The Church has never taught that unbaptized infants do not go to heaven nor that they go to hell. It has also never taught that babies are destined for Limbo (a place of peace unknown to us).
The idea of Limbo was simply a theory, not a dogmatic teaching. Its misrepresentation by individuals from inside/outside of the Church is exactly the reason for the teaching authority of the Church. Truth does not speak with opposing voices but with one authoritative voice. St. Paul states “I write you this without haste in the case that I might be delayed. Know this first of all that you might know how to behave in the household of the Lord, the foundation of Truth, the Church.”
This is why the Church does not and cannot dogmatically teach error on points of faith and morals (MT 16). This is not to say that there aren’t individuals within the Church who try to advance personal agendas. After all, we all have a Judas in our midst.
For instance, many Protestant assemblies used to prohibit unbaptized children from being buried in their cemeteries. They were buried in areas outside of cemeteries in what was considered to be unconsecrated ground, as not to taint the baptized remains of others nor where they were buried. Who withheld their baptism? Was it God? No! Was it the Holy Spirit? No! Was it the Church? No! It was Protestant doctrine and those who followed it.
It makes me recall Sacred Scripture “Jesus became indignant with them (the Apostles) saying ‘Keep not the little children from me for theirs too is the kingdom of God.’”
The Church does not teach that non-Catholics are destined for hell. It amazes me how self-directed society has become. “The great thinkers” seem to be fearfully self-conscience on an unconscience level.
The Church does not judge the eternal placement of souls. The Church is His bride, not the groom. Those judgments are for the last day…not today (as taught by Paul). Yet, the words of Ignatius (107 AD) within 70 years of Christ’s crucifixion describe the Church as singularly Catholic (in writing), so must her Truth be singular.
What the Church actually teaches is that all grace on earth flows through the Catholic (Universal) Church (just as it used to do through Judaism for that was with whom God had made His Covenant). Christ Jesus satisfied the Old Covenant and established His New Covenant with His glorious bride, the Church. She speaks with, through, and for her husband, the Christ.
So, all of those who are saved are saved through the Catholic Church to which Christ is conjugally joined in his body, blood, soul, and divinity (the Eucharist), in which the fullness of His truth and his grace flows. We are only fully joined to Him when we partake of His true flesh and blood as He commanded. So, all grace (and thereby, salvation) flows through the bride to which he is joined (the two shall become one), the Catholic Church on earth.
We, as Chrisitans are bound by the sacraments of God. Yet, He who is God is bound by nothing. And thank goodness for that blessing because by the same logic His mercy is also bound by nothing. The thief on the cross comes to mind. So the Church does not judge the souls of individuals, but it is the conduit for their salvation as stated in Sacred Scripture.
As to science, the Catholic Church invented the University. The very word resigns itself to the “Universality of Truth”. It sprang from the monestaries that became to crowded with laymen studying under the clergy. More scientific discovery has originated in Catholic institutions and from Catholic thinkers than any other source. Medicine, seismology, and genetics are 3 that immediately come to mind. Individuals like St. Augustine, St. Thomas Acquinas, etc. have forever changed the course of philosophical study with their “revelations”.
The Church doesn’t teach that evolution doesn’t exist.But the form of evolution that is often propugated cannot be reconciled with science. But genetic research has identified that all humans are “factually” originating from a single pair of individuals (male and female) rather than lower species. HMMM…sounds like Adam and Eve to me.
The Big Bang contains truth but falls short of absolute Truth. It theorizes that from a void sprang forth the universe in a surge of outward liberation of energy, matter, and anti-matter. The result was the Cosmos. Science attributes the action to a logical principle known as “Cause and Effect”. So far so good, but then there is a snag in the logic of the “enlightened ones”. Cause and Effect as a principle demands the identification of both. So, what was the first object (that, by its very nature, disproves a non-existential void) that was “effected”? What “Cause” first “Effected” what “object” which cannot exist in a void? You see, another law of science (not a theory) is that nothing can be produced from nothing (mass and matter requires substance).
Genesis says 6 days of Creation. Well, without a sun or moon for solar/lunar measure that could be billions of years (“To God a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day”). If you follow the order of Creation in GN you will see it matches general evolutionary theory. Let us also be intellectually honest and admit that God “dumbed down” Creation for us quite a bit; being quite nearly morons in comparison to God. The Church in her pursuit of Truth acknowledges science as a tool for man to understand and manipulate his environment. But, just as with free will, it can be abused as is so obvious in our society.
The rest must be left up to faith. To those who have no faith in the Church (the bride of Christ) I offer them my prayers and my sorrow for they provide themselves with no hope; not through an error of the Church (the bride of Christ) and her Truth but by an error of man. We have so many.
Yours in Christ,
Veritashunter
