Limbo

[Caedmon]

I was talking to a "traditional", pre-Vatican II Catholic tonight, and this person said that Protestants don't go to Heaven, but they don't go to Hell either. S/he said they go to Limbo. S/he said that since a Protestant denies Mary, for whatever reason, a Protestant is not allowed into Heaven. I said, "I define Hell as a place where God is not." S/he then proceeded to tell me that Jesus and Mary visit the souls in Limbo. What is this... some sort of second rate Heaven? Is this the stables, or the back kitchen or something? What is up with this?! I need some answers.

 

[jukesk9]

Your friend is someone who didn't pay attention in Catechism Classes. There is no such thing as limbo. It was a popular theological theory in the Middle Ages, especially in regards to answer the question, "Where do unbaptized babies go when they die?" The Church never officially endorsed it nor did she ever officially teach limbo. I do hear it's a pretty cool dance at parties, though.

 

[sklippstein]

Limbo, I believe, was once the term used in place of purgatory. Purgatory does exist.........please see the thread referring to this.

 

[Caedmon]

Originally posted by sklippstein
Limbo, I believe, was once the term used in place of purgatory. Purgatory does exist.........please see the thread referring to this.

No, s/he believes that Limbo is a seperate place. S/he says there is Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and Limbo.

 

[sklippstein]

hmmmmmmm, i do remember my mom telling me about "limbo", but I thought she referred to it as Purgatory.......how could there be another?

 

[jukesk9]

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09256a.htm

Explains the Church's position on Limbo.  Doing a search of the Catechism online, the word "limbo" does not appear in it.

 

[sklippstein]

Jukes, at one time the word "limbo" was a catholic terminology......i do remember the word, but haven't heard it used in a long time. I naturally assumed (ooooh bad) that it referred to Purgatory.

 

[Caedmon]

Originally posted by jukesk9
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09256a.htm Explains the Church's position on Limbo.

I had already found that entry, but soon decided it was flights above my head, LOL!

Doing a search of the Catechism online, the word "limbo" does not appear in it.

That is actually a very interesting point. When I looked it up in the Catechism and couldn't find it, I said, "Hmmm..."

 

[Caedmon]

How valid is my friend's belief on Limbo? Is it a reliable theory? Do major Catholic theologians believe similarly?

 

[jukesk9]

Nope. I say it's an invalid theory which was at one time somewhat embraced by theologians in the Middle Ages but never endorsed nor taught by the Church. I believe that we would be hearing things on Limbo today but we're not. Scott Hahn doesn't teach it, Karl Keating doesn't teach it (people whom I would consider modern Catholic Theologians) and neither does the Catechism.

 

[Wolseley]

Okay, lemme see what I can do with this.

Purgatory exists. It is the place where you go to be cleansed of the remaining stains of venial sin.

Limbo was a theological theory thrown around by the Scholastic theologians in the High Middle Ages, based on a rather legalistic idea about baptism. The idea was, if baptism is necessary for salvation, and a baby dies before it's baptized, it can't go to heaven....but it can't go to hell, either, since it never committed any sins....so where does it go? "Limbo" was what they came up with. It has never been defined by the Church and has been pretty much shelved as a doctrine. Limbo is not to be confused with:

The Limbo of the Fathers, which is supposed to be the place where the OT saints went after death to await the coming of the Messiah; it is also known as Sheol. (Maybe this is what you heard, sklip---they're still not the same place, but the Limbo of the Fathers is a closer concept to Purgatory than Limbo is.)

Howzat?

 

[devoted]

Limbo and purgatory is NOT the same thing at all and never was.

From what I understand a person can believe in a sort of limbo for the un baptized babies. This also in no way is a form of hell. It is a blessed state but absent of the beatific vision.

The Church does not up hold the belief but it doesn't condemn anyone for using it either. (I think.) I'll see if I can find something more substantial.

No, I absolutely do not think Protestants go there. I do how ever believe that God will give them the opportunity to accept the fullness of his truth that has been revealed through the Catholic Church.

As far a Mary is concerned, when Mary greets them after their departure from this life then I am sure they will change their minds on her role.

 

[Caedmon]

I do not believe in Limbo at all. To think that there is a seperate place from Heaven where people that do not go to Hell go to... that seems ridiculous to me. I mean, why in the world have a place seperate from Heaven where "Jesus and Mary visit"? If God is not there, then I call it Hell.

Then again, I guess my opinion doesn't count for much.