Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com
What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration
Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
About Mary
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
back
Specific Practices
Church Internals
Church History


Mary Lee wrote:

Hi guys,

  • What is the Catholic Church's current teaching or belief about Limbo?
  • Where do un-baptized babies go?

Mary Lee

  { What is the Catholic Church's current teaching or belief about Limbo? }

Mike replied:

Hi Mary Lee,

I believe my colleagues John, Eric and Mary Ann have addressed your question in this posting.
If not, just e-mail us again.

Mike

John replied:

Hi Mary Lee,

Limbo was never a teaching of the Church. It was simply popular theological opinion that was promulgated. It was never a doctrine held by universal Magisterium.

The Church entrusts the souls of un-baptized children to the Mercy of God who desires all to be saved.

Additionally, the Church has always recognized other kinds of baptisms besides the normative form of water baptism.

  • Those who have been martyred for the faith prior to baptism received their baptism in their martyrdom. That is call baptism of blood.

  • There are those who die as catechumens awaiting baptism. These people are presumed to have been baptized by desire.

  • Then there are those Christians who don't know of the necessity of baptism. In this case, it may be supposed that if they understood the necessity of baptism, they would receive it. Check out these paragraphs from the Catechism.

Finally, as it relates to those who, through not fault of their own, have never heard or understood the Gospel (and along with it, the need to be baptized): The Church entrusts these folks to the Mercy of God, knowing that He desires all men to be saved.

The Church acknowledges that She is limited to preach the gospel and baptize; hence fulfilling the Great Commission, however, God's grace is not subject to the same limitations He puts on His Church.

Therefore God can save:

  • whom He wants
  • when He wants, and
  • where He wants.

It is important to realize that the Church has never officially taught that particular people are in Hell. While we know Sacred Scripture teaches many will go there, it is not for the Church to pronounce who those people are.

John

Mary Ann replied:

Hi Mary Lee,

One little addition to John's excellent answer: As for those who through no fault of their own, have never heard the Gospel, the Church teaches that the Light enlightens every man who comes into the world and that those who follow the Light by following their conscience, seeking truth and goodness, can be saved.

As for unbaptized babies, I am with John Paul II, who wrote, "they are living in the Lord." He who receives one such little child, receives Me, said the Lord.

There are many Scriptures (David and his deceased infant son, for instance) that give foundation for belief in the salvation of unbaptized babies. The Church will eventually articulate her confidence in God's Mercy in a way that expresses this.

In any case, "In my Father's house there are many mansions."

Mary Ann

Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.