I'm hitting the religious theme today

[shinytoaster]

So, as I understand it the Pope is abolishing Limbo, the First Circle of Hell and, also, the place where the souls of unbaptised children go.

I am reminded of the item in The Day Today where the Vatican imprisoned two teenaged boys who hacked into the church's central computer and changed Catholic doctrine. 'The Vatican realised the computer had been tampered with when they discovered Jesus had died of food poisoning aged 19, and Lou Reed had been canonised.'

My problem is with the fact that one old man can say 'Limbo doesn't exist anymore' and a whole theological concept just disappears in a puff of smoke and, presumably, millions upon millions of little tiny souls, and also, if Dante is to be believed, the souls of Socrates, Homer and Plato, whoosh up the celestial escalator to some kind of holding area near the Gates of Heaven so that they can process all the new arrivals. Isn't this just admitting that Christianity is made up? Can any Catholics attempt to enlighten me on this one?

Comments

[phoenixsong]

I am having to take deep breaths and remind myself that this sort of thing should no longer apply to me, seeing as I left Catholicism over three years ago. In fact, this is the exact issue that started me on the path away from Catholicism.

Now. It's funny they phrased it that way, because when I was in eighth grade, my CCD teacher told us (and had a priest confirm it) that Catholics used to believe that the unbaptised -- including infants -- go to Limbo. They told us that the current doctrine (about 15 years ago) was that the unbaptised go to Purgatory, where they can work off their original sin and then eventually get to Heaven. According to what I remember of that particular discussion, Catholics don't believe in Limbo anymore.

So, now I'm curious to hear what other Catholics have heard on this. Also, can you give us a link to the article(s) that mention the change?

[phoenixsong]

Also, recall that Dante is a work of fiction. It's political/religious satire. Despite the internal claims to it being this great spiritual journey, it's really just him taking a chance to snark about the people who got him kicked out of political office and other people he deemed corrupt bastards, and elevate the people he liked to saint-like status.

[phoenixsong]

Here we go: BBC article

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

That's the feller.

[macloudt.livejournal.com]

Now this is interesting, because I thought that purgatory had been eliminated some years ago, and I assumed that limbo had disappeared at the same time. But then I'm a completely lapsed Catholic so I'm going straight to hell anyway. ;)

I attended Catholic schools in Montreal and Toronto in the 70s and 80s and, barring Confirmation prep and such, I was never taught any catechism; it was all how-to-live-like-a-good-Catholic tripe. It's amazing how little catechism I know considering that I was forced by my dad to go to church every Sunday 'til I left home and could bark the entire mass off by heart by the age of 6.

[irinaauthor.livejournal.com]

There is no limbo, and there never really was; it was just Abelard's hypothesis. I've been Catholic my whole life, and so have my parents and grandparents, and I was never, ever taught that limbo was real, only that people used to think that, if it were true, it would be a way to solve the unbaptized baby problem.

[saucy-wench.livejournal.com]

Oh the Pope. As a catholic, I'm not allowed to say anything worse than "oh, the Pope". But OH THIS POPE.

Basically he's saying Jesus' word on earth. So he's infalible.

Yep. That's how it works.

[kay-taylor.livejournal.com]

Coming soon: the Pope declares that cheese does not exist.

Sorry, I can't resist the urge to be flippant. *hides*

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't think that's likely. Blessed are the cheesemakers, as we all know.

[kay-taylor.livejournal.com]

That was an over-literal interpretation of the text which has now been conclusively debunked. Cast off the shackles of your indoctrinated belief in cheese. From today, all dairy products will be recategorised as "ironing board".