Can Unbaptized People be Saved?
Is there hope for unborn children and adult catechumens who die without baptism? What about non-christian people who die outside the Church?
Is it possible for unbaptized people to enter heaven? Or is baptism absolutely necessary, without exception? When an unborn baby dies, or a faithful adult catechumen dies before receiving baptism, are they without hope? Or does God give them the gift of baptismal grace, even though they were unable to receive the sacrament? Is there any hope for non-christian people who die outside the Church?
There is a short answer, and there is a long answer. For the short answer, we will simply say, "Yes, there is hope," and we will present a list of quotes from numerous Orthodox Saints and hierarchs who have taught about God’s mercy in such situations. After presenting this list, we will proceed with the long answer.
"I hear you express grief because he did not receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Tell me, what else is there in us except the will and petition? But he had long desired to be initiated before he came to Italy, and expressed his intention to be baptized by me as soon as possible, and it was for this reason, more than for any other, that he hastened to me. Has he not therefore, the grace which he desired? Has he not received that for which he asked? Surely, he received [it] because he asked [for it]." 1
— St. Ambrose of Milan
"He who wants to do something and cannot is, in the eyes of God who sees our hearts, as though he has done it. This should be understood as being so in relation to good and evil alike."
— St. Mark the Ascetic
"True living faith, even if a person only confesses it with his lips, brings him salvation. It gave salvation to the thief on the cross; it gave salvation through repentance to many sinners in the last minutes of their life." 2
— St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
"In the case of children, without sin at the age of five or four, but being the offspring of Jews or unbaptized, where do we want to say that they go [when dying], to condemnation or to Paradise? . . . my opinion is that they will not enter hell." 3
— St. Anastasios of Sinai
"the thief [on the cross] . . . though he was not baptized, [was told] 'Today shall you be with me in Paradise.' . . . It was shown, therefore, in the case of that thief, how great is the power, even without the visible sacrament of baptism, of what the apostle says, 'With the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' " 4
— St. Augustine
"I find that not only martyrdom for the sake of Christ may supply what was wanting of Baptism, but also faith and conversion of heart, if recourse can not be had to the celebration of the mystery of Baptism for want of time." 5
— St. Augustine
"I do not hesitate for a moment to place the Catholic catechumen, who is burning with love for God, before the baptized heretic... we acknowledge that some catechumens are better and more faithful than some baptized persons. For the centurion Cornelius, before baptism, was better than Simon, who had been baptized. For Cornelius, even before his baptism, was filled with the Holy Spirit" 6
— St. Augustine
"Remember, O Lord of Mankind, the souls of Thy servants who have departed — the babies who in the womb of their Orthodox mothers died accidentally from unknown actions, or from a difficult birth, or from some carelessness, and therefore did not accept the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. Baptize them, O Lord, in the sea of Thy compassions and save them with Thy ineffable grace." 7
— Synodikon of Metropolitan Gregory of Novgorod and St. Petersburg (+1860)
"O Christ our God . . . who has descended into Hell and shattered the eternal bars, revealing the way of ascent for those who dwell in that lower world . . . on this final and saving festival, thou art pleased to accept intercessory propitiation on behalf of those held fast in Hell, and thou dost grant to us great hopes that thou wilt send down on them relaxation of their torments and consolation." 8
— Kneeling Vespers on Pentecost Sunday
"some of the saints, who prayed not only for the faithful, but also for the wicked, were heard and with their prayers rescued them from eternal torment, as for example the First Martyr Thekla rescued Falconila, and St.Gregory, as the story goes, rescued King Trajan." 9
— St. Mark of Ephesus
"some [unbaptized] souls, condemned to eternal confinement in the torments of hell, are nevertheless freed from the torments of hell by the bold and effective prayers of certain holy men... and are granted a blessed life." 10
— St. Gennadius Scholarius
"[Saint] Patrick then brought to life the dead man... Patrick baptized him, and he went again to his grave." 11
— Tripartite Life of St. Patrick
"a third kind of baptism is by tears" 12
— The Earliest Life of St. Gregory the Great
"the soul of Emperor Trajan was refreshed and even baptised by St Gregory's tears, a story marvellous to tell and marvellous to hear... he went to St. Peter's Church and wept floods of tears, as was his custom, until he gained at last by divine revelation the assurance that his prayers were answered" 13
— The Earliest Life of St. Gregory the Great
"Did not the first female martyr (Thecla) save Falconilla after death? But you will say that she was worthy to do so, since she was the first female martyr, and it was fitting that her prayer be heard. But I say to you, yes she was the first female martyr, but look at the sort of person for whom she made the request: a pagan idol worshipper, an altogether unholy servant of another lord!" 14
— St. John of Damascus
"For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the just... Thecla, come and pray for my child, that she may live for ever; for this I saw in my sleep. And she, nothing hesitating, lifted up her voice, and said: God most high, grant to this woman according to her wish, that her daughter Falconilla may live forever.... And Tryphæna having received the good news, went to meet the holy Thecla, and said: Now I believe that the dead are raised: now I believe that my child lives." 15
— The Acts of Paul and Thecla
"And behold, some of the saints who prayed not only for the faithful, but even for the impious, were heard and by their prayers rescued them from eternal torment, as for example the First Woman-martyr Thecla rescued Falconila, and the divine Gregory the Dialogist, as it is related, rescued the Emperor Trajan... it is evident that this deliverance from hell was the fruit of St. Gregory’s own personal prayer. Although this is a rare occurrence, it gives hope to those who have dear ones who have died outside the faith." 16
— St. Seraphim of Platina 17
"Ancient Russia, with all the strictness of its attitude to the dead, found it possible to pray not only for the conversion of the living to the true faith, but also for the the dead belonging to another faith to be delivered from torment. In doing so the Church resorted to the intercession of the holy martyr Varus... the canon asks for the intercession of the holy martyr before the Lord for the forgiveness and the remission of His righteous wrath for those who are afflicted by dark evil belief: our forebears who died in impiety, heresy, or even paganism." 18
— St. Athanasius the Confessor, Bishop of Kovrov
Numerous Orthodox Saints have gone to great lengths to stress the importance and necessity of baptism. The vast majority of the time, this happens when we are baptized in water, in church, by a priest. This is the normal way. Nevertheless, there are occasional exceptions. There are many types of baptism, each of which have been endorsed by various saints and holy elders of the Church:
baptism by water
baptism by blood (martyrdom)
baptism by desire (catechumens)
water baptism after death (after being resurrected)
baptism by tears (fervent prayers for the dead)
Of course, it would be very foolish to intentionally delay baptism until after death, in hopes of receiving an unusual form of baptism. Such a plan would be presumptuous and extremely risky. If at all possible, it is crucial to receive traditional trinitarian baptism in water by the hands of a canonical Orthodox priest.
