Pope Revises 'Limbo' for Babies
Newly elected Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St.Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, in this April 19, 2005 file photo. The pope turns 80 on April 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, files)
ABC News
Pope Revises 'Limbo,' Says There Is Hope for Unbaptized Babies
By NICOLE WINFIELD
VATICAN CITY Apr 20, 2007 (AP)— Pope Benedict XVI has revised traditional Roman Catholic teaching on so-called "limbo," approving a church report released Friday that said there was reason to hope that babies who die without baptism can go to heaven.
Benedict approved the findings of the International Theological Commission, which issued its long-awaited document on limbo on Origins, the documentary service of Catholic News Service, the news agency of the American Bishop's Conference.
"We can say we have many reasons to hope that there is salvation for these babies," the Rev. Luis Ladaria, a Jesuit who is the commission's secretary-general, told The Associated Press.
Although Catholics have long believed that children who die without being baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, the church has no formal doctrine on the matter. Theologians have long taught, however, that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in communion with God.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 4:43 PM
2 Comments:
What worries me about this statement is that some neo-con Catholics will take it as an infallible statement and overlook the word "hope", which is not a position of "certainty". Also, does not this position bring into question the efficacy of Baptism and the common liberal plea for universal salvation?
It appears to me that this position of "hope" by the International Theological Commission is meant to balance the love of a merciful God toward babies who die without baptism with the demand that only baptism can remove original sin, a prerequisite for heaven.
These questions always put a strain on our theological understanding: in the end, God always asks us to strive to be both merciful and just, just as He is.
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