Can someone be saved without water baptism through 'Baptism of Blood' or 'Baptism of Desire'?
Yes. While the Church teaches that water baptism is the ordinary means of salvation instituted by Christ, God is not bound by His sacraments. Baptism of Blood occurs when an unbaptized person suffers martyrdom for the Christian faith, washed clean by dying with and for Christ. Baptism of Desire applies to catechumens who die before baptism, or anyone who, through no fault of their own, does not know the Gospel or the Church, yet sincerely seeks God and strives to do His will under the impulse of grace.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1258-1260
- Luke 23:42-43
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.