Pope says there's no Limbo does this mean everyone is born in a state of grace?

Question

"If there's no limbo and we're not going to revert to St. Augustine's teaching that unbaptized infants go to hell, we're left with only one option, namely, that everyone is born in the state of grace," said the Rev. Richard McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.

"Baptism does not exist to wipe away the "stain" of original sin, but to initiate one into the Church," he said in an e-mailed response

Answer 1

No.

Actually the Church is saying that it does not know.

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.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

I think that until you reach the age of understanding (when you can for Cognitive thought) you aren't without sin, because you are born with a sin nature. It says in the bible that you are born with the original sin. But until you reach the age of understanding which in psychology is around the time you hit puberty if you die you do not go to hell. It has nothing to do with baptism. You dont have to be baptized to be saved. In Orthodox Judaism and in Messianic Judaism (well I guess every Form of Judaism but I havent studied them so I can say for sure) they do a Micvah (I think I am spelling that wrong but it is 05:30 and I'm half Asleep ) , which is like a baptism for women it is done once a month, the week that you get married and after childbirth. It is to symbolize that you "clean" to go into the Temple. Men do the Micvah when ever they do something that would make them ceremonially Unclean. But there is no Limbo there is Heaven or Hell... it says in the bible for a believer To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Which stands to reason for a non believer to be absent from the body is to be present in Hell.

Answer 3

The Pope didn't say there was no Limbo. What he did was approve 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 these infants MAY be saved, the possibility still exists that they go somewhere other than Heaven.

Some advice -- do not listen to anything McBrien says. He is known inside the Church for his heresy and slimy deceitful ways.

Answer 4

A lot of the questions that Christians and catholics have can be found by reading the Jewish Old Testament. (I say Jewish because if you're a catholic, you have 7 added books, called the apocrypha, that are not inspired by the Holy Spirit).

There is an "age of accountability" described in th OT
(21 years of age) where the man has been trained in the ways of God and now makes a decision for himself to follow or concede. It is believed that before this age, a person does not fully understand and is not accoutable for his actions.
These men were trained in the laws of God from the time they popped out of the womb so there was many years to cultivate their mind.

Today, it's not an exact age (neither was it back then, but 21 was the average), but it's more or less you are accountable when you hear the gospel and accept it or deny it.

So, although yes, we are born with the stain of original sin, we are not held to the fullest accountability until we truly understand that either... YES, I accept the gospel and will follow....OR
Yes, I understand, but I still refuse to accept it as my way of life.

Answer 5

I think this sort of statement from the pope is a case of lets put our own interpretaion on things........for hundreds of years folks believed in limbo some may even have found comfort in the concept.....but who cares lets take all of that away.....cos God tells me to.
Cynical maybe.....but the church is swayed this way and that too often by man made concepts. God is to be prayed to and if the God you believe in would not harm an infant surely that is good enough......the dictum from those who should keep quiet is to be treated with cynicsm

Answer 6

There is NO Limbo as you state. A child is Born Innocent UNTIL the age of Accountability. (which only God knows). Baptizing Infants is UNSCRIPITUAL, and should NOT be done. Baptizing is being Submerged UNDER the water. One can dedicate a child to God though. The pope is just a man and IS NOT GOD, so it does not matter what he says. The answer is in the Scriptures, the Holy Word of God.

Answer 7

It's not up to the Pope to decide. The Bible says we are all born sinners and are saved by the grace of God through Jesus's perfect sacrifice for sin. Baptism is not required for salvation.

Answer 8

There's never been a place called Limbo. "In limbo" is Latin for "on the edge". At one time, it was thought that the virtuous unbaptised went to Hell, but were not subjected to its torments. Instead, they hovered around the edge - in limbo.

Be concerned about your own relationship with God. Leave discussion about what happens to unbaptised infants to Popes and theologians.

Answer 9

I concur, however, the sins of the parents can and do visit themselves upon the children. A "state of grace" means unearned salvation and unmerited favor, which is pretty much what we all get in the long run.

Answer 10

'Stain of original Sin' Is that why the Catholic church does not allow birth control as such. What a strange doctrine full of hypocrisy.

Sorry not answered your question but felt I had to have a rant.