Nevertheless, there are unfortunate situations where a loved one dies without baptism, and those still living may wonder whether there remains any hope, or whether our prayers can still benefit our departed loved ones. Thankfully, the Saints give us an encouraging "Yes" in response to this question. There is hope. Even if a person dies without receiving water baptism, he may receive some other form of baptism and still be saved.
Baptism by Blood
Some of the Orthodox Church’s most beloved saints are blessed martyrs who willingly gave up their lives for the sake of Christ. Many of these martyrs were put to death before they had the opportunity to be baptized in water, yet they are still glorified as saints and recognized as exemplary members of the Church. What they lacked in regard to water baptism, they gained by martyrdom. This is often called a "baptism by blood."
Baptism by Desire
What if a person becomes a catechumen, with the intention of joining the Church, but then he dies before baptism? Of course, we need to take into account the state of his soul just prior to death. A catechumen might be lazy, unspiritual, or immoral, causing him to miss out on receiving baptism before death. He may disdain baptism, delaying it for no good reason, against his priest’s wishes. He might commit some mortal sin, resulting in death before baptism. Of course it would be fearful to die under such circumstances.
But what if a catechumen is living a holy life, faithfully following the teachings of Christ, eagerly looking forward to baptism, and then dies unexpectedly? Is he lost without hope? Or does God see the person’s desire for baptism, and grant Him salvation accordingly?
St. Augustine (+430) — one of the most ardent advocates of the necessity of baptism — says that the mercy of God prevails in such cases:
"I find that not only martyrdom for the sake of Christ may supply what was wanting of Baptism, but also faith and conversion of heart, if recourse can not be had to the celebration of the mystery of Baptism for want of time." 19
"the thief [on the cross] . . . though he was not baptized, [was told] 'Today shall you be with me in Paradise.' . . . It was shown, therefore, in the case of that thief, how great is the power, even without the visible sacrament of baptism, of what the apostle says, 'With the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' " 20
"I do not hesitate for a moment to place the Catholic catechumen, who is burning with love for God, before the baptized heretic... we acknowledge that some catechumens are better and more faithful than some baptized persons. For the centurion Cornelius, before baptism, was better than Simon, who had been baptized. For Cornelius, even before his baptism, was filled with the Holy Spirit" 21
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867), one of Russia’s greatest nineteenth century saints, fully agrees with St. Augustine on this point. He recognizes that last minute conversions do sometimes occur, when a person gains true faith in Christ, but has no opportunity for baptism prior to death. In such situations, he says that faith alone is sufficient for salvation:
"True living faith, even if a person only confesses it with his lips, brings him salvation. It gave salvation to the thief on the cross; it gave salvation through repentance to many sinners in the last minutes of their life." 22
St. Mark the Ascetic has a similar understanding. If you truly desire to be united with Christ in baptism, then God will account you as having done so. In a passage of Early Fathers from the Philokalia, he says:
"He who wants to do something and cannot is, in the eyes of God who sees our hearts, as though he has done it. This should be understood as being so in relation to good and evil alike."
St. Ambrose (+397) tells us of a catechumen who died, and whose lack of water baptism did not hinder his entrance into heaven. St. Ambrose was bishop of Milan, and he performed a full Orthodox funeral for Valentinian II (+392), an unbaptized emperor. The following is an excerpt from St. Ambrose’s funeral oration for him. At the time of his death, he had requested for Ambrose himself to baptize him — but before the bishop could arrive or the emperor could travel to Italy, Valentinian was murdered. In Ambrose’s consolation, he declares the hope of Valentinian’s desire for the Sacrament. This demonstrates both the Church’s firm belief in baptismal regeneration and its necessity, and in God’s mercy upon those who failed to be baptized:
But I hear that you grieve because he did not receive the sacrament of baptism. Tell me: What else is in your power other than the desire, the request? But he even had this desire for a long time, that, when he should come into Italy, he would be initiated, and recently he signified his desire to be baptized by me, and for this reason above all others he thought that I ought to be summoned. Has he not, then, the grace which he desired; has he not the grace which he requested? And because he asked, he received, and therefore it is said: ‘By whatsoever death the just man shall be overtaken, his soul shall be at rest’ (Wisdom 4:7).
Grant, therefore, O holy Father, to Thy servant the gift which Moses received, because he saw in spirit; the gift which David merited, because he knew from revelation. Grant, I pray, to Thy servant Valentinian the gift which he longed for, the gift which he requested while in health, vigor, and security. If, stricken with sickness, he had deferred it, he would not be entirely without Thy mercy who has been cheated by the swiftness of time, not by his own wish. Grant, therefore, to Thy servant the gift of Thy grace which he never rejected … He who had Thy Spirit, how has he not received Thy grace?
Or if the fact disturbs you that the mysteries have not been solemnly celebrated, then you should realize that not even martyrs are crowned if they are catechumens, for they are not crowned if they are not initiated. But if they are washed in their own blood, his piety and his desire have washed him, also.
Do not, I beseech, O Lord, separate him from his brother, do not break the yoke of this pious relationship. Now Gratian, already Thine, and vindicated by Thy judgment, is in further peril, if he be separated from his brother, if he deserve not to be with him through whom he has deserved to be vindicated. … Your father also is present [Valentinian I], who under Julian spurned imperial service and the honors of the tribunate out of his love for the faith. Give to the father his son, to the brother his brother, both of whom he imitated, the one by his faith, the other equally by his devotion and piety…
Offer the holy mysteries with your hands, with devoted love let us ask for his repose. Offer the heavenly sacraments, let us accompany the soul of our son with our oblations. ‘Lift up with me, O people, your hands to the holy place’ (Psalm 133(134):2), so that at least through this service we may repay him for his deserts. Not with flowers shall I sprinkle his grave, but I shall bedew his spirit with the odor of Christ. Let others scatter lilies in basketfuls. Christ is our lily, and with this lily I shall bless his remains, with this I shall recommend for his favor. 23
In this passage, St. Ambrose says the catechumen Valentinian has received the baptismal grace that he desired, and that "his piety and his desire" have united him with Christ, on equal footing with unbaptized catechumens who became martyrs and were "washed in their own blood". If the catechumen Valentinian has not been crowned in heaven as one of the faithful, then "not even martyrs are crowned", according to St. Ambrose. Thus the saint puts baptism of desire on equal footing with baptism by blood.
