lol, when are the Church’s statements not distorted by the media or even rogue theologians? You can’t expect them to ever give an intelligent response to any kind of Catholic news.
Limbo as we’re discussing it here obviously requires a much deeper understanding of the essentials of our faith than the vast majority of Catholics today have. That’s a sad indictment on the success of catechesis today. The only way you’re going to get people to understand limbo, as the ITC is discussing it, is by effectively teaching about original sin, grace, and baptism.
You’re assuming, in your assertion that this declaration of hope from the ITC damaged Catholics’ concept of original sin, that most Catholics today actually understand the importance of sacramental baptism and therefore what limbo is. But the reality is that not many know, or really care at all. Most Catholics are still going to just go with the “limbo is a cruel medieval reality and thank goodness it’s gone!” idea, until the media starts preaching otherwise (which it never will…).
Consider it a blessing that you understand the seriousness of the issue, and critically read the ITC document for your own understanding. We cannot really preoccupy ourselves with how secular society interprets what the Church says, unless it brings Catholics into imminent danger–as we learned with the Regensburg address.
Wow! You hit it exactly right! Most people just do not know and do not care to learn more about their faith.
You see, the theological construct of Limbo is meant to give a explanation for why baptism is so very important that can be understood by everyone, even by people who never open a Bible or a Catechism, along with the very real need to explain what happens to unborn and unbaptized babies.
If the Church teaches parents that there is a strong possibility that their unborn babies could end-up in Limbo because their original sin has not been washed away (using Jesus’ own Words as support), then those same parents suddenly become quite motivated to get their born kids/babies baptized. If you tell those same parents that their unborn and unpbatpized babies/kids will go to Heaven, then many of those parents will cease caring about baptism–baptism will become like Confirmaiton, not important (we see this sort of thinking happening with Confirmation, which is a horrible and tragic reality in the Church today that so few Catholics are Confirmed).
Do not forget, faith for many people comes down to the easiest/quickest solution (just think about Protestant Churches, especially mega-Churches, the easy in, easy out, do nothing, just claim the Lord and punch the ticket approach). Anything to make faith easier, quicker, less to do, etc…
It will not take terribly long for abortionists to grasp these new statements and distort them and then use it to tell Catholics that aborted babies go straight to Heaven, so they should not feel guilt, that in fact the Mothers are doing the unborn a favor by sending straight to Heaven.
Further, if unborn babies go to Heaven, and if Limbo is truly gone and meaningless, then why bother baptizing anyone? After all, if God will definitely have mercy on the unborn (who never faced any challenges with sin), then shouldn’t God’s mercy be even greater towards born people who have had to fight the daily battle against sin and evil? In other words, if baptism is not required in some circumstances, then how can it not be thought that Baptism will not be required in any circumstance?
Can you not see the basic truth of this topic? Jesus said if we are not bapitzed by water and spirit, we will not enter the kingdom of God. Jesus did not qualify His remarks and we cannot qualify them for Him.
