On baptism for the dead.
In 1 Cor. 15:29, when Paul is speaking about the resurrection of the dead, he
says to the Corinthians: Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on
behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized
on their behalf? Hence some wanted to conclude that the dead or cadavers
could also receive baptism fruitfully and validly.
But the Fathers interpreted the
words of St. Paul in different ways; and the exegetes are not in full agreement.
Some believed that there was a custom among the Corinthians that, if someone
died, either a catechumen or a family member without baptism, another Christian
could receive baptism or the ceremonies of baptism for the deceased person,
that is, in favor of the one who died. In this way the Corinthians thought that
these dead persons would be worthy of the resurrection.
Others give other interpretations:
a) to baptize in this text signifies a Jewish rite in order to remove the impurity
of the dead;
b) it is mortification for the
dead (by way of quasi indulgence);
c) to baptize in this place
must be understood as baptism at the time of death (Epiphanius);
d) or also about baptism after the
profession of faith in the resurrection of the dead (Chrysostom, Theodoret,
Oecumenius, Theophylactus);
e) baptism inasmuch as it is
efficacious from the death of Christ (Pseudo-Jerome, Iulianus, Sedulius);
f) the effect of baptism is being
signified (Peter Lombard);
g) it refers to a practice among
the Corinthians according to which, when a catechumen died without baptism,
another was baptized for him, or he received the ceremonies of baptism in
testimony of the faith which the deceased person professed.
Whatever may be said about these
interpretations (some of them are not acceptable), all interpreters admit
that St. Paul neither praises nor condemns this custom, but only mentions it to
show faith in the resurrection. Some heretics really thought that baptism
for the dead is valid, but all the Fathers unanimously rejected this teaching. Moreover,
it is certain that the Church has never admitted baptism for the dead, but with
express words has condemned this practice, as often as this custom began to
creep in because of the influence of heretics or from ignorance. (Joseph A. de
Aldama, Severino Gonzalez, Francis A P. Sola, and Joseph F. Sagües, Sacrae
Theologiae Summa, 4 vols. [trans. Kenneth Baker; Keep the Faith, Inc.,
2015], 4-A: 180-81, emphasis added)