Water Baptism After Death
Though the Orthodox Church does not allow the water baptism of dead people, there are no canonical prohibitions to raising someone from the dead and then baptizing them. St. Patrick (+461), the Orthodox patron saint of Ireland, is on record as having done just that:
Once, as [Saint] Patrick was travelling in the plains of the son of Erc, namely in Dichuil and Erchuil, he beheld therein a huge grave. . . . Patrick then brought to life the dead man who was biding in the grave, and asked tidings of him, namely, when and how [he got there], and of what race and of what name he was. He answered Patrick saying, "I am Cass, son of Glass; and I was the swineherd of Lugar, king of Irauta; and Macc Con's soldiery slew me in the reign of Coirpre Niafer. A hundred years have I been here today." Patrick baptized him, and he went again to his grave.24
St. Augustine (+430) tells us how St. Stephen raised an infant from death for a similar purpose:
The miracle at Uzalis of an infant restored to life just long enough for it to be baptized...
There was a woman whose son died in her arms, an infant at the breast, still a catechumen... Filled with a feeling of confidence, she picked up the dead child and hurried off to the shrine of the blessed martyr Stephen, and began to demand her son back from him... While she was praying in these and similar terms, and her tears were not asking but, as I said, demanding to be heard, her son came back to life... She took him straightaway to the presbyters, he was baptized, sanctified, anointed, hands were laid on him; when all the sacraments were completed, he was taken from her. She, for her part, conducted his funeral with such a tranquil expression that it seemed she was laying him, not in the silence of the grave, but in the lap of the martyr Stephen.25
Baptism by Tears
St. Gregory the Great (+604) provides us with a remarkable historical account, which has captured the hearts and minds of saints in both the east and west for over a thousand years. In the Early Life of St. Gregory the Great, quoted here by St. Seraphim Rose (+1982), we read about St. Gregory’s fervent prayers for a pagan emperor who had died unbaptized, and about his success in rescuing him from hell:
'Some of our people tell a story related by the Romans of how the soul of Emperor Trajan was refreshed and even baptised by St Gregory's tears, a story marvellous to tell and marvellous to hear. Let no one be surprised that we say he was baptised, for without baptism none will ever see God; and a third kind of baptism is by tears. One day as he was crossing the Forum, a magnificent piece of work for which Trajan is said to have been responsible, he found on examining it carefully that Trajan, though a pagan, had done a deed so charitable that it seemed more likely to have been the deed of a Christian than of a pagan. For it is related that, as he was leading his army in great haste against the enemy, he was moved to pity by the words of a widow, and the emperor of the whole world came to a halt. She said, "Lord Trajan, here are the men who killed my son and are unwilling to pay me recompense." He answered, "Tell me about it when I return and I will make them recompense you." But she replied, "Lord, if you never return, there will be no one to help me." Then, armed as he was, he made the defendants pay forthwith with the compensation they owed her, in his presence.
When Gregory discovered the story, he recognised that this was just what we read about in the Bible, "Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord." Since Gregory did not know what to do to comfort the soul of this man who brought the words of Christ to his mind, he went to St. Peter's Church and wept floods of tears, as was his custom, until he gained at last by divine revelation the assurance that his prayers were answered, seeing that he had never presumed to ask this for any other pagan.' 26
It is important to understand that different saints have used the phrase "baptism by tears" in various ways. In many cases, they refer to the sacrament of confession as a "baptism of tears" and as a "second baptism". In that context, they are talking about the everyday experiences of Orthodox Christians, partaking of church life in a normal manner.
Of course, in the above passage about St. Gregory, the phrase "baptism by tears" cannot be a reference to the sacrament of confession, because it concerns a man who died outside the Church, never having partaken of any sacraments. In this case, the "baptism by tears" is a reference to the baptismal grace God mercifully granted to Trajan, as a result of the many tears which St. Gregory shed while praying for him.
St. Gennadius Scholarius (+1473), in his treatise "On the Middle State of Souls and Against Purgatory" speaks of Trajan's inheritance of "blessed life":
"But it also happens very rarely that some souls, condemned to eternal confinement in the torments of hell, are nevertheless freed from the torments of hell by the bold and effective prayers of certain holy men here [on earth], especially bishops, and are granted a blessed life. . . . So they tell and believe concerning emperors Trajan and Theophilus, of whom the first held pagan beliefs, and the other was an opponent of icon veneration; acceptable prayer of the Church and its ministers for Divine humanity are made by some great good deeds of the punished, as, for example, justice of the above-mentioned emperors." 27
St. Seraphim of Platina (+1982) comments on Trajan’s deliverance from hell through St. Gregory’s prayers, providing hope for those of us who would offer up similar prayers:
"Since the Church does not offer public prayers for dead non-believers, it is clear that this deliverance from hell was the fruit of the personal prayer of St. Gregory. Although this is a rare case, it gives hope to those whose loved ones died outside the faith." 28
St. Patrick (+461), patron saint of Ireland, is also known for praying for the release of souls from hell. In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, a ninth century collection of accounts from the life of the saint, we encounter the following conversation between St. Patrick and an angel:
"Is there aught else that He granteth to me besides that?" saith [Saint] Patrick.
"There is," saith the angel. "Seven persons on every Saturday till Doom (are) to be taken out of Hell's pains."
"If he should give aught to me," saith Patrick, ["let] my twelve men [be given]."
"Thou shalt have [them"], saith the angel, "and (now) get thee gone from the Rick."
"I will not get me gone," saith Patrick, "since I have been tormented, till I am blessed. Is there aught else, then, that will be given to me?" saith Patrick.
"There is," saith the angel, "thou shalt have out of [Hell's] pains seven every Thursday and twelve every Saturday; and (now) get thee gone from the Rick."
. . . "I will not get me gone," saith Patrick, "since I have been tormented, till I am blessed. Is there aught else that is granted to me?" saith Patrick.
"There is," saith the angel: "a man for every hair on thy chasuble thou shalt bring out of pains on the day of Doomsday."
"Which of the other saints who labour for God will not bring that (number) into heaven? Verily I will not take that," saith Patrick.
"Question, what wilt thou take?" saith the angel.
"Not hard to say," saith Patrick. "Seven persons for every hair that abides on the chasuble are to be taken out of Hell on the day of Doomsday."
