I have a question regarding unbaptized infants who die beforehand: From what I know, the Councils of Trent and Florence declared that those who have Original Sin are sent to hell because they haven’t received Baptism. Also I know the Council