Weekly MESSAGE for October 29, 2006: The Church Studies "Limbo"

October 29, 2006

Dear Friend,

Earlier this month the International Theological Commission was supposed to overturn the centuries old tradition of limbo. Limbo was thought to be the place that all unbaptized infants went and was somewhere between heaven and hell. However the Commission, which is merely advisory to the Holy Father, said nothing. In fact, the document it was preparing is not even complete. One member of the Commission stated, “Limbo is no longer the common opinion of Catholic theology, and as far as the salvation of unbaptized babies is concerned, we trust in the loving mercy of God.”

Nevertheless, there is need for something to be said on the matter from the standpoint of pastoral care to parents who have an unbaptized child die. In those moments of loss, it is important to offer them a message of hope and consolation. Thankfully it does appear that the Pope will eventually speak out on the matter.

What is very clear are recent developments in Catholic Theology away from Limbo. The ritual for “Funeral Mass of a Child Who Died before Baptism” as an official rite of the Church and published after the Second Vatican Council has the following Opening Prayer: “Father of all consolation, from whom nothing is hidden, you know the faith of these parents who mourn the death of their child. May they find comfort in knowing that he/she is entrusted to your loving care.” Under the old adage, “What the Church prays is what the Church believes,” such a prayer clearly implies hope that the child is in heaven.

To this add the fact that the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was published in 1994, states the following teaching, “As regards children who have died without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men [sic] should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without baptism.” Interestingly, nowhere in the Catechism does the word “Limbo” appear.

It appears that the conclusions regarding Limbo were known long before the work of the Commission began.

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato