[Magdalen] Dog blessing query

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

It is also now known that around death, the individual may not be
responsive, but may be aware of what is going on around them. On just that
basis, I would think that a priest would go forward with the ritual.

I recall reading that a priest arrived at the hospital when JFK was brought
in, and administered last rites. "I am confident that the sould had not
left the body," I seem to recall him saying.  That's a good pastoral move
on his part.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Sat, Dec 31, 2016 at 8:48 PM, ROGER STOKES <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com
> wrote:

> Grace,
> I suspect the Jesuit position regarding the last rites would be "had he
> been able to request them and express contrition for his sins he would have
> done so." As regards the baptizing of dead babies do we not worship a God
> who is outside of time and so all times are the same to the divine?  The
> foetus, even if it did not draw a single breath was a real being with a
> real identity. I recall a priest telling me of being called in to baptize
> what looked like a squashed frog and saying "that which is born of woman is
> human" and baptized as requested.
>
> Do what is pastorally right and leave it to God to sort out.
> Roger
>
>
>     On Saturday, 31 December 2016, 19:35, Grace Cangialosi <
> gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>  I was a hospital chaplain for a number of years, and I never refused a
> request to baptize a stillborn or other dead baby or toddler. I always
> figured this was really for the parents, that it did no harm, and that God
> could sort it out.
> I once called a local Jesuit priest at the request of the family of a man
> in the ICU who was already comatose. They wanted "last rites." He asked me
> a couple of questions, then came in and spent time in with the family. I
> waited outside the room and then walked out of the unit with him. He turned
> to me and said, " I guess you know I really wasn't supposed to do that."  I
> said yes, I knew, but it was obviously the right pastoral decision for the
> family--the bedside is no place for a theological discussion/argument. We
> then talked a bit about baptizing dead babies. It was a very lovely
> conversation. I love Jesuits!
>
> > On Dec 31, 2016, at 2:10 PM, ME Michaud <michaudme at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > IANAP but if I were I think I'd thank the dog for years of faithful
> > companionship,
> > mention the fact that we see God's faithfulness so demonstrated,
> > (yay creation!)
> > and bless the person.
> >
> > Years ago I knew a priest who was asked to baptize a stillborn baby.
> > To his credit, he always refused to tell anyone what he did,
> > whether he baptized or not.
> > Because either way, somebody was going to argue with him, I suppose.
> > -M
>
>
>