Expert: Edward Bode - 7/3/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dear Sir, when I married my husband he was Catholic and I was not. I was
given literature to learn about the Catholic church. In that literature it stated
how people could get to Heaven without being Catholic. It stated that anyone
who died in a fire went to Heaven. This was in l971.
My husband had also heard of this in his catechism class.
Yet I can find no evidence of this doctrine.
Can you help, thank you. Sherry Icklan

ANSWER: No Catholic teaching says that a person who dies in a fire goes to heaven in virtue of a baptism by fire.
Possibly, the reference may have been to Baptism by blood, which refers to a person preparing for Baptism but martyred for the faith before being baptized by water.  This is an ancient belief and teaching of the Catholic Church.
Hope these thoughts are of some help, Sherry.  If not, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: This is incredible to me. I know what I read. There was a list of ways to go to
Heaven and dying in fire was one of them. But I cannot prove this, but what I
want to know is why then were heretics and witches burned at the stake. I was
always told it was to save their souls.
Is this true?

Answer
Your thought is very interesting but one that I have never heard.  If the reason for the fire is for salvation [as you remember], then it would not be a sacramental Baptism sosome other term would be appropriate.
I have several friends [historians] who may have some information.  When I can contact them, I'll do so.  If I find something or nothing, I'll let you know.
Again, best wishes, Sherry.

My brief research is that burning of heretics began with the secular governments.  So, I would doubt that such people were probing theological resonings to justify their actions.