M
Mr.Ex_Nihilo
Guest
Limbo is a theory within Catholicism’s continuum of revelation dating back to the Scriptures. I’m not saying that the theory of limbo stretches back to the Gospels-- because it can be dated back to St. Augustine if I recall correctly. Rather, limbo is a theory which emerged from Catholicism’s investigation into the God’s truth which was revealed back from the time of Christ.
Nonetheless, it has always troubled many Catholic theologians that a loving God would allow unbaptized babies to go into eternal torment due to their lack of baptism-- a sacrament which is required defintely required by Catholic theology for one’s entrance into the beautific glory of God.
Limbo was proposed theoretically as a middle-ground so to speak, between those who weren’t evil and therefore could not be fairly damned into hell and those who were not baptized and therefore could not be fairly blessed into heaven.
Myself, I have much misgivings toward this theory. Even as a Catholic, I’ve never liked it. St. Augustine was an excellent theologian in his defense against Arianism, but sometimes I think he was way too harsh in his defense too.
For example, we read something like this…
No. Actually, this is not indubitable truth. I am most certain that God can and will save these tender infants.
Indeed, Christ himself says, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Christ elsewhere says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Certainly, if we see the kingdom of heaven when we look to these little ones, and if indeed the Lord’s angels smile toward heaven on their behalf, I would hardly think that God would be powerless to save these little innocent ones.
We Catholics even have declared that many children, particularly the Holy Innocents, are considered saints-- that is, part of the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of supernatural offices.
And yet it is well known that some of these children were never baptized. In other words, Christ must have baptized them by some other means in order to enter into their beatific vision with God.
When one considers Christ’s words regarding the little ones, and when one considers the various Catholic children saints, I am simply perplexed as to why anyone would argue as St. Augustine did regarding this issue.
I know that his intentions were good. In fact, I’m positive that St. Augustine said these things to protect the children who were not being baptized-- so I wouldn’t dimiss his thoughts easilly without much prayerful consideration on the matter.
Nonetheless, while he was certainly right on so many things – brilliant beyond almost any other saint that I can think of theologically – all the same, he seems to have started a very powerful trend regarding the theory of limbo.
All in all, I think that this theory has had negative consequences within Catholicism. It even seems to me that groups, such as the Anabaptists, rejected the sacrament of baptism for infants more out of contempt for theories like this than anything else.
If the Holy Spirit is willling, I, for one, will be glad to see this theory be let go by the Magisterium. We need to focus more on how God loves these children all the while increasing the instruction in Catholcism to baptize children out of their love for God-- not fear of his wrath.
