Limbo has danced its last dance.
Ahh, this is yet another reason why I'm a strict non-religious sort. Goalpost moving you see, cherry picking and just plain old bollockology has wrung every last scrap of tolerance out of me.
Observe, from Reuters.
'VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church has effectively buried the concept of limbo, the place where centuries of tradition and teaching held that babies who die without baptism went.
In a long-awaited document, the Church's International Theological Commission said limbo reflected an "unduly restrictive view of salvation".
The 41-page document was published on Friday by Origins, the documentary service of the U.S.-based Catholic News Service, which is part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Pope Benedict, himself a top theologian who before his election in 2005 expressed doubts about limbo, authorized the publication of the document, called "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised".
The verdict that limbo could now rest in peace had been expected for years. The document was seen as most likely the final word since limbo was never part of Church doctrine, even though it was taught to Catholics well into the 20th century.
"The conclusion of this study is that there are theological and liturgical reasons to hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved and brought into eternal happiness even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in revelation," it said.
"There are reasons to hope that God will save these infants precisely because it was not possible (to baptize them)."
Yep, forget the guilt and the worry and the anxiety limbo caused. Forget the grief it caused parents who had infants die before they got a chance to let some priest sprinkle water over their child's head. Forget it all. It doesn't suit any more so let us just go right ahead and put that one to bed.
Observe, from Reuters.
'VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Roman Catholic Church has effectively buried the concept of limbo, the place where centuries of tradition and teaching held that babies who die without baptism went.
In a long-awaited document, the Church's International Theological Commission said limbo reflected an "unduly restrictive view of salvation".
The 41-page document was published on Friday by Origins, the documentary service of the U.S.-based Catholic News Service, which is part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Pope Benedict, himself a top theologian who before his election in 2005 expressed doubts about limbo, authorized the publication of the document, called "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised".
The verdict that limbo could now rest in peace had been expected for years. The document was seen as most likely the final word since limbo was never part of Church doctrine, even though it was taught to Catholics well into the 20th century.
"The conclusion of this study is that there are theological and liturgical reasons to hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved and brought into eternal happiness even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in revelation," it said.
"There are reasons to hope that God will save these infants precisely because it was not possible (to baptize them)."
Yep, forget the guilt and the worry and the anxiety limbo caused. Forget the grief it caused parents who had infants die before they got a chance to let some priest sprinkle water over their child's head. Forget it all. It doesn't suit any more so let us just go right ahead and put that one to bed.
Labels: religion
posted by fatmammycat at 2:13 p.m.
9 Comments:
Will we still be able to use the word? Or are they deleting that as well? What about limbo dancers? The idea of constantly floating in a sort of middle other world is very appealing - better than frying with the satanic lot, and better than being stuck with the sanctimonius goody goodys! Anyway, did any sane person ever believe all that stuff; even in my religious days, I was quite sceptical of that concept.
Who could believe in a religion that consigned innocent babies to hell? Not me for sure. I go further - as in 'Blossoms in the Dust' when Greer Garson declares 'Bad girls don't have babies!'
I din't believe in it either, but my Gamma did and so did a lot of people of her generation. And the fact that this pope can toddle along and just say 'Well, let's not have limbo' just like that pisses me off.
I thought it was called purgatory. Which pope changed it to limbo? He's the one I'm pissed off with.
Mein Gott! They'll be allowing contraception, gay marriages and questioning the virgin birth at this rate!!!
Limbo was a particularly horrible one. Many women were very hurt by it.
Lots of things have gone: "churching"; fish on Friday; 24 hour fast before receiving; married priests; mantillas for women; Latin; St. Christopher........
...witch burning; the Spanish Inquisition; the crusades...
It's a joke, that's what it is and just proves that religion is flexible when it bloody well suits them. It's like all those bloody loud Christian pointing the holier than thou finger at gays, while wearing polyester and eating shrimp. Picky choosy drop deady.
Perhaps they were afraid their Dogma was fucking up their Karma...?
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