"Thou shalt have this," saith the angel... 29
St. Thecla, the first female martyr, lived in the first century and was an associate of the apostle Paul. While she was alive, she prayed for Falconilla — a woman’s daughter who had died as an unbaptized pagan:
For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the just... Thecla, come and pray for my child, that she may live for ever; for this I saw in my sleep. And she, nothing hesitating, lifted up her voice, and said: God most high, grant to this woman according to her wish, that her daughter Falconilla may live forever.... And Tryphæna having received the good news, went to meet the holy Thecla, and said: Now I believe that the dead are raised: now I believe that my child lives.30
St. John of Damascus (+749) comments on this account of St. Thecla and Falconilla:
Did not the first female martyr (Thecla) save Falconilla after death? But you will say that she was worthy to do so, since she was the first female martyr, and it was fitting that her prayer be heard. But I say to you, yes she was the first female martyr, but look at the sort of person for whom she made the request: a pagan idol worshipper, an altogether unholy servant of another lord! 31
St. Seraphim of Platina (+1982) comments positively in regard to St. Thecla’s prayers for Falconilla, as well as St. Gregory’s prayers for Trajan:
And behold, some of the saints who prayed not only for the faithful, but even for the impious, were heard and by their prayers rescued them from eternal torment, as for example the First Woman-martyr Thecla rescued Falconila, and the divine Gregory the Dialogist, as it is related, rescued the Emperor Trajan...32 it is evident that this deliverance from hell was the fruit of St. Gregory’s own personal prayer. Although this is a rare occurrence, it gives hope to those who have dear ones who have died outside the faith.33
St. Perpetua (+203) was given two visions of her younger brother, who had died unbaptized, outside the Church. In the first vision, she saw him in hades, in torment:
I beheld Dinocrates coming forth from a dark place, where were many others also; being both hot and thirsty, his raiment foul, his color pale; and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother in the flesh, seven years old, who being diseased with ulcers of the face had come to a horrible death, so that his death was abominated of all men. For him therefore I had made my prayer; and between him and me was a great gulf, so that either might not go to the other. There was moreover, in the same place where Dinocrates was, a font full of water, having its edge higher than was the boy’s stature; and Dinocrates stretched up as though to drink. I was sorry that the font had water in it, and yet for the height of the edge he might not drink.
And I awoke, and I knew that my brother was suffering. Yet I was confident I should ease his suffering; and I prayed for him every day till we passed over into the camp prison. (For it was in the camp games that we were to fight; and the time was the feast of the Emperor Geta’s birthday.) And I prayed for him day and night with groans and tears, that he might be given me.34
Mercifully, God answered St. Perpetua’s prayers on behalf of her brother. She was then given another vision, showing her that her brother had been translated to a better place:
I saw that place which I had before seen, and Dinocrates clean of body, finely clothed, in comfort; and the font I had seen before, the edge of it being drawn to the boy’s navel; and he drew water thence which flowed without ceasing. And on the edge was a golden cup full of water; and Dinocrates came up and began to drink therefrom; which cup failed not. And being satisfied he departed away from the water and began to play as children will, joyfully.
And I awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from his pains.
St. Varus (+304) prayed for the pagan ancestors of a Christian woman named Cleopatra, and they received mercy as a result. For centuries, in private prayers at home, Orthodox Christians have asked St. Varus to pray for their relatives who have died outside the Church, pleading for God to have mercy on their souls. In Russia, there is even an orthodox church dedicated to the memory of a man who died unbaptized. Inside this church, they have icons and relics of St. Varus.35
St. Athanasius the Confessor, Bishop of Kovrov (+1962) wrote On the Commemoration of the Deceased according to the Statutes of the Orthodox Church, in which he includes the following section about St. Varus:
Canon to the Martyr Varus on the Deliverance from Torment of the Dead Belonging to Another Faith 36
Ancient Russia, with all the strictness of its attitude to the dead, found it possible to pray not only for the conversion of the living to the true faith, but also for the deliverance from torment of the dead belonging to another faith. In doing so she resorted to the intercession of the holy martyr Varus. In the ancient canons there is a special canon for this occasion, completely different from the canon in the October Menaion under the 19th. This canon is intended mainly for those whose nearest relatives or ancestors died out of communion with the Orthodox Church. In addition, it seems to have in mind that each of the Orthodox has distant ancestors who died outside the Orthodox Church, for whom, as for their forebears, it is fitting to mourn. In accordance with this, the canon asks for the intercession of the holy martyr before the Lord for the forgiveness and the remission of His righteous wrath for those who are afflicted by dark evil belief: our forebears who died in impiety, heresy, or even paganism. The reason why such a prayer is addressed specifically to the martyr Varus is the fact that he was able to beg marvelously for the kindred of Cleopatra, the beginning of our feat (i.e. prayerful appeal to the martyr Varus) - forgiveness for Cleopatra’s sake (apparently, it is assumed forgiveness for her pagan ancestors).
Hence, for this cause we pray again to thee. As you pray for the whole world, O Great Martyr, so do not cease to ask for mercy for all, and for all those who are criminals of all kinds and who have vexed and annoyed the Lord fiercely, and who have mortified themselves to the end with their dead deeds, and who are nothing from the dead (i.e., who have become no better than the dead), because they surpassed in evil. Likewise, O Passion-Bearer, intercede also for our dead relatives... falling before the Lord, that He may forgive and have mercy on those who sit in darkness. If the prophet sings of the Lord's mercies (Psalm 88:2), then we also believe that His bounties are still abundant, and therefore we ask Him: O Lamb of God, who redeemed us with Thy pure Blood, who heard the prayer of Thecla and blessed Gregory, who accepted the petition of Methodius with the many others and Macarius, who gave comfort and deliverance to the evil-doers who died, and who raised up Chrysostom and these others to write prayers — accept, O Lord, glorious Varus together with them, and by their prayers, remembered by us, forgive and have mercy.
In the above passage by St. Athanasius the Confessor, in addition to endorsing the intercession of St. Varus, he also acknowledges St. Thecla’s deliverance of Falconilla, and St. Gregory’s deliverance of Trajan.
Canonized Saints Confirming the Accuracy of these Historical Accounts
Some critics, not having thoroughly researched the writings of the Saints on this topic, occasionally question the validity of certain historical accounts, such as St. Varus praying for Cleopatra’s ancestors, or St. Gregory praying for Trajan. They sometimes make various arguments, calling certain historical documents into question.
What is often missed in the conversation, is an investigation into how various saints have received these writings. Did they see them as spurious? Or did they see them as genuine?
St. John of Damascus positively referenced the account of St. Thecla rescuing Falconilla from hell.37
St. Mark of Ephesus affirmed that St. Thecla rescued Falconilla, and St. Gregory rescued Trajan.38
St. Gennadius Scholarius made a positive reference to St. Gregory rescuing Trajan from hell.39
St. Seraphim of Platina agreed that St. Thecla rescued Falconilla, and St. Gregory rescued Trajan.40
St. Athanasius the Confessor taught that St. Thecla rescued Falconilla, St. Gregory rescued Trajan, and St. Varus rescued the pagan ancestors of Cleopatra.41
These saints spoke in favor of these historical accounts, and thus they provided us with encouragement to pray even for the unbaptized dead. If we honor and trust all of these saints, then we cannot easily dismiss the historical accounts of St. Thecla, St. Gregory, and St. Varus.
