Does the Church have a well-defined position on this in the wake of its recent pronouncements on Limbo? I am just wondering if we know that 1) all these children are in heaven, 2) none of these children are in heaven, 3) something else or 4) nothing at all since the Church hasn’t really defined it. I am presuming that they can’t be baptized because they’ve already passed away by the time anything can be done about the situation… which may or may not be correct.
Since my sister has had several miscarriages, this question is more than just academic for me.
Basically, what the Church teaches is 4, with the strong counsel to hope in the love and mercy of Christ who, after all, desires our salvation more than we do. Here is the Catechism:
1261 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,” 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.
How can we say that baptism is necessary for salvation and yet hold out hope for the unbaptized? Because as CCC 1257 puts it, “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.” We are bound to receive grace through the sacraments, God is not bound to only give it through the sacraments. Sacraments are not reducing valves designed to keep the dispensation of grace to a minimum. They are the kisses of God: the place where he promises us he will always meet us. If he wishes, he can meet us other places as well. In the case of, for instance, the Holy Innocents, we know he met them for they are saints of the Church, despite never having been sacramentally baptised.
So there’s always hope. Commend all such little ones to the mercy of Him who said to let the little ones come to Him.
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I have once heard the term “baptism of desire”. It refers to when a person wishes to be baptized but dies before the sacrament actually takes place. Is this something that is in line with Catholic teaching? If so, as a parent, who makes baptismal promises for my children, if I desire baptism for my unborn child and then miscarried the child, then can the child be considered baptized? I may be way off here, but it gave me hope when I lost a child due to miscarriage. If I am wrong, please somebody correct me.
Laura,
That’s my understanding of baptism of desire as well. God honors our desire for baptism even when circumstances prevent us from being baptized.
God knows what is in our hearts. Had your babies lived to term, you would have had them baptized and would have raised them in the faith. How can we who are imperfect parents want more for our children than God who is the perfect Father? Surely, if we desire to commend them to his loving care he can do no less.
I rest in perfect confidence that my baby Francis, who I miscarried at about 11 weeks, is with my Heavenly Father.
Having lost a baby in an ectopic pregnancy, the baptism of desire argument certainly gives me hope.
However, I think the broader point is that we should entrust all unbaptized miscarried babies to God’s great mercy. The baby of a non-believer could not rely on baptism of desire based on his parents’ intentions, much less the child who dies not from miscarriage but abortion, and so it still places restrictions on the mercy of God. We should still hope in the mercy of God that an unborn baby who dies with only the stain of original sin will not suffer eternal damnation. And even a child who had been born but dies before the age of reason, and therefore whose lack of baptism is the fault of his parents not his own, would hopefully benefit from God’s great mercy.
Excellent point, Paul. God’s mercy is great and we shouldn’t put limits on it. We have reason to hope for every soul to get to heaven. That is why the Church has never definitely claimed that any individual person is in hell, though she has no problem declaring that certain souls are definitely in heaven. We must always pray for all the dead and entrust them to God’s mercy.
Paul, I completely agree with your statement that “we should entrust all unbaptized miscarried babies to Gods great mercy.” As well as aborted babies and children who died without the opportunity to be baptized. I should have stated that in my original post. I was just wondering about the legitimacy of what I had heard of baptism of desire. When I read about it, I think it spoke mostly of catechumens who die before baptism. It was just something that gave me additional comfort back when I had my miscarriage. Sometimes when a situation is personal, my own sinfulness keeps me from seeing the broader picture. Thank you, and God Bless you all.
Laura
I am not Catholic, but I found this blog today and gained a lot from seeing the faith and sincerity of your posts. I am a Latter-day Saint, and what gives me great comfort and solace is our belief that little children who die before the age of accountability are all saved through the grace and Atonement of Jesus Christ. We have additional teachings about this in The Book of Mormon, which is a book we believe to be the word of God along with the Holy Bible. Mormon, one of the prophets in that book, taught that “little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!” (Moroni 8:12)
We believe the prophet Joseph Smith also received a revelation, from which he said, “Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God [Heaven]; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.” (D&C 137:7-10)
This is not in the Catholic canon of scripture, but it is in harmony with the beliefs you have all expressed about the mercy and wisdom of God and love for His children. I thought you might like to hear it, as another Christian perspective, one that I think brings beautiful clarity and truth to your question. May God bless you.
Mark,
When my husband and I miscarried last year our priest did a “spiritual baptism” (or naming of the child ceremony). I think there is a difference between a miscarried (or aborted) baby, who never had a chance to be baptized, and a baby who dies after being born, whom could (at least theoretically) been baptized, though in terms of God’s mercy there may be no difference. I find it hard to imagine that God would withhold a little one from coming to him, on what amounts to a technicality (of dying before having the chance to be baptized).
Who says baptism is necessary for salvation? At least who says that now? Last time I checked the catechism says even those who have never even heard the name of Christ can possibly be saved. So if those can be saved w/o baptism I’m sure the most innocent can also. The good thief was not baptized. My question is has this always been the teaching of the church regarding those who have never even heard the name of Christ? Im a recent convert to the church and was wondering do you have to believe everything in the catechism or can you disagree with some things in it?
Who says baptism is necessary for salvation? At least who says that now?
Um, the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
VI. THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.60 He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them.61 Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.62 The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are “reborn of water and the Spirit.” God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
****
Before hurrying off on the project of disagreeing with the catechism, the more sensible approach is to make sure you understand what you are disagreeing with. “Necessity” does not mean “no baptism and you are doomed”. As you note, the good theif was not baptised. But it does mean that *we* are bound to be faithful to the sacrament as we can be and cannot blow it off. We are bound by the sacrament, but God is not bound by it and can save people as he wills. This is as ancient as the Church.
So it is better to have never heard of Christ and possibly be saved then to have heard of him and not have been baptized, at least it is not worse. I agree one needs baptism my argument is with the teaching that one can be saved without hearing the name of Christ hence my question do you have to agree with everything in the catechism. I agree with Jesus who says “no one comes through the Father except through me.” Has this always been the teaching of the Church or just in the past 50 years or so since Vatican II. If this is the case why go out and proclaim the gospel, what of the Great Commisssion? Now one may say it is better to preach the gospel becuase that way you know one could be saved and without preaching it and baptizing it is not for sure. Well that argument seems weak to me. Again when did the Church begin saying this?
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