The following is a list of [top shelf] pre-Vatican II theologians who teach baptism of desire and baptism of blood. This includes St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine all Doctors of the Church.
- Abarzuza
- Aertnys
- Billot
- Cappello
- Coronata
- Davis
- Herrmann
- Herve
- Hurter
- Iorio
- Lennerz
- Ligouri
- McAuliffe
- Merkelbach
- Noldin
- Ott
- Pohle
- Prummer
- Regatillo
- Sabetti
- Sola
- Tanquerey
- Zalba
- Zubizarreta
- Bellarmine
- —and of course— Aquinas; Ambrose; Augustine
There are others, perhaps many others. I have just listed these theologians based on a text of theology I have. Theologians speak of “theological categories,” but these categories all pertain to the faith, and practically speaking there is no significant difference.
There is:
- Common teaching of the doctrines
- Theologically certain
- Catholic doctrine, constant
- Fidei Proxima, pertains to faith
- De Fide, of the faith
All the above theologians place BOD in category [1], common teaching of the doctrines, and at least 7 or 8 of them place it in the category of “de fide.” BOB is also placed in the common teaching of the doctrines. None of them reject the teaching — as both BOB and BOD are held by common consent.
Pope Pius IX’s principle of the teaching of theologians:
“All Catholics are obliged to adhere to a teaching if Catholic theologians hold it by common consent, or hold it as de fide, or Catholic doctrine or as theologically certain.”
All Catholics are bound to abide by the teaching of theologians and the Church regarding baptism of desire and baptism of blood. Therefore, the Feeneyite position represents some degree of theological error, perhaps even heresy, and those who are obstinate in this error commit a mortal sin against the Faith. It has been my experience, and the experience of others, that all of these considerations make no impression on those who adhere to the Feeneyite rejection of BOD and BOB, and they simply continue on their erroneous path.