Ed. note: In theological terms, the end of limbo is another example of the declining influence of Augustinian anthropology in the Roman Catholic Church. The redefinition of the dogma of the the “Immaculate Conception” is another indication.
Wall Street Opinion Journal KENNETH L. WOODWARD Friday, January 13, 2006
When word went out from Rome recently that the pope’s theological advisers were prepared to abandon the idea of “limbo,” it was clear that the medieval notion of a place where unbaptized infants, among others, go was as good as dead. Two decades ago, when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was new to his role as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he said that he personally thought the church should “let [limbo] drop, since it has always been only a theological hypothesis.” Now, as Pope Benedict XVI, he can have his way.
But this is a case of a pope validating a change in the church, not creating one on his own. Time was when infants were routinely baptized at birth or shortly thereafter to ensure that they would not, through crib death or other misfortune, be denied access to heaven. Now, Catholic priests and parents wait weeks or even months to perform the ceremony–a clear sign that they no longer take the idea of limbo seriously. The limp reaction of the Catholic press–a nod here and there, but mostly a yawn–is further evidence that limbo has already died the death of indifference.
