Is Feeneyism Catholic? - Society of St. Pius X

T HE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH 65
second will also have to suffer, but less, because it was not so
much through wickedness as through folly that they wrought
their failure; and that the third will be neither glorified nor punished
by the righteous Judge, as unsealed and yet not wicked, but
persons who have suffered rather than done wrong. For not every
one who is not bad enough to be punished is good enough
to be honored; just as not every one who is not good enough to
be honored is bad enough to be punished. And I look upon it as
well from another point of view. If you judge the murderously
disposed man by his will alone, apart from the act of murder,
then you may reckon as baptized him who desired baptism apart
from the reception of baptism. But if you cannot do the one how
can you do the other? I cannot see it. Or, if you like, we will put
it thus: If desire in your opinion has equal power with actual
baptism, then judge in the same way in regard to glory, and you
may be content with longing for it, as if that were itself glory.
And what harm is done you by your not attaining the actual glory,
as long as you have the desire for it?
§24: Therefore since you have heard these words, come forward
to it, and be enlightened. 96
The whole discourse is an exhortation to receive baptism.
One must remember that, after the end of the persecutions, there
were many converts; but, with less fervor than in previous times,
some of these converts were falling into grievous sins and they
found out that the Church was asking severe penances for these
sins. So some thought it easier to wait as catechumens, and to be
baptized later in life. St. Augustine is an example of this bad habit:
he was a catechumen in his youth, but put it off and then fell into
heresy (Manicheism), until the grace of God and the prayers and
tears of his mother drew him back to the Church. Hence one
finds in many Fathers of the fourth century such exhortations not
to delay baptism. The first sentence of §24 has been put here precisely
to show that such is the context of this sermon.
A superficial reading may lead one to think St. Gregory is
against baptism of desire, but after reflection, one sees that, far
from being against, he rather sets the very principles of Baptism of
Desire. Indeed, the Church teaches that not any desire of baptism
is sufficient for baptism of desire, but rather a firm resolution that
only necessity prevents from execution. With this simple distinc-
96 Discourse No.40, On Baptism.