Letters

Limbo (letter)

John Young

Contents - Feb 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: New religion texts for Melbourne schools - Michael Gilchrist Tasmanian priest to be Lismore's new bishop - AD2000 Report Bishop Wilson of Wollongong to be the future Archbishop of Adelaide - AD2000 Report News: The Church Around the World New RE texts launched in Melbourne's Catholic schools - Michael Gilchrist The finest RE texts produced to date - Anthony Cappello Liturgy: when will the 'Statement of Conclusions' make an impact? - Michael Gilchrist Religious persecution continues in Vietnam - AD2000 Report The "priest shortage": natural or artificial? - Larry A. Carstens Successful Thomas More Spring School in Wagga - Paul Sheehan A former heroin addict's personal testimony Archbishop Pell opens drug rehabilitation centre - Dr Joseph Santamaria Letters: Feminist book (letter) Letters: Church in China (letter) - Angela Martello Letters: Limbo (letter) - John Young Letters: Waste of resources (letter) - Shane Dore Letters: Vocations (letter) - Mrs Irena Nagy Letters: G.K. Chesterton (letter) - Tony Evans Letters: 'Creating Our Future' (letter) - Mrs Jeanette Joseph Letters: Consecrated life (letter) - Sr Mary Augustine Lane OP Letters: New Age spirituality (letter) - Frances Grundy Letters: Recipe for decline (letter) - K. Logan Letters: Sermons (letter) - Bernie Lewis Letters: Anti-Catholicism (letter) - Kevin Tighe Letters: Christian art (letter) - Kim Portelli Letters: Science and Christianity (letter) - Mrs Carol V. Phillips Books: 'The Essence Of Feminism' by Kirsten Birkett - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: 'The Sacred Liturgy', 'Discovering the Mass', by a Benedictine monk - Christopher Quinn (reviewer) Books: 'Pope Pius XII: Architect For Peace' by Margherita Marchione - Michael Daniel (reviewer) New patterns of religious vocations in France Reflection: The essential role of the Catholic priest - Fr John A. Hardon SJ

Grahame Fallon (November AD2000) quotes Pope John Paul's words that aborted babies are now "living in the Lord". But that expression should not be taken as a denial of limbo, for souls in limbo have great natural happiness and a knowledge and love of God.

It is widely asserted today that unbaptised babies go to heaven, but this view is not supported by Tradition, the teachings of the Church's magisterium, or that of the vast majority of theologians through the ages. The solid teaching of the great Fathers, doctors and theologians from the early centuries onwards is that, apart possibly from exceptional cases, unbaptised babies do not go to heaven.

This is supported by the Second General Council of Lyons in 1274 and the General Council of Florence in 1439. It is the teaching of the Catechism of the Council of Trent.

In 1980 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an Instruction on Infant Baptism which, having reviewed the Church's teaching and practice through the ages, stated: "The Church has thus shown by her teaching and practice that she knows no other way apart from baptism for assuring children's entry into eternal happiness."

The Code of Canon Law states: "Parents are obliged to see that their children are baptised within the first few weeks" (canon 867).

JOHN YOUNG
Eastwood, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 1 (February 2001), p. 13