In Catholicism, can you go to heaven without being baptized?
For most of the last 800 years, the answer was no. From about the beginning of the 13th century to the middle of the 20th, Catholic doctrine held that, without being absolved of original sin through baptism, unbaptized children and unbaptized adults who lived virtuously went to limbo after death. But limbo, which was never officially defined as Catholic dogma, has long been troubling to Catholics who could not understand why God would deny admittance to Heaven to children who had not sinned themselves. In the 1960s, limbo began to go out of favor, and it was eventually omitted from the catechism. In April of this year, a Vatican-appointed panel of theologians declared limbo a "problematic" concept, inconsistent with a God that "wants all human beings to be saved," and announced that Catholics were free to disregard the doctrine.
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Comments (7)
Many teachings of the Catholic church are not directly gleaned from Scripture, but rather decided upon by men. If the Catholic church were to more closely examine those things that they teach, they may see that many contradict either the literal text or the intent of Scripture. There is a reason so many things are not Dogma - no one in the history of the church has been comfortable enough with them to declare absolutely that they are true.
Posted July 3, 2007 10:50 PM
Posted on July 3, 2007 22:50
The willingness to shed the limbo doctrine after hundreds of years is a positive direction for the new Pope. One hopes he will continue to question the source of other such beliefs the Church has burdened its beloved with for so many years.
Posted June 29, 2007 10:38 AM
Posted on June 29, 2007 10:38
There is a special place in heaven for children and adults who were where never Baptized.
Posted June 28, 2007 8:59 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 20:59
There is a special place in heaven for children and adults who were where never Baptized.
Posted June 28, 2007 8:59 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 20:59
Limbo is not a Dogma
Posted June 28, 2007 8:51 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 20:51
Limbo is not a Dogma
Posted June 28, 2007 8:50 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 20:50
Limbo is not a Dogma
Posted June 28, 2007 8:50 PM
Posted on June 28, 2007 20:50