Monday, October 22, 2007

Do Catholics Believe In "Limbo"?

Last year one of the most horrible reported stories about the Vatican was the issue of Limbo. International Theological Commission issued a study and paper on the subject that was published by the Vatican. As usual the Vatican releases a controversial document on Friday and the press had free reign to misinterpret all weekend long. I saw things such Pope says "Purgatory doesn't exist!!!! according to Pope" and things like that in various papers. Of course the concept of Limbo doesn't have anything to do with the doctrine of Purgatory.

The answer in short is that Catholics of course are free to believe in Limbo. However when all the sensationalism is taken away the Church's is saying : We don't know what happens to unbaptized children but we feel good in trusting them to the mercy of God. In others we don't know but we place our hope in a merciful God.

I can't help but notice that people who think the Church is full of BS just can't stand it when it says "we are not certain". I have no idea why they care so much. Anyway The Canterbury Tales is examining the actual document The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized by the International Theological Commission in some detail. Go to his post Do We Believe in Limbo? (Limbo Part I) and Salvation of Unbaptized Infants (Limbo Part II).

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