[Magdalen] Dog blessing query

[Jay Weigel]

My friend Yitzhak had a massive allergic reaction to an anesthesia cocktail
back around 1999 which left him comatose and on the ventilator for several
days. He'd required 45 minutes of aggressive CPR before that. After his
recovery (deemed by the doctors to be nothing short of miraculous) he wrote
a detailed account of things he remembered happening to him and being done
to him while he was comatose. It was incredible. His family and the doctors
verified the memories. The nurses in ICU wanted a copy for teaching
purposes.

On Sun, Jan 1, 2017 at 2:02 AM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> >
> >
> >
>