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Q u i c k Q u e s t i o n s
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This Rock
Volume 5, Number 11
 November 1994 
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LIMBO FOR UNBAPTIZED BABIES?
Q: I heard that it's Church teaching that unbaptized babies
go to hell rather than limbo. Is this true?
A: No--but neither is it official teaching that they go
to limbo. The fate of unbaptized children has not been determined.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "As
regards children who have died without baptism, the Church can only
entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites
for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God, who desires that all men
should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children, which caused
him to say, `Let the children come to me, do not hinder them' [Mark
10:14, cf. 1 Tim. 2:4], allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation
for children who have died without baptism. All the more urgent is
the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ
through the gift of holy baptism" (CCC 1261).
The idea of limbo is a theological speculation about what happens
to people who depart this life in original sin (1 Cor. 15:22) but
without actual sin (Rom. 9:11). The only such people would be the
unborn, babies, young children, morons, and a few others. They lack
actual sin, so they would not be in hell, but they have original sin,
so they would not be in heaven. It was speculated that they would
be in a place of natural glory (limbo).
The basis for this speculation has been undercut by recent reflection
on God's salvific will. The Second Vatican Council stated, "For
since Christ died for all (Rom. 8:32) . . . we must hold that the
Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners,
in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" (Gaudiam
et Spes 22). This includes the young and those severely retarded.
If, in whatever mysterious way the person receives the offer, he accepts
it, then he has "baptism of desire" and goes to heaven.
If the person rejects the offer, then he has committed mortal sin
and goes to hell. Thus it can be argued that no one leaves this life
with original sin but without actual sin. People die either in a state
of grace or in a state of mortal sin.
Some have speculated about what form God's offer of salvation might
take to children. One suggestion is that he might enlighten them at
the moment of death and enable them to make a choice for or against
him. This possibility was endorsed by the nineteenth-century Catholic
theologian Heinrich Klee.
Another suggestion is that these persons may have a form of "baptism
of desire" through the desire of their parents, of the Church,
or of someone else. This would operate the way the faith of the Church
suffices to allow infants to be baptized, even though they lack faith
themselves. This idea ("vicarious baptism of desire") was
endorsed by Cardinal Cajetan at the time of the Reformation.
Q: I read in a priestly newsletter that deacons will ask
Rome for permission to offer the sacrament of holy anointing. Since
we were taught in seminary that this could only be offered by a priest,
I wonder how this might be done. What's next? "Extraordinary
ministers" of the sacrament of penance?
A: If some liberals who wish to dismantle the priesthood had
their way, it would be. But the Church will not allow deacons to celebrate
holy anointing, even though some have talked up this idea. The issue
was already infallibly settled at the Council of Trent.
In its Canons on Extreme Unction the council dealt
with the interpretation of James 5:14-15, which proclaims theinstitution
of the sacrament and directs the faithful to seek it from the presbyters
(the New Testament term for priests) of the Church: "If anyone
says that the priests of the Church, whom blessed James exhorts to
be brought to anoint the sick, are not the priests ordained by a bishop,
but the elders by age in each community, and that for this reason
a priest alone is not the proper minister of extreme unction, let
him be anathema [excommunicated]."
Whenever an ecumenical council issues an anathema (a solemn excommunication),
it dogmatically defines the issue being discussed by definitively
settling the controversy. Trent thus settled the question of whether
non-priests could celebrate this sacrament by ruling that "a
priest alone is . . . the proper minister of extreme unction"--the
sacrament known today as holy anointing. This canon is cited and its
teaching reinforced in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC 1516, cf. 1530).
The issue of who can celebrate the sacrament of penance is also definitively
settled. In its Decree on the Sacrament of Penance
(section 6), Trent stated, "With regard to the minister of this
sacrament the holy synod declares false and entirely foreign to the
truth of the gospel all doctrines which perniciously extend the ministry
of the keys to any other men besides bishops and priests." It
rendered the matter infallible in canon 10 of its Canons on
Penance: "If anyone says .. . that priests are not
the only ministers of absolution, but that [Matt. 18:18 and John 20:23]
were spoken also to each and all of the faithful . . . let him be
anathema."
Q: Are sacraments efficacious even if not understood by
the one receiving them? Doesn't grace require active cooperation of
faith, knowledge, and will?
A: When a sacrament gives us a grace requiring cooperation,
such as the grace to love our spouses, it does require
us to cooperate for that grace to manifest itself. But when a sacrament
gives us a grace that does not require action (such as sanctifying
grace), then our active cooperation is not required.
This is not to say that our passive cooperation is
not needed. Sacraments communicate their grace to us unless we put
obstacles in the way--but we can put obstacles
in the way.
For example, in order to receive the sacrament of matrimony, it is
necessary to be open to the essential properties of marriage, such
as unity and indissolubility. If, at the time the marriage is contracted,
one party is not open to the essential properties, the marriage will
not be valid. There will be no real marriage at all.
The Code of Canon Law says, "But if either or both parties through
a positive act of the will should exclude marriage itself, some essential
element, or an essential property of marriage, it is invalidly contracted"
(CIC 1102:2). But "Error concerning the unity, indissolubility,
or sacramental dignity of matrimony does not vitiate matrimonial consent
so long as it does not determine the will" (CIC 1099).
It is necessary to cooperate at least passively to retain sanctifying
grace, which is cast out of the soul by mortal sin. Once sanctifying
grace has been received through a sacrament, to retain this grace,
you must cooperate by not committing mortal sin.
Active cooperation with the sacrament is not always required. The
recipient's status is taken into account. When an infant is baptized,
or when he receives any other sacrament, he will receive the sanctifying
grace the sacrament communicates. His passive cooperation, both in
accepting the grace and in retaining it, is assured by the fact that
he is incapable of putting an obstacle in the way and incapable of
committing mortal sin (Rom. 9:11).
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