Second Chances for Those Dying in Mortal Sin
Baptism is not the only sacrament where God sometimes provides second chances for those who have died. When people die in mortal sin, not having received the sacrament of confession and absolution, there are at least some cases where God has deigned to have mercy on the fallen. Roughly parallel to what we have seen above in the baptism of desire, baptism of tears, and water baptism after death, there are similar cases where those dying without confession may yet still be saved:
by having the desire and intention to repent, at the time of death:
St. John Moschos (+619) — "One of the fathers said that in Thessalonica there was a monastery of virgins. One of them was coerced by the operation of the evil one into going out of the monastery. She went and fell into fornication by the machinations of the demon who scoffed at her until she left the monastery. Once she had fallen, she remained some time in sin then finally, undergoing a change of heart by the cooperation of God the good, she came to repentance. Re-entering her community in order to repent, she fell before the gateway of the monastery — and she died. Her death was revealed to one of the holy bishops. He saw holy angels coming to receive her soul and demons in attendance; he witnessed a dialogue taking place between them. The angels were saying: ‘She came in repentance’, but the demons said: ‘She served us so long a time she is ours’. Their altercation lasted some time and then the demons, those who obstruct the good, said: ‘She did not get as far as entering the monastery; how can you say she repented?’ In answer to this the holy angels said: ‘Insofar as God saw her intention tending in that direction, He accepted her repentance. And she was a mistress of repentance by virtue of the goal she set for herself: the Lord the and Master of all.’ Put to shame by these words, the demons withdrew." 42by the fervent intervention of a Saint:
St. Kevin of Glendalough (+618) — A certain cruel soldier had frequently perpetrated robberies among those mountain ridges. He had never done a good action but one, which was praying each day, that through St. Kevin’s merits, his soul might be saved. On a particular occasion, being surrounded by those who were in pursuit of him, he was put to death, and afterwards cut to pieces. An Angel of the Lord then appeared to [St.] Kevin saying: “A certain wretched man, who hath daily invoked thee to ward off danger from his soul, is slain on this day. Do you, therefore, act valiantly in the Lord’s name, and follow the demons who drag his soul to torments. For, although his body is destroyed, yet through the power of God, you shall snatch his soul from destruction.” Then, the holy Abbot felt comforted. Guided by the Angel, he was taken up from the earth to the higher regions of air, where he remained from the ninth hour to the following day, engaged in a contest with demons. In fine, through the Mercy of God, he release the wretched man’s soul from their power. Meantime, not knowing the cause of their holy Abbot’s absence, his monks felt sorrowful, on finding their venerable superior missing. When he returned to them, on the following day, he said: “O my brethren, bury the body of that culprit in your cemetery, for on his account, I ascended towards heaven. His soul is now liberated from the demons, and is at rest in God’s presence.” The monks did as they were commanded, while admiring those wonders wrought by the Almighty, through his holy servant.43by being raised from death, in order to gain additional time for repentance:
St. Nikolai Velimirovic (+1956) — "[Taxiotes] spent his entire life in grievous sins, but finally repented, left his military service and adopted a way of life pleasing to God. Once when he had gone with his wife to their property close to the city, he fell into adultery with the wife of his workman, and immediately after this a snake bit him and he died. He lay dead for six hours, and after that he arose and, on the fourth day, broke his silence and related how he had somehow passed through all the toll-houses until he arrived at the toll-house for adultery. There he had fallen into the dark dwelling of the demons, but was then led out by an angel who vouched for him, and had returned to the body to expiate his last sin. He lived in penitence for forty days, going from church to church and striking his head against the doors and thresholds. Weeping incessantly, he spoke of the terrible torments in which sinners lived in that world, and implored people not to sin and to repent of sins already committed. On the fortieth day he went with joy to the Kingdom of the merciful God." 44
Infants Dying Without Baptism
A common misconception is that infants are so pure that they simply don’t need baptism at all. It is assumed that they begin life in holiness, and that since they are not old enough to have committed any sin, they can easily enter the gates of heaven. Sadly, this is not the case. Such a position has been explicitly rejected by the saints. The Orthodox Church has consistently taught the necessity of baptism, even for infants:
St. Ambrose
“Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Surely, He exempts none, not even the infant, not one hindred by any necessity: but although they have a hidden immunity to punishments, I know not whether they have the honour of the Kingdom.” 45
Synod of Diapolis (415 A.D.)
Pelagius (a famous early-church heretic) was accused of spreading the false teaching that infants, even if dying unbaptized, automatically have eternal life. He publicly anathematized anyone who believes this, so this particular charge against him was dropped.46St. Nikolai Velimirovic
“How then are considered the parents who carelessly let their little ones die unbaptised?
As the killers of their own children.” 47
St. Justin Popovic
“The baptism of children, in which the recipient on behalf of the children is denied from Satan, testifies that the children are under original sin, for they are born with a nature corrupted by sin, enslaved by Satan... In Adam, human nature is corrupted by sin, subjected to death and righteously condemned, therefore all people are born from Adam in the same state. Sinful damage from Adam passes on to all his descendants through conception and birth, therefore everyone is subject to this primordial sinfulness (originis vitio), but it does not destroy in people their freedom to desire and do good and the ability for a grace-filled rebirth.” 48
Council of Carthage (A.D. 419) - Canon 110
“even infants, who could have committed as yet no sin themselves, therefore are truly baptized for the remission of sins, in order that what in them is the result of generation may be cleansed by regeneration.” 49
Message of the Eastern Patriarchs
“We believe that Holy Baptism, commanded by the Lord and performed in the name of the Holy Trinity, is necessary. For without it no one can be saved... If infants need salvation, then they also need baptism... infants are saved by baptism.” 50
Gregory, Disciple of St. Basil the New
“Then the Lord commanded to separate from the left side the blind, but who walked at the behest of God. There was neither the stamp of evil nor the stamp of good on them. The Lord looked at them and took pity on them with meekness. He turned his menacing attention to their parents, condemning them for not trying to enlighten them with Holy Baptism. And the Lord commanded His holy Angels to grant them a place of rest at noon, the West, and somewhat involved in the pleasure of eternal life, but so that they would not see the face of God... And the Lord gave them a little consolation. These were unbaptized babies. They were all the same age. They glorified the goodness of God for His mercy and entered into the rest prepared for them by the Lord.” 51
St. Macarius the Great
“And if due to some disorder the baby happens to die in the womb... then the baby passes from death to death, from darkness to darkness.” 52
St. Paisios of Mt. Athos
“I lit candles for the dead... To the left was a waterless, barren area - only rocks and rocky cliffs. This area incessantly shook from a strong roar, into which thousands of heartbreaking, heart-breaking screams merged... I heard a voice telling me: “A field sown with wheat that has not yet begun to emerge is the tomb of the souls of the dead who will be resurrected. In a place that shakes and trembles with heartbreaking screams, there are the souls of children killed by abortions.” Having experienced this, I could no longer recover from the great pain that I experienced for the souls of these children.” 53
If this was all that the saints had to say on the subject, we might be overwhelmed with absolute horror and disbelief, tempted to question the very goodness of God. If these children never even had the opportunity to receive baptism, how could they be denied entry into heaven, condemned to eternal separation from God?
