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Do Martyrs automatically go to Heaven?

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Carrye

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The short answer is that we don't know. No person will escape judgment, but one must wonder how/why a person would die for the Faith if he had turned away from it.

We also know that baptism by blood (martyrdom) is efficacious: CCC 1258 The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.
 
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marciadietrich

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I would say if it was known that the person hadn't been baptized, and thus a baptism of blood (so similiar to baptism of desire), then the answer would likely be yes.

I do wonder though how one would account for someone baptized, in mortal sin and not having made a perfect act of contrition and not getting to confession before dying as a martyr. It would seem possible, given Church teachings, that a person could die for the faith and not attain salvation in that situation.

Thus, we can't say for certain that the martyr would be heaven bound because of circumstances we don't know about. And a possibility their death wasn't purely their choice to die for the faith and other factors.

Marcia
 
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marciadietrich

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Maybe I should add, given the opening question, that going directly to heaven is a favorable immediate judgementof their state, and would be upheld again at the general judgement. So directly going to heaven is a positive judgement, not avoiding judgement.

Baptism of Blood presumes there was no previous baptism, I do not believe it is held to be an automatic go straight to heaven ticket if the martyr had been baptized and sinned before being martyred.

Marcia

Marcia
 
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Carrye

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marciadietrich said:
Baptism of Blood presumes there was no previous baptism, I do not believe it is held to be an automatic go straight to heaven ticket if the martyr had been baptized and sinned before being martyred.

Right. Which is why the question is more complex than "can an unbaptized person who is martyred go to heaven?"
 
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