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.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
