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After reading this question there is a notion that after the baptism of an adult person all sins are forgiven even all the punishments.

In the sacrament of penance, our sins are also forgiven but not our punishment. We still need to do reparation for our sins. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

Are the people who were baptized still required to do penance for their sins they committed before baptism? Does the baptism remove the punishment for sin too? Like indulgences remove all or partial punishment. Does the baptism remove all punishments and allow a person enter heaven directly if dies right away?

There is a story of a bad mafia guy who converts on deathbed and gets baptized. I heard that is believed he went directly to heaven which means all punishments were forgiven through the baptism. Is this the catholic teaching?

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Yes, baptism removes all punishment for sin. If a person died immediately after baptism they would enter heaven directly without a need for purification in purgatory. They would not be required to do penance. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1263 By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God.

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  • I was wondering if also a protestant baptism has the same effect?
    – Grasper
    Apr 26, 2017 at 13:01
  • @Grasper Are you asking about whether the Catholic Church recognizes Protestant baptisms as true baptisms? Or are you asking whether Protestants understand baptism to have the same effect? If the latter, you would have to specify a denomination.
    – zippy2006
    Apr 26, 2017 at 18:41
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    @Grasper As far as Catholics are concerned, all Christian baptism is the same, so, yes, Protestant baptism forgives sins and remits all temporal punishment for sin (committed up to that point, obviously).
    – AthanasiusOfAlex
    May 11, 2017 at 19:08
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The Catholic view: Yes, punishment for sins is removed by baptism. I don't know what proofs they have for this view, but they believe it. The Protestant view: No, baptism does not remove punishment from sin. Take the thief on the cross for example; he believed, and Jesus said that he would see him soon in heaven, which means that he would not be punished for his sin. But notice this: he was not baptized. See Luke 23:39-43. This shows that punishment for your sins can be removed without baptism. Note: I am talking about physical baptism, not 'spiritual baptism,' which is when you are saved or born again.

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    Thus doesn't answer from a Catholic perspective.
    – Geremia
    Sep 27, 2018 at 2:43
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    I think the Good Thief received the "Baptism of Desire."
    – Ken Graham ♦
    Sep 28, 2018 at 12:21
  • I agree with @Geremia, you give one sentance to the Catholic perspective and the rest to the non Catholic perspective, which was not asked for.
    – Belinda
    Oct 1, 2018 at 14:20

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