Thankfully, the saints have a lot more to say on this topic, and the overall outlook turns out to be much more hopeful and encouraging. While baptism certainly confers a great benefit on an infant — instant entry into heaven — the lack of baptism does not leave an unfortunate child without hope.
In the frightening account above, told by St. Paisios, it is important to note that he does not mention any punishment from God. Multiple saints specifically tell us that unbaptized infants are not worthy of any punishment. How then could we explain the vision that was granted to St. Paisios? Remember that he saw the suffering of children who were victims of abortion. In the last moments of life, as they are being murdered in the womb, it may be that they not only feel physical pain — they may also have an intensely painful sense of being rejected by their mothers, and they may continue to suffer in this way, psychologically, during the first moments after death. Just as innocent people suffer on earth due to the sins of others, it may be that murdered infants experience a certain amount of time, during which they are able to weep and mourn over the fact that their own mothers have rejected them and murdered them.
Of course, there is no reason to believe that this process lasts indefinitely. It is reasonable to believe that this process may be completed in a short period of time. After this, multiple saints indicate that God comforts these unbaptized infants, bringing them into some sort of intermediate state, which neither involves the torments of hell, nor the pleasures of heaven:
St. Gregory the Theologian (+390)
“the latter (those who were not worthy of baptism due to infancy) will be neither glorified nor punished by the righteous Judge; because, although they were not sealed, they were not bad, and they themselves suffered more than they did harm. For not everyone who is unworthy of punishment is worthy of honor; just as not everyone unworthy of honor is worthy of punishment” 54
St. Augustine (+430)
I do not say that children who die without baptism of Christ will undergo such grievous punishment that it were better for them never to have been born, since our Lord did not say these words of any sinner you please, but only the most base and ungodly... who can doubt that non-baptized infants, having only original sin and no burden of personal sins, will suffer the lightest condemnation of all? I cannot define the amount and kind of their punishment, but I dare not say that it were better for them to never have existed than to exist there.55
Not even the leaf of a tree is created without a purpose. It is, however, purposeless [of my detractors] to ask about the merits of one who has gained no merit. We need not fear that there may be a life halfway between virtue and vice, a sentence of the Judge halfway between reward and punishment.56
Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos
We should also know that when baptized infants die, they enjoy the Paradise of delight, whereas those not illumined by Baptism and those born of pagans go neither to Paradise nor to Gehenna.57
Neither glorified nor punished. Neither heaven nor hell. Pleasant enough that you cannot say it would be better for them never to have existed, but still not pleasant enough to enter the gates of paradise. — This scenario may not be completely satisfying, but one has to admit that it’s a good deal better than unending eternal torment.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end here. Though unbaptized infants may not immediately be prepared for entrance into heaven, there is no indication that they must remain outside heaven forever. Indeed, it appears that God permits such infants to experience a progressive amount of spiritual growth, until they will finally be able to participate in blessedness and the contemplation of God:
St. Gregory of Nyssa58
"Whereas the innocent babe has no such plague before its soul's eyes obscuring its measure of light, and so it continues to exist in that natural life; it does not need the soundness which comes from purgation, because it never admitted the plague into its soul at all... the tenderest infancy is [fed]... until at last he arrives at full growth... according to its capacity and its power it receives a measure of the delights of the Blessed state..."
"the soul that has never felt the taste of virtue, while it may indeed remain perfectly free from the sufferings which flow from wickedness having never caught the disease of evil at all, does nevertheless in the first instance partake only so far in that life beyond... as this nursling can receive; until the time comes that it has thriven on the contemplation of the truly Existent as on a congenial diet, and, becoming capable of receiving more, takes at will more from that abundant supply of the truly Existent which is offered."
"when the complete whole of our race shall have been perfected . . . some having at once in this life been cleansed from evil, others having afterwards in the necessary periods been healed by the fire, others having in their life here been unconscious equally of good and of evil, to offer to every one of us participation in the blessings which are in Him, which, the Scripture tells us, 'eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,' nor thought ever reached." 59
According to St. Gregory, these children eventually grow to the point that they experience "the delights of the Blessed state", enjoying such joys in heaven as "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
Gregory, Disciple of St. Basil the New
In the passage quoted earlier, from the section titled Infants not enlightened by holy baptism, the vision said that unbaptized infants are given a place of rest just outside the gates of the blessed city. Some have mistakenly interpreted this place as being located in hell. But hell is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), and in the context of the vision granted to Gregory, disciple of St. Basil the New, the lake of fire is not located anywhere near these infants or the gates of the heavenly city. In a completely different section of the book, at a completely differently location in Gregory’s vision, the wicked are thrown into the lake of fire, the Lord covers the lake of fire so that it is hidden underground, and no one ever sees it again. The unbaptized children, on the other hand, are in peace, at rest, above ground — not in the lake of fire. In Gregory’s vision, land just outside the city is also called “Paradise”, and people from the heavenly city even come outside the city from time to time to visit. Thus, within the context of Gregory’s vision, the pleasant land just outside the city can properly be understood as one of the first entries in the Kingdom of Heaven, and not as any part of hell. As for any spiritual blindness that they may initially possess, this is something which can be remedied, for the merciful Lord is able to heal the blind.
