through no fault of their own, have not been baptized. God will not withhold his mercy from those who seek after him with a sincere heart. They may be considered to have received the graces of baptism through what we term baptism of desire.

In short, yes, it is possible for someone who has not been baptized to be saved.

The Catechism explains it like this:

Quote

 

VI. THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM

1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.⁶⁰ He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.⁶¹ Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.⁶² The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

1258 The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.

1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

1260 "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."⁶³ Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"⁶⁴ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism

 

If you are interested, the full section on Baptism can be read here: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm