Limbo? Now that the Catholic church is getting rid of the idea of Limbo-Will they also get rid of Purgatory?

Question

We know for a fact that a lot of the Catholic doctrine is not based on biblical teachings, so now that somebody woke up and decided to get rid of the "Limbo" doctrine will they correct all the other teachings and doctrines that are wrong with the church?

Answer 1

since there is no biblical 'purgatory' they should 'get rid' of that as well.

Answer 2

Limbo was never an official teaching of the Catholic Church. It was just a popular tradition that grew up in an effort to reconcile the apparent contradiction between Christ's statement that no-one could enter the Kingdom without baptism, vs. what we know of a just, loving and merciful God who would surely not send unbaptized children to hell. While the Church has never condemned the idea, or said that a Catholic could not believe it, the Pope a few years back once again reiterated that it was not official Catholic teaching, and strongly discouraged Catholics from accepting the idea. The Church's official position on unbaptized children who die, as stated in the catechism of the Catholic Church, is that "we entrust them to the mercy of God". Of course Purgatory is "on the books". It is a core doctrinal belief of original and true Christianity, and as such CANNOT be changed or omitted. the Bible wouldn't tell us to pray for the dead if Purgatory didn't exist. Those in heaven have no need of prayer, and those in hell cannot benefit from prayer. Of course, if you are Protestant, you are missing that part of the Holy Bible, since your founder trashed 7 books of God's holy word that every Christian on earth has used for the previous 1,200 years.

Answer 3

I did all my elementary and secondary schooling with nuns and priests, religion was a compulsory subject, you couldn't graduate if you failed religion. I remember I always had a hard time accepting Limbo and Purgatory. They taught that till it came out of our ears. If someone had the misfortune of being hit by a bus and dying in the state of mortal sin, which included missing Mass on Sunday, eating fish on Friday, your soul went straight to purgatory until Redemption Day came along.

If anyone died without receiving the sacrament of Baptism, they went straight to limbo. I remember asking the sisters, "but why would a poor baby who died right after birth go to limbo?"...they used to reply, "the baby has to be baptised"...I used to ask "is that limbo forever"...the answer was always the same, "yes".

I could never accept these teaching back then and I still can't now (especially since this happened to me).

I believe God is all-loving and all-forgiving, so I KNOW absolutely that He would not send an innocent baby to limbo, for all eternity.

So, I don't know any more if it's doctrine or just the teachings of a group of clergy, but I cannot live believing these teachings. I think the Church MUST update itself if it wants to survive.

Answer 4

Limbo has NEVER been Catholic doctrine, but rather it was used theologically to explain what happened to children who died without baptism. The Doctine of Purgatory actually IS based on Sacred Scripture despite the denials of some less informed Christians. The nearest that the Catechism of the Catholic Church comes to referreing to the idea of limbo (not doctrine, it never has been doctrine) is the following:

"#1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism."

Answer 5

Does the Catholic Church still believe in limbo, a place for unbaptized babies to go if they die without baptism?

The Catholic Church never "believed" in limbo. The existence of limbo for unbaptized infants is not part of divine revelation, but rather was and is an educated theological "guess." The term was coined by St. Augustine of Hippo and literally means "fringe." This came about because God has not chosen to reveal what happens to deceased unbaptized infants. We know that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation (John 3:5) because God revealed this. We also know that something called "baptism of desire" is possible. Since unbaptized infants seem incapable of any "desire" or act of their will, theologians have speculated throughout the ages about their destiny in this context St. Augustine thought that it would be an offense against God's justice to suppose He would allow such creatures to suffer any pain, but that rather God places such infants in a state of "natural," but not supernatural happiness for eternity. This he called "limbo." Other theologians say that God's "universal salvific will" (1 Timothy 2:4) includes unbaptized people who do not have the use of reason when they die and that they enjoy supernatural happiness by some means we do not now know. Catholics are free to believe or disbelieve in limbo. What happens to unbaptized people who do not have the use of reason and who die in that state is an open question. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 1261.

The Catholic Church is not getting rid of the idea of Limbo.
(Where did you pick that up???)
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As for Purgatory, there is no point in getting rid of it at all as it is a place of suffering for those who must be cleansed to enter Heaven. It is revealed in Sacred Scripture.

Answer 6

As others have said, the existence of Limbo has always been just a religious theory and not doctrine or dogma. The Bible does not tell us what happens to babies who die before they are baptized. Those who state that babies go to heaven are creating their own doctrine that is not supported by the Bible.

Purgatory is the process by which a soul that is on its way to heaven is purified and made perfect by the grace of God. This is a matter of doctrine and being such, will not be gotten rid of.

Answer 7

+ Sources of Doctrine +

Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 AD.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?

We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2)

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect1chpt2.htm#80

+ Limbo +

The Church has pondered the suggestion of Limbo for a few hundred years and has decided that it is not a good idea. Limbo was never official doctrine.

Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:15-16)

For centuries, people have wondered about children who died before they were baptized. The Bible does not explicitly state that they will go to heaven.

Limbo was suggested as the place where unbaptized babies went when they died. This idea was never official Church doctrine and has been rejected.

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.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#1261

+ Purgatory +

"But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." (1 Cor 3:15)

"So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet 1:7)

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings.

Depending on the amount of change needed by different people, this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on his or her way to heaven.

I do not think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art12.htm

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Short answer,Limbo was never Catholic official doctrine,Purgatory however is.

Answer 9

It be a good idea since the teaching of a Purgatory really cant be supported by scripture.I wasted alot of good sleep time praying for those down there when i was a Catholic in high school. What a waste of time! arrgh!

Answer 10

Yes, I hope so. This will be a relief to those in that faith. I was a Catholic and never did believe that babies went to limbo. See, I was a free thinker. It is best to keep doctrine according to scripture.

Answer 11

Geesh. For the one thousandth time, limbo was never a doctrine. Purgatory is.

You say you know for a fact that Catholic doctrine is not biblically based - I say you obviously do not know what our teaching even is.

And the Church changed nothing.