Saturday, October 07, 2006

Pope Benedict to Reject the Idea of Limbo

According to many reports that I missed yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI rejected the notion of limbo yesterday. This move comes following the report from a theological commission that said unbaptized children who die before reaching the age of reason go to heaven.
To Catholics of generations past, baptism wasn't something to be deferred until a convenient time, because the souls of infants who died without it were thought to be consigned to something other than heaven. Limbo.

Not quite heaven, not nearly hell, it was regarded as a place of eternal happiness that fell just short of paradise, reserved for unbaptized children and righteous souls who lived before Christ.


It was a widespread and influential teaching for centuries. But Pope Benedict XVI is expected today to reject the concept, endorsing the conclusions of a theological commission that said unbaptized children who die before reaching the age of reason go to heaven.


St. Augustine, an influential church father, theorized the existence of limbo in the fifth century, when entry to heaven was thought to be restricted to baptized Christians. Nobody wanted to believe God would send innocent souls to hell, so the saint theorized the existence of limbo.


"I call it `Paradise Park,'" said Larry Chapp, a professor of theology at DeSales University in Center Valley, evoking a kind of gilded Disneyland as he described the concept of a haven on the fringe of heaven.


The Catholic understanding of salvation has broadened since Augustine's day, but many still regard water baptism as essential to salvation.


Some confuse limbo with purgatory, where souls that have been saved but still must atone for their sins are cleansed before entering heaven. Unlike purgatory, which Catholics say is rooted in Scripture, limbo has no scriptural basis, Chapp said.
I'm not sure that is a big deal for the Catholic tradition, although any time they choose to override Augustine it will create some waves.

The interesting thing here is that this possibly sets a precedent for all those incapable of reason to not be excluded from heaven if they have not been baptized, such as the developmentally disabled, the mentally ill, and the senile. I'm sure the Church will stick with a strict age deliniation, but I wonder how that will work with the parents of an autistic child who is not functioning at the same level as another child of her/his age.

Or what about those who were once baptized and later, under the influence of schizophrenia, clinical depression, or the profound derangement of loss reject the teachings of the Church and the idea of God altogether.

I, for example, fall into this last group. I was baptized and confirmed. Then my father died when I was 13, and I rejected God, the Church, and the whole idea of God during the days following that loss. Was I outside the boundaries of reason that might be considered normal when I made that choice? Having lived nearly 27 years with that decision, I am lost and subject to purgatory? Or hell?

I think this will open up some interesting discussions for theology geeks, and that's always a lot of fun.


3 comments:

Steve said...

This new declaration by the Church merely reinforces my argument that Catholics can't argue that abortion is bad because it harms the fetus. On the contrary, it does the fetus the biggest favor that could ever be done to it. It guarantees its soul a one-way ticket to heaven.

Indeed, an argument could be made that a woman who has her fetus aborted is not necessarily committing the unspeakably selfish act she's often accused of. If she does it because she wants to be certain her "child" takes the "narrow" road to heaven rather than the "wide" path to hell that he may well take if he's born and lives to the "age of reason," and she does it knowing that her violation of God's command could send her to hell, she could be said to be committing the most selfless and self-sacrificial act of love imaginable.

Mark Tan said...

I guess you misunderstood, the pope did not reject the notion of limbo..

"the International Theological Commission(the body responsible for the report), though under the chairmanship of the CDF Prefect Levada holds the same amount of dogmatic magisterial authority as the Vatican Philatelic Bureau, or in other words, nil."

Some of the arguments that has been put forth against the limbo is contradicts the Catholic Faith.
http://markcephastan.blogspot.com/2007/04/baptism-not-needed.html
you can check out my blog to know more about this..

And about your arguments about mentally disabled people who are not baptized. God has bound salvation in the sacraments, in this case baptism. This is true. But God is not bound by the sacraments. God has gave us access to the ordinary means of salvation. But that does not mean that he cannot save men in an extraordinary fashion outside the boundaries of the Sacraments.

And about those baptised and left the faith. One is guilty of rejecting God only if he knowingly and freely chooses to do so. Those who are mentally ill does not fall under this category. And as for your case, (i'm not here to judge) I guess that at that time, you were in despair. Where all hope seemed to be gone. This situation is kind of similar to the Resurrection of Christ. When He died, the disciples fled in fear. All their efforts and time spent on Jesus seem to be wasted. They were afraid and hunted by the Jews, the whole world seem to be crumbling down on them. Only 3 days later when He rose from the dead did they understood why Jesus had to suffer and die. From then on, the disciples were filled with great joy. Perhaps your grief lasted much more than 3 days. But know that such things happen for a reason. God has always brought good things out of the bad stuff that happens. Sometimes, we just don't see that. And it is still not too late to turn back and seek the truth..

God bless!

Manick said...

Mark,

Three statements in your post stand out:

1. But God is not bound by the sacraments.
2. But know that such things happen for a reason.
3. God has always brought good things out of the bad stuff that happens.

In all three statements, it sounds like there is a place slightly above where God resides and from that perch you seem to have a view beyond God to almost utter those condescending words about God's performance.

Of one thing I am sure, common intelligence like you and I are definitely NOT above this notional intelligence we have invented as God.
Manick