Does a baby have a soul as soon as it is conceived?

[adavies]

I had a miscarriage at 11 weeks but the baby had died at probably 7 weeks. I do not know if it was a boy or a girl or even if it had formed correctly and it is killing me that I do not know if it had a soul or what has happened to that soul. Does a baby have a soul as soon as it is conceived and will it be waiting in heaven?

 

[Leonie_Ambrose]

adavies,

May God bless you in your loss. Please know that we at Catholic Answers are praying for your healing. The following links should assist you in better understanding the Catholic Church’s teaching on when life begins as well as the norms for burying miscarried and aborted babies. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**

• Did John Paul II affirm that life begins at conception?
• [The souls of Aborted & Miscarried Babies (http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=10162)
• [Where do miscarried babies go? (http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=38908)