Tiny babies go to heaven

last updated 8 January 2015

Rome

The Vatican has all but abolished the concept of limbo. Medieval theologians conceived of limbo as a place just short of heaven, where infant souls whose original sin hadn’t been washed away with holy water could dwell. A papal investigation that ended last week now finds that unbaptized babies might go straight to heaven. The International Theological Commission said that while it doesn’t have “sure knowledge,” it saw grounds for hope. “Grace has priority over sin,” the commission said, “and the exclusion of innocent babies from heaven does not seem to reflect Christ’s special love for the little ones.” Limbo was never part of official Catholic dogma. Before he became pope, then Cardinal Josef Ratzinger said he was inclined to “let it drop.”