What do you think about the Catholic Pope decllaring that Limbo does not exist?

Question

While growing up in as a child we were taught that if children were not baptized that they would go to Limbo when they died.

Answer 1

I have attained a ripe old age of 56, and during those years I have been witness to many changing things in this world EXCEPT THE WORD OF GOD!!! Christianity NEVER CHANGES while Mans Religion ALWAYS CHANGES!!! The Catholic Church is a Man Made Organization that is Fallable now matter what Innocent III (1198-1216) or Pius IX in 1854 say!!!!!! How ARROGANT for Pius IX to "Of his own authority, and without the cooperation of a Council," proclaim the Dogma of of the "Immaculate Conception of Mary", as a sort of feeler to the Roman Catholic World, on the question. It's reception enboldened him to call the Vatican Council (1870) for the express purpose of having Himself declared "Infallible", which, under his skillful manipulation, they did. The decree reads that it is "divinly revealed" that the Pope, when he speaks "ex cathedra" is "possessed of Infallability in defining doctrines fo faith and morals," and that "such definitions are "IRREFORMABLE." And so the Pope now claims Infallibility, because the Vatican Council, at his bidding, so voted. The Eastern Church considered this the Papacy's Crowning Blasphemy. Now ask yourselves, if what Pius IX did was "IRREFORMABLE" how is it that this "New Edict" (or ANY EDICT FROM MAN) is / was ACTUALLY "Divinley Inspired", (and it was NOT) when by the "Churchs" own "Rules / Dogma" it CAN'T BE DONE??? Christianity has always referred to an "Age of Accountability" concerning the death of children & never has been changed because it is the TRUTH & it DOES SET U FREE!!! John

Answer 2

As Kris said, religion gets refined.
Grannie Annie gives her theory, but she simply proves why anyone thought up Limbo in the first place. How do you reconcile God's love with the statement by Jesus that unless you are born again of water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven? Literalists will have to say that unbaptized babies go to hell: the Catholic church actually grapples with the issue, and tries to remain faithful to the fulness of what the Bible reveals about God, rather than just a phrase here or there.

Answer 3

>>What do you think about the Catholic Pope decllaring that Limbo does not exist?<<

He did no such thing. He approved a document that states, "The conclusion of this study is that there are theological and liturgical reasons to HOPE that infants who die without baptism MAY be saved and brought into eternal happiness even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in revelation." (emphasis mine)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070420/ts_nm/pope_limbo_dc_2

If we can only HOPE that these infants MAY go to Heaven, the possibility still exists that they go elsewhere.

Answer 4

Limbo replaced into not in any respect an professional doctrine of the church; even with the actual undeniable actuality that, some theologians supported this view. Purgatory is a doctrine. Doctrines or dogmas do not replace. it might nicely be wonderful tuned for further effectual definition, contained in the gentle of up to date revelation, even if it received't replace. reason: God's word does no longer replace.

Answer 5

I wish people thought carefully before answering this question. It was St Agustine of Hippo [AD 354-430] who first suggested the posibility of 'limbo'. He was wrong in this (and some other) respects.

The Roman 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 God 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 Augustine 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. Roman 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. For further "official" RC teaching, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 1261.

Answer 6

Since the concept of limbo was CREATED by the Catholic Church, shouldn't they be able to decide that they were wrong and change their minds?

This is what happens when you allow a book or an organized religion or ANYONE tell you what the 'truth' is. You never really know if it's actually true or not.

Answer 7

I think that he needs to look at all of the rest of the Catholic doctrine and see what else doesn't line up with scripture.

This instance is a good example. Much of what the Catholic church teaches is not biblical. For the head of that church to say now, oh that is not true, does that cause you to wonder what else is not true?

A brief list:
purgatory is not biblical (not sure if that is what is meant by limbo)
praying to saints - not biblical
saying that Mary is co-redeemer with Christ - not biblical
saying that the eucharist is the actual body of Christ - not biblical.
etc.....

The best thing you can do is to read and study the bible for yourself. Ask yourself, do I want to be part of a religion or do I want a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The bible says that only through a relationship with Jesus Christ are we saved. Put your faith in Him and in the bible rather than an in traditions of a church.

"The righteous shall live by faith." Habakkuk 2:4

Here is a web site that might be interesting to you:
http://www.reachingcatholics.org/

Answer 8

Limbo was never truly a part of the Catholic church, so now the Pope is just saying that there is no way in hell that limbo exists....

Answer 9

It's okay. The belief in limbo was never an official church doctrine, but it was a strong belief that was not discouraged. Now how about the rest of the paganism in the Church, like:

the trinity

the hellfire doctrine

the immortality of the human soul

worshiping the cross, a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years

pagan holidays, like Easter, Christmas, and Easter

Will the pope recall all of this paganism too?

Answer 10

I think it was the right thing to do for all the devout people out there worried about their children and babies. It isn't right to make them feel like they failed a child who was not on this earth very long. I don't beleive in that mumbo-jumbo, but for those who do and were affected by it, I think it must take a burden off of them. now lets get that birth control thing started...