Catholic topics: Limbo
Catholic topics: Limbo
I was asked by one of my readers to discuss the Catholic understanding of limbo.
Limbo is a concept that has been an unofficial part of Roman Catholic theology. The term was also used in various non-church literature and, interestingly, that usage later influnced the theological meanings of the term.
Catholics believe in the concept that each person has a soul. A soul is considered to be the essence of the person. The soul exists within the physical, material person. However the soul is believed to continue living even after the physical body dies.
Catholics believe that after a person dies their soul will go either to heaven or hell. In heaven the soul will experience joy and the presence of God. In hell the soul will be deprived of the presence of God.
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, lived, died, and rose into heaven. They believe that Jesus opened heaven to those who believed and were baptized.
Theological questions arose about what had happened to all of the souls of people who had lead good lives but who had died before Jesus rose and openned heaven. The belief arose that God would not have sent those good souls to hell so they must have had to wait somewhere until Jesus openned heaven. The concept of limbo was the name given to the waiting place.
Since entry into the Church was through baptism, the theological question arose of what happened to innocent souls, especially children, who died before being baptized. It was believed that God would not send them to hell since they were innocent. The belief arose that God had a place for such innocents but that they would not be granted full access to heaven and the full presence of God. The concept of limbo was the name given to the place where non-baptized innocents would go to.
In literature, Dante's "Devine Comedy" describes the first circle of hell as limbo. Dante described limbo as a place for people's souls who lived lives that were somewhat neutral, that is their lives were neither good nor evil.
Because of Dante's description of limbo as being closer to hell than to heaven, a concept that was carried out in future literary writings, people, including Roman Catholics, came to see limbo as a negative place, out of favor with God.
The term "limbo" has never been officially defined by the Catholic Church in official writings. Most recently a papal document that discussed the death of unbaptized infants (for example through abortion) stated that the Church does not know their fate but the Church trusts in the mercy and love of God.
Because of the negativity that became associated with limbo, Catholic parents often felt pressured to have their children baptized as soon as possible after birth so that if they did die they would go directly into heaven.
The Catholic Church also has a procedure called Emergency Baptism whereby anyone can baptize an infant (or any person) who is in danger of death. Nurses in hospitals would often use Emergency Baptism for newborn infants whose lives were in danger of death when the parent was Catholic.
However some people (Catholics and other Christians) sometimes developed the exagerated fear that infants and people might die prior to being baptized and those people would use the Emergency Baptism procedure on any infant or other persons in hospitals, without permissions of the parents or other individuals.
So, what is the current Church thinking? Again, most recent Church documents that mention the fate of those who die without being baptized indicate that a loving and merciful God will take care of them. A theological commission that has been working on many issues is reported to be planning to recommend to the pope that the concept of limbo be officially ended and state instead that babies who die without baptism go directly to heaven. Cardinal Ratzinger, before he became Pope Benedict XVI (16th), indicated in a public statement that he wanted to drop the "theological hypothesis" of limbo which has never been defined as a truth of faith.
So, any dicussion or questions?
posted by jw @ 2/11/2006 10:57:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I hope the current Pope ends this and quickly.
And yes, emergency baptism is done without regard to the religion of the parents. Just ask me.
I try to have respect for all beliefs including no belief at all but this one boggles the mind.
It flies in the face of "suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God". He didn't say baptised children. He didn't say Catholic children. He said "little children". How do the words of Jesus become so twisted by man?
Yes, I'm oversimplifying but to me some things are just that simple.
Thanks for responding. As always you're thoughtful. On this one, I definitely have an opinion.
Granny,
I quite agree with you that the fanatics who baptized indiscriminately were wrong.
The bible passage that you quoted is interesting. Mark 10:13-15. It does not clearly say that children get into heaven. It does say that God cares about the children.
"And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.'"
The passages that follow in Mark's gospel describe some of what it takes to get into heaven.
I had said that I was going to address when baptism should take place. I omitted that in this post. So there will be future post on that subject.
The Mormons have a history of baptising people posthumously, including (iirc) Jews who died in the holocaust. This has gotten them into trouble and has pissed off a lot of people.
One of the reasons I gave up on the whole God thing was because I once asked a priest about my father going to heaven, after a sermon about having to accept Jesus to get into heaven. My father was *totally* a good man, but was Jewish. So the priest said he wouldn't get in. So I decided I didn't want to go either.
Then, of course, you have the question of all those folks off in other lands who -- through no fault of their own -- simply haven't heard of JC and company. Are they simply screwed because of where they happened to have been born? Or is that God just playing a joke on them, since he's all knowing, all powerful, etc.?
Uncle Roger:
We are taught as Catholics that salvation comes through the Catholic Church, which Christ established here on Earth. If we are to determine who "gets in" and who doesn't, we have no choice but to start with that. Whatever light of faith your father had in the depths of his soul is, in the final analysis, a matter between him and God. As Thomas Aquinas wrote: "God is not bound by the sacraments." The sacraments are instituted by Christ for us, not the other way around.
Even the good thief on the cross was spared in his last moments. Who is to say that would not have happened to your father?
Remember him in your prayers. Always. It might be worth finding out in The End.
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