...or the death bed conversion.
This gets into the whole, well, if the intent is there, then the intent counts, and that becomes the if you are willing to follow Christ and His word, and are willing to be baptized, then you are saved. Which leads to baptism is NOT necessary for salvation, only the submission to the Savior.
Unless they are saying that Christ on the Cross lied to the Thief.
Here’s a spicy meatball, what’s your view of infant Baptism? Many adults have been Baptised as infants and acknowledge the ressurection of Christ and live their lives that show the fruits of that belief.
A priest can administer the following sacraments at a death bed conversion:
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Eucharist
Anointing of the Sick
Our priest has also done another since the wife was their and the person dying wanted to have their marriage approved by the Church, so he administered the Sacrament of Matrimony.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is not necessary because the Baptism takes away all the previous sin.
The intent counts only if one is sincere about being baptized but dies before being baptized.
If baptism is not necessary for salvation, then why did Christ say to Nicodemus,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5)? Why did he baptize others (John 3:26)? Why were his final words to the Apostles before he ascended into heaven that they were to baptize all nations (Mt. 28: 19)?
Baptism is proof of one’s submission to Christ. But, more importantly, it confers God’s supernatural life (grace) on the individual, forgives sins, including original sin, and makes one a member of Christ’s mystical body (the Church). While professing a belief in Christ is good, it is not sufficient for salvation except in a situation where one is facing death, such as the one that the good thief was in.