St. Athanasios of Sinai agrees that young children, dying unbaptized, will not experience damnation:
"In the case of children, without sin at the age of five or four, but being the offspring of Jews or unbaptized, where do we want to say that they go [when dying], to condemnation or to Paradise? . . . my opinion is that they will not enter hell." 60
And if they do not enter hell, that means they ultimately must enter heaven, because when all is said and done, there will not be any third location:
St. Isaac the Syrian (7th century)
In the future separation there will be no middle realm between the state that is completely on high and the state that is absolutely below. A person will either belong entirely to those who dwell on high, or entirely to those below; but within both the one state and the other are diverse degrees of recompense. If this is true, which it most certainly is, what is more senseless and more foolish than those who say that ‘It is enough for me to escape Gehenna, I do not seek to enter the kingdom!’ For to escape Gehenna means precisely to enter the kingdom, even as falling away from the kingdom is entering Gehenna. Scripture has taught us nothing about the existence of three realms, but ‘When the Son of God will come in His glory, He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.’ (Mat. 25:31-33)…How have you not understood by these things that falling short of the order on high is, in fact, the Gehenna of torment? 61
How Unbaptized Children Enter Heaven
If unbaptized children are currently in a neutral state, "neither glorified nor punished", and if this neutral state only exists temporarily, then how are children finally transported from there to heaven? Just as there are multiple forms of baptism which can avail catechumens who die prematurely, it seems fitting that these same forms of baptism would also be available for infants who die prematurely:
baptism by blood (martyrdom)
baptism by desire (catechumens)
water baptism after death (after being resurrected)
baptism by tears (fervent prayers for the dead)
Baptism by Blood
St. Augustine (+430) says that even infants may participate in sufferings for the sake of Christ, thus becoming martyrs themselves:
But God does good in correcting adults when their children whom they love suffer pain and death. Why should this not be done, since, when the suffering is past it is as nothing to those who endured it? Those…for whose sake this has happened will either be better men if they make use of the temporal ills and choose to live better lives or they will have no excuse when they are punished at the future judgement, if in spite of the sufferings of this life they refuse to turn their hearts to eternal life?…[W]hen the hearts of parents are softened by the sufferings of children, or when their faith is stirred, or their pity aroused, who knows what ample compensation God reserves for these children in the secrets of His judgments? They have not, it is true, performed right actions, yet they have suffered without having sinned. Nor is it to no purpose the Church urges us to honor as martyrs the children who were slain when Herod sought the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.62
14,000 innocent infants were slaughtered by Herod, in his attempt to kill Christ. And because these children suffered for Christ’s sake, they are venerated as holy martyrs. Even without baptism in water, they received a baptism by blood.
It is possible that these are not the only infants who have received a baptism by blood. Suppose a faithful Christian mother is put to death for the sake of Christ, and she is pregnant at the time of her martyrdom. The child, too, is dying at the hands of those who are attacking Christ. Under such circumstances, wouldn’t the child be suffering holy martyrdom, just like his mother?
Baptism by Desire
When John the Baptist was a tiny unborn baby, he leapt for joy in his mother’s womb, because he recognized the presence of Jesus (Luke 1:41). Also consider the verse, "You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts" (Psalm 22:9). Thus, at least in certain cases, it is possible for an unborn child to know Christ and to have faith in Him.
If the catechumen Valentinian died unbaptized, and was still able to enter heaven because he desired to receive baptism, then wouldn’t the same mercy be extended to young children who love Christ and desire to be with Him?
Water Baptism After Death
If St. Patrick was able to resurrect and baptize Cass the son of Glass, the swineherd of Lugar63, and if St. Augustine reports that St. Stephen resurrected an infant for the sake of baptism64, then according to God’s mercy, perhaps St. Patrick, St. Stephen, and other saints will grant this same gift to many unborn children who exited this life without baptism. By the grace of God, perhaps they will be baptized after all. May the Lord grant it to be so.
Baptism by Tears
If St. Thecla’s prayers could rescue Falconilla from hell, St. Perpetua’s prayers could rescue her brother Dinocrates, and St. Gregory’s tears could rescue the pagan emperor Trajan, then how much easier must it be for the prayers of the saints to rescue innocent children from the intermediate state they may initially find themselves in after a premature death? If St. Patrick’s prayers will release countless souls from hell, then how powerful must his prayers be, to release the souls of innocent children from a temporary resting place? If St. Varus can pray for the salvation of our pagan ancestors, then how much more can he pray for the salvation of our unborn relatives and descendants? If fervent prayers of the saints can even release sinful adults from hell, then how much easier must it be to pray for God’s ultimate mercy on unbaptized children?
If St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, St. Anastasios of Sinai, St. Mark the Ascetic, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Mark of Ephesus, St. Gennadius Scholarius, St. Varus, St. Patrick, St. Gregory the Great, St. John of Damascus, St. Seraphim of Platina, St. Thecla, St. Perpetua, and St. Athanasius the Confessor all teach us that there are special situations where people may be saved without baptism, or may be saved by some special form of baptism that occurs after death, then we have great cause for encouragement and hope. God does not forget the faithful catechumen who dies prior to baptism. He does not forget the unborn child who dies before baptism is possible. And through the fervent and loving prayers of His people, He is even able to show mercy to straying souls who died outside the Church. This is why we must never give up prayer, and we must never give up hope.
If you would like to know how to pray for those who have died without baptism, more information is available in the following article. At the end of the article, there is a prayer to St. Varus, for just this purpose:
Church Built In Memory of an Unbaptized Man - Giving Hope For Those Dying Outside the Church
Fr. Joseph Gleason
Rostov Veliky, Russia
1 St. Ambrose of Milan, Funeral Oration on the Death of Emperor Valentinian II,
https://lonelypilgrim.com/2013/09/23/st-ambrose-on-the-baptism-of-desire/
2 St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Field: Cultivating Salvation, p. 56
3 St. Anastasios of Sinai, Questions and Answers, Question 9,
https://dokumen.pub/anastasios-of-sinai-questions-and-answers.html
4 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 22,
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
5 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 22,
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
6 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 21,
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
7 Synodikon of Metropolitan Gregory of Novgorod and St. Petersburg (+1860),
https://matushki.ru/viewtopic.php?t=4971&start=20 (Russian)
8 Though the Orthodox Church normally does not pray publicly for those who died outside the Church, Pentecost provides an exception to this rule. Every year, at the Kneeling Vespers on Pentecost Sunday, Orthodox Christians worldwide pray for all the inhabitants of hell.
