Baltimore Catechism

[Walking_Home]

The Balt Cat includes a teaching on Limbo for infants, which today would be considered improper by the Pope.

“Persons, such as infants, who have not committed actual sin and who, through no fault of theirs, die without baptism, cannot enter heaven; but it is the common belief they will go to some place similar to limbo, where they will be free from suffering, though deprived of the happiness of heaven”

Less sophisticated Catholics (mainly, the target audience of the book, young people) rarely realized that this was not actually a doctrine of the church. Neither was it made clear that a belief in Limbo was optional. Interestingly, the rival opinion (until recent decades) that kept Limbo from being a certain teaching was between Limbo and Hell, not Limbo and Heaven. Limbo as a “doctrine” was always considered preferable to the more likely alternative in Catholic theory of damnation of innocent babes, a belief that can be traced to Saint Augustine, a Doctor of the church.

Now it is gone, but a relic of the teaching survives in the Baltimore Catechism.

Michael

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It does not seem that the Pope himself has spoken on this issue. There was a bunch of hoopla back at one time that the Pope was going to abolish limbo—he officially never has.

 

[DustinsDad]

The Balt Cat includes a teaching on Limbo for infants, which today would be considered improper by the Pope.

“Persons, such as infants, who have not committed actual sin and who, through no fault of theirs, die without baptism, cannot enter heaven; but it is the common belief they will go to some place similar to limbo, where they will be free from suffering, though deprived of the happiness of heaven”

Less sophisticated Catholics (mainly, the target audience of the book, young people) rarely realized that this was not actually a doctrine of the church. Neither was it made clear that a belief in Limbo was optional. Interestingly, the rival opinion (until recent decades) that kept Limbo from being a certain teaching was between Limbo and Hell, not Limbo and Heaven. Limbo as a “doctrine” was always considered preferable to the more likely alternative in Catholic theory of damnation of innocent babes, a belief that can be traced to Saint Augustine, a Doctor of the church.

Now it is gone, but a relic of the teaching survives in the Baltimore Catechism.

Michael

You are right that this issue has never been dogmatically settled. And as such, it is definately not “improper” to teach it or to hold the traditional belief in limbo. I tend more toward the “traditional” teaching as the most likely reality myself. As such, in practice, I’d baptize ASAP (as the Church still teaches is proper), and nevertheless, hope and pray for the souls that are not granted this opportunity. I think the Church always has in one way or another anyway.

God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. Whatever He does in such situations will be perfect…even if we can’t wrap our puny little minds around it all on this side of heaven

Peace in Christ,

Dustinsdad

 

[Hesychios]

God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. Whatever He does in such situations will be perfect…even if we can’t wrap our puny little minds around it all on this side of heaven

I agree.

 

[Ad_Deum]

The older versions of the cathechism or pre-vatican 2 were more Catholic in theology and tradition.

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christus
Instaurare omnia in Christo​

"I see and may approve of the better things, but I follow a greater one than better, which is inferior to the eyes of this age."