Shiel Bible Home

shiel bible home

All Topics

ESCHATOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON UNBAPTIZED INFANTS

Eschatological of unbaptized child deal with the theological understanding of the end times and the ultimate destiny of human souls, which often varies among the different Christian traditions. Christian churches strongly believe in original sin (sin that is inherited through Adam), baptism, and salvation. This is based on the verses in John 3: 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit”. Scripture in 1 Peter 3:21 “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward

Anglican & Catholic churches perform baptisms believing that only through baptism a person can be saved and go to heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church ( CCC 403, 404 ) mentions that through baptism the stain of original sin is removed, and we are made children of God. These churches believed that anyone ( including babies ) who dies in a state of sin and without the grace of baptism may not enter heaven. These teachings widely spread across the churches and eventually denied the burial of unbaptized foetus and stillborn in consecrated or hallowed ground among the faithful. They were also denied Christian funeral rites.

In Medieval Italy, children who died at birth were forbidden to be buried on consecrated ground and denied a funeral service. Instead, they were buried in anonymous plots known as “cillín” (Crow, M., Zori, C. & Zori, D. 2020). The following quote from a village craftsman referenced by Clark (1982) shows how the common man felt about church practices related to the burial of unbaptised babies. ‘If that didn’t get kiddy baptised by the Parson, it would have to be put in a box and stuck in the ground like some sort of animal … It wouldn’t be right like a proper baby, it would be just like burying a dog or a sheep’. 

Various compromises were devised to soften the burial rule. The baby might be laid on the unpopular north side of the churchyard, or just inside its wall, without ceremony or gravestone, or it might be secretly placed in the coffin of an adult, to share the latter’s funeral and grave. The practice remained common throughout the 20th century, especially among the poor ( Radford, Radford, and Hole, 1961: 346 )

Facebook Youtube Whatsapp
Related Topics

There were 2 main schools of thought in relation to this:

       1.  Pelagianism or Pelagian heresy ( 5th century )

a) Pelagius is one of the main figures in early Christianity who argued against original sin. He argued that original sin is not passed onto the rest of humanity from Adam. God’s grace is to know what to do to live a holy life and humans are capable of following God’s commandments. This view was rejected by St. Agustine, bishop of Hippo. Pelagian was excommunicated by Pope Innocent I and Pelagianism was condemned by different regional councils and ecumenical councils calling it ‘Pelagian heresy’.

b) Celestius, a disciple of Pelagius and a Pelagian theologian denied the church’s doctrine of original sin and the necessity of infant baptism ( The Editors of Encyclopaedia, 2022 ). According to the Pelagian view, unbaptised infants were not sent to hell as they were considered faultless. Celestius was condemned at the Council of Carthage (412), presided over by Bishop St. Aurelius, who excommunicated him. The Council of Ephesus ( 431 ) also condemned him.

c) Julian of Eclanum continued to spread the Pelagian view and continued disputation with St. Augustine until 430. Julian was also condemned at the Second Council of Ephesus in 431

       2.  Augustinism

a) St. Augustine (354-430). Augustine first defended infant baptism by responding to Pelagians in AD 411-2. He opposed Pelagianism and believed that an unbaptized child cannot inherit heaven. Later theologians developed Augustine’s thoughts and said these children may not necessarily suffer pain of sense (hellfire and torments) but only pain of loss ( deprived of the Beatific Vision or God’s presence ). By the thirteenth century, the dominant view was that unbaptized infants would suffer only the pain of loss of the vision of God.

b) St. Thomas Aquinas – This was explored thoroughly by St. Thomas Aquinas. Infants who died without baptism went to the outermost borders of hell, which he called the “limbo of children (Summa Theologica. III, Q. 52, a. 7).” They died without the grace of God that comes through the baptism and would spend eternity without it, but they were not worthy of punishment. They don’t even experience the pain of loss as they have no knowledge of what is missing.

c) Pope Benedict – Though limbo is not an official doctrine of the Catholic Church, limbo has not been officially rejected by the Church. Pope appointed the International Theological Commission (ITC), consisting of thirty theologians from around the world to study this topic. The most recent document by the ITC, published with papal approval on April 19, 2007, on the subject “The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptized.” got a lot of attention. The Hope of Salvation reference to 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you . . .”

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) makes no mention of limbo at all but has this to say regarding infants who die 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,” allows us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without baptism. (CCC 1261) Though the necessity of baptism is echoed by the ITC, it imagines God offering salvation to these little children by the possibility of baptism of desire (in votum), with the votum offered either by the infant’s parents or the Church. The Ordo Exsequiarum (Order of Christian Funerals) contains a special rite for children who die before baptism.

What does the bible say about limbo? The Bible clearly says that children are a gift from God ( Psalm 127:3 ).  Psalm 139: 13-16 says our form is there before the eyes of God. Psalmist also says 

“Since my mother bore me you have been my God “( Psalm 22:10 ). 

This gives us the confidence that God is the one who brings the child out of the mother’s womb ( Psalm 22: 9 ) and this child belongs to God no matter whether the child is baptised or unbaptised. How can such an infant be denied salvation and sent to limbo just because he/she was short-lived and didn’t get a chance to be baptised? 

In Matthew 19:14  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

So, this verse confirms that Jesus loves children, and he has invited them to him, and Jesus didn’t let a man stop them.

 Ephesians 1:4 says “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love”. 

If God has chosen a child before the creation of this world to be his precious possession, how can a man stop God’s plans with his theology of limbo? Again, Jesus answered the thief on the right-hand side of the cross 

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” ( Luke 23:43 ).

 In this instance, the Bible does not give us any record of his baptism but still, Jesus says that he will be with him because Jesus knew the heart of the thief – a heart that accepted Jesus as Lord and repented of his sins. Quoting this event, this article in no way nullifies the necessity to take baptism, but it demonstrates that God shows mercy to the ones who have no chance to take baptism. 

If this is the mercy Jesus showed to a thief, how much more would be his mercy to the infants who came out of the mother’s womb without any stain of personal sins? Based on the scriptural evidence, we can believe that the infants who die without baptism will surely enter the kingdom of heaven and not limbo. No man or doctrines can deny that.