9 St. Mark of Ephesus, Refuting the Latin Chapters Regarding the Purifying Fire, Homily 2,
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Mark_Efesskij/slovo_ob_ochistitelnom_ogne/ (Russian)
10 St. Gennadius Scholarius, On the Middle State of Souls and Against Purgatory,
https://pravblog.ru/bogoslovie/derznovenie-chudotvortsa-neudobno-obratit-v-pravilo-imperator-trayan-i-svt-grigorij-velikij/ (Russian)
11 Tripartite Life of Patrick, p. 123,
https://archive.org/download/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft.pdf
12 Early Life of Gregory the Great, compiled c. 700 at the Whitby monastery in England,
quoted from: St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul after Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/hEqnFDm
Also known as The Whitby Life of St. Gregory the Great, http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05964
13 Early Life of Gregory the Great, compiled c. 700 at the Whitby monastery in England,
quoted from: St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul after Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/hEqnFDm — Also known as The Whitby Life of St. Gregory the Great, http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05964
14 St. John of Damascus, Concerning Those Who Fall Asleep in the Faith, https://www.agioskosmas.gr/antiairetika.asp?isue=117 (Greek)
15 The Acts of Paul and Thecla, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0816.htm
16 St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul After Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/6CsZAHr
17 Seraphim Rose was canonized as a saint in 2023 by an Orthodox bishop in the country of Georgia, and there are many details of his life which show him to be a saint: https://youtu.be/w2Ej6Z8e90w?si=5-eEZbcaPqYgKk93
18 St. Athanasius the Confessor, On the Commemoration of the Deceased according to the Statutes of the Orthodox Church, https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Afanasij_Saharov/o-pominovenii-usopshikh-po-ustavu-pravoslavnoi-cerkvi/5_8 (Russian)
19 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 22, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
20 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 22, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
21 St. Augustine of Hippo, On Baptism, Against the Donatists (Book IV), paragraph 21, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/14084.htm
22 St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, The Field: Cultivating Salvation, p. 56
23 St. Ambrose of Milan, Funeral Oration on the Death of Emperor Valentinian II,
https://lonelypilgrim.com/2013/09/23/st-ambrose-on-the-baptism-of-desire/
24 Tripartite Life of Patrick, p. 123,
https://archive.org/download/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft.pdf
25 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 324,
https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Sermons-306-340.pdf
26 Early Life of Gregory the Great, compiled c. 700 at the Whitby monastery in England,
quoted from: St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul after Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/hEqnFDm — Also known as The Whitby Life of St. Gregory the Great, http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05964
27 St. Gennadius Scholarius, On the Middle State of Souls and Against Purgatory,
https://pravblog.ru/bogoslovie/derznovenie-chudotvortsa-neudobno-obratit-v-pravilo-imperator-trayan-i-svt-grigorij-velikij/ (Russian)
28 St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul After Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/hEqnFDm
29 Tripartite Life of Patrick, pp. 117-119,
https://archive.org/download/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft.pdf
30 The Acts of Paul and Thecla, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0816.htm
31 St. John of Damascus, Concerning Those Who Fall Asleep in the Faith, https://www.agioskosmas.gr/antiairetika.asp?isue=117 (Greek)
32 St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul After Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/6CsZAHr
33 St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul After Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/hEqnFDm
34 The Passion of the Holy Martyrs Perpetua and Felicity, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0324.htm
35 Church Built In Memory of an Unbaptized Man - Giving Hope For Those Dying Outside the Church,
https://russian-faith.com/explaining-orthodoxy/church-built-memory-unbaptized-man-giving-hope-n1857
36 St. Athanasius the Confessor, On the Commemoration of the Deceased according to the Statutes of the Orthodox Church, https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Afanasij_Saharov/o-pominovenii-usopshikh-po-ustavu-pravoslavnoi-cerkvi/5_8 (Russian)
37 St. John of Damascus, Concerning Those Who Fall Asleep in the Faith, https://www.agioskosmas.gr/antiairetika.asp?isue=117 (Greek)
38 St. Mark of Ephesus, Refuting the Latin Chapters Regarding the Purifying Fire, Homily 2, https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Mark_Efesskij/slovo_ob_ochistitelnom_ogne/ (Russian)
39 St. Gennadius Scholarius, On the Middle State of Souls and Against Purgatory,
https://pravblog.ru/bogoslovie/derznovenie-chudotvortsa-neudobno-obratit-v-pravilo-imperator-trayan-i-svt-grigorij-velikij/ (Russian)
40 St. Seraphim Rose, The Soul After Death, Kindle edition, https://a.co/6CsZAHr
41 St. Athanasius the Confessor, On the Commemoration of the Deceased according to the Statutes of the Orthodox Church, https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Afanasij_Saharov/o-pominovenii-usopshikh-po-ustavu-pravoslavnoi-cerkvi/5_8
(Russian)
42 The Spiritual Meadow: Supplementary Tales. Cistercian Publications. trans. by John Wortley, pg. 200.
43 J. O’Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints, volume 6, pp. 62-63
44 St. Nicholai Velimirovic, Prologue of Ohrid, April 10th.
45 St. Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham, Book 2.11.84,
https://classicalchristianity.com/2014/07/17/st-ambrose-of-milan-on-the-unbaptized/
46 On the Proceedings of Pelagius, Chapters 23-24, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1505.htm
47 St. Nikolai (Velimirovic) of Zica, Catechism, p. 49,
https://orthodoxchristiantheology.com/2019/03/20/highlights-from-saint-nicolai-of-zicas-catechism/
48 St. Justin Popovic, Dogmatics, Volume 2, Chap 39:3
49 Council of Carthage (A.D. 419), Canon 110, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3816.htm
50 Message of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith, 1723
51 Gregory, Disciple of Basil the New, 128, Infants not enlightened by holy baptism, P.27.
52 Saint Macarius the Great. Philokalia. Selected Teachings. M. 2002, p.45.
53 St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain. Family Life, volume IV, part two.
54 Words on Holy Baptism in the Holy Fathers III, 294. Cfr. Severian. in Joann. III (in Catena) Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov), Orthodox Dogmatic Theology. Volume 2.
55 St. Augustine of Hippo, Against Julian, Book V, Par 44
56 St. Augustine of Hippo, The Problem of Free Choice, Book 3, Chap 66
57 Synaxarion Saturday Before Meatfare Sunday
58 Some critics dismiss St. Gregory of Nyssa, accusing him of universalism, a heresy which was later anathematized at the 5th Ecumenical Council. But St. Gregory of Nyssa was not a universalist. He believed that certain people would escape hades and be admitted into heaven, but he said this would not happen for everyone. For example, he said that the sufferings of Judas would continue forever: "We learn as much too in the case of Judas, from the sentence pronounced upon him in the Gospels; namely, that when we think of such men, that which never existed is to be preferred to that which has existed in such sin. For, as to the latter, on account of the depth of the ingrained evil, the chastisement in the way of purgation will be extended into infinity" (St. Gregory of Nyssa, On Infants’ Early Deaths — https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf205.ix.iii.html)
59 Saint Gregory of Nyssa. On the Soul and the Resurrection. Kindle Edition.
60 St. Anastasios of Sinai, Questions and Answers, Question 9,
https://dokumen.pub/anastasios-of-sinai-questions-and-answers.html
61 The Spiritual World of Isaac the Syrian, pp. 278-279
62 St. Augustine of Hippo, The Problem of Free Choice, Book 3, Chap 68
63 Tripartite Life of Patrick, p. 123, https://archive.org/download/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft/tripartitepatrick00stokuoft.pdf
64 St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 324,
https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Sermons-306-340.pdf
Does Baptism of Desire provide the grace of baptism, spiritual rebirth and being born again?