Infants dying before Baptism

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Nelka

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If somebody has died before Baptism, knowing that we must be baptised to gain entry to Heaven what about the Jews that died before Jesus that remained in Abraham’s Bosom who then made their way to Heaven? What about someone on a remote island many years ago where the Gospel hadn’t reached and had lived a good life?

I always thought infants dying before baptism would suffer in Purgatory for the original sin and then make it to Heaven.

If Hitler repented and confessed before death he would be spending quite some time in Purgatory but an almost innocent baby?

Any thoughts?

Thanks.
 
Nelka said:
If somebody has died before Baptism, knowing that we must be baptised to gain entry to Heaven what about the Jews that died before Jesus that remained in Abraham’s Bosom who then made their way to Heaven? What about someone on a remote island many years ago where the Gospel hadn’t reached and had lived a good life?

I always thought infants dying before baptism would suffer in Purgatory for the original sin and then make it to Heaven.

If Hitler repented and confessed before death he would be spending quite some time in Purgatory but an almost innocent baby?

Any thoughts?

Thanks.
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I have no idea about the righteous Jews who lived before Christ who waiting within Abraham’s bosom, but I assume they went to heaven. A person on a remote island who had no access to the Gospel would be given a chance, as there was no chance that a missionary would land on a specific remote island to evangelize a random person. Had that person lived a good life, they would be given a chance at heaven, although I don’t know the specifics. Infants dying before baptism are just a sad thing of life, as we can only entrusted their spirit to God, but we have no idea where they go. Some say Purgatory, others say straight to to beatific vision, but in my opinion they head to a “limbo” area because those unbaptised infants DID have original sin, therefore they can’t attain the beatific vision.
As for Hitler, I have absolutely no idea.
 
Infants are commended to the great mercy of God.
indeed, those slaughtered by Herod has referred to as the Holy Innocents.
Trust God.
He has it all in hand.
Peace.
 
pianistclare said:
Infants are commended to the great mercy of God.
indeed, those slaughtered by Herod has referred to as the Holy Innocents.
Trust God.
He has it all in hand.
Peace.
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Err… I read about a Limbo of the Children, like Abraham’s bosom, but they are taught by angels. They will be brought up at the end.
 
pianistclare said:
Infants are commended to the great mercy of God.
indeed, those slaughtered by Herod has referred to as the Holy Innocents.
Trust God.
He has it all in hand.
Peace.
Click to expand...
Thank you Clare! As one who’s lost a precious miracle in the womb, this is very comforting! :hug1:

OP: You will get a whole range of answers on here about this subject. One time some poster had the audacity to tell me my child was in hell. :mad: :slapfight: It was all I could do not to tell them where to go, if ya know what I mean. :o
 
Upgrade25 said:
Err… I read about a Limbo of the Children, like Abraham’s bosom, but they are taught by angels. They will be brought up at the end.
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The Church now says that it is not sure what happens to unbaptized babies when they die but she entrusts them to the mercy of God.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1261: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2s…
 
Convert_in_99 said:
Thank you Clare! As one who’s lost a precious miracle in the womb, this is very comforting! :hug1:

OP: You will get a whole range of answers on here about this subject. One time some poster had the audacity to tell me my child was in hell. :mad: :slapfight: It was all I could do not to tell them where to go, if ya know what I mean. :o
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Actually, St. Augustine did teach that unbaptized infants went to Hell, because only the baptized could get to Heaven. But since the idea of people being sent to Hell for no fault of their own seems incredibly harsh for an all-loving God, the popular theory of Limbo (never an official teaching of the Church, but a popular theory all the same) popped up. The theory was that Limbo, being the first circle of Hell, was a happy place that fell short of the glory of Heaven. But, as stated before, it was a popular theory that was never dogmatically defined. The Church now officially teaches that simply, we don’t know what happens to unbaptized infants (or any unbaptised person who dies without knowing/understanding that baptism is necessary for salvation). We simply offer them up to the Divine Mercy of God. But this is why anyone (even a non-Christian) can baptize in case of emergency - so that we have no doubt. As for miscarriages and stillbirths, I personally believe that God will have them in Heaven, because, had the babies been borne alive, their parents would have had them baptized.
 
powerofk said:
Actually, St. Augustine did teach that unbaptized infants went to Hell, because only the baptized could get to Heaven. But since the idea of people being sent to Hell for no fault of their own seems incredibly harsh for an all-loving God, the popular theory of Limbo (never an official teaching of the Church, but a popular theory all the same) popped up. The theory was that Limbo, being the first circle of Hell, was a happy place that fell short of the glory of Heaven. But, as stated before, it was a popular theory that was never dogmatically defined. The Church now officially teaches that simply, we don’t know what happens to unbaptized infants (or any unbaptised person who dies without knowing/understanding that baptism is necessary for salvation). We simply offer them up to the Divine Mercy of God. But this is why anyone (even a non-Christian) can baptize in case of emergency - so that we have no doubt. As for miscarriages and stillbirths, I personally believe that God will have them in Heaven, because, had the babies been borne alive, their parents would have had them baptized.
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Clare had it right. And, the earthly words of the saints are trumped by the teaching authority of the Church.
 
Neofight said:
Clare had it right. And, the earthly words of the saints are trumped by the teaching authority of the Church.
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I never said I disagreed with Clare. I just simply stated where the former poster got his/her information about unbaptized babies going to Hell. Regardless, we must always trust in God’s Mercy.
 
Please note last line in paragraph 1257 and first line in paragraph1260 of the universal Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition.

**1257 **
The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

**1260 **
“Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.” Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.
 
powerofk said:
I never said I disagreed with Clare. I just simply stated where the former poster got his/her information about unbaptized babies going to Hell. Regardless, we must always trust in God’s Mercy.
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I took your post as meaning such.
 
If I (a big-time sinner), somehow made it to heaven, but my perfectly innocent in all things save original sin (which is again no fault of HER own) baby did not, I’d be having a few words of utter confusion and disbelief with the Man in Charge. :o
 
Convert_in_99 said:
If I (a big-time sinner), somehow made it to heaven, but my perfectly innocent in all things save original sin (which is again no fault of HER own) baby did not, I’d be having a few words of utter confusion and disbelief with the Man in Charge. :o
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Please refer to the designated sentences in post 10.
They speak about innocent children including babies in the womb.
 
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