(Not) Everybody Limbo!

Theological ineffability from the Vatican, as the Pope proclaims that babies who die unbaptized don’t necessarily end up in Limbo, but may very well go to Heaven.

Maybe.

It all seems like it’s theological hair-splitting about Things Unknowable (as Ginny puts it, “Next week: the Pope announces just exactly how many angels can do the foxtrot on the head of a pin (hint: fewer than can do the jitterbug, because of all the extra space needed for the fancy moves).”), but aside from trying to make proclamations about trivia not formally covered by Catholic theology, there may be some reasons for focusing on the question of infant salvation.

Although Catholics have long believed that children who die without being baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, the church has no formal doctrine on the matter. Theologians have long taught, however, that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in communion with God.

Pope John Paul II and Benedict had urged further study on limbo, in part because of “the pressing pastoral needs” sparked by the increase in abortion and the growing number of children who die without being baptized, the report said.

In the document, the commission said there were “serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and brought into eternal happiness.”

Now, I can offer the same guess hope (I’m more of a universalist myself), but, then, I’m not claiming any sort of authority or knowledge ex cathedra.  And, to be sure, neither the commission nor the Pope are claiming absolute certainty here …

It stressed, however, that “these are reasons for prayerful hope, rather than grounds for sure knowledge.”

Ladaria said no one could know for certain what becomes of unbaptized babies since Scripture is largely silent on the matter.

Which makes you wonder what then the point of the Formal Study and Papal Endorsement of Same.

Of course, it also makes one wonder when, if infants are (maybe) safely saved, the implicit “age of toddler damnmation” actually begins.  Or, at least, when the commission and the Pope deem it to be.