Is Feeneyism Catholic? - Society of St. Pius X

T HE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH 61
ST. AMBROSE (3RD CENTURY)
The Empress Justina was Arian and had violently opposed St.
Ambrose. At her death in 388, her young son Valentinian II was
given in the care of the Catholic emperor Theodosius; he became
a Catholic catechumen. In May 392, he wrote to St. Ambrose,
begging him to come and see him in Vienne (France). “Come and
give me Baptism, before my expedition against the barbarians!”
But his military officer Arbogast had him assassinated, and sent
his dead body to Milan! 86 St. Ambrose preached for the burial:
But I hear you lamenting because he had not received the
sacraments of Baptism. Tell me, what else could we have, except
the will to it, the asking for it? He too had just now this desire;
and after he came into Italy it was begun, and a short time ago
he signified that he wished to be baptized by me. Did he, then,
not have the grace which he desired? Did he not have what he
eagerly sought? Certainly, because he sought it, he received it
(see Mt. 7:7). Otherwise, why would it be written: “But the just
man, if he be prevented with death, shall be in rest (Wis. 4:7)?” 87
Note how St. Ambrose based his teaching on the Scriptures,
as do all the Fathers and Doctors. So much so for those who pretend
that baptism of blood or of desire have “no scriptural foundation.”
88
Though very small in itself, this text of St. Ambrose is very
important because it is quoted approvingly by almost every single
Doctor or theologian (even Pope Innocent III) when speaking on
Baptism of Desire.
Sometimes the followers of Fr. Feeney belittle this passage:
“with Baptism, he [Fr. Feeney] found it necessary to improve
upon the teaching of some of the Doctors....Their words of assurance
to worried catechumens can hardly be lifted up as part of the
deposit of faith.” 89 If this were true, then the Fathers were giving a
false “assurance to worried catechumens”! But to deny the explicit
teaching of the Fathers and the Doctors, that is not to improve on
them, but rather to be unfaithful to them. In another letter, the
86 Fr. F. Mourret, Histoire Générale de l’Eglise, p.328.
87 R.J., No.1328.
88 Desire and Deception, p.23.
89 Bro. Michael, MICM, letter of 3rd March 1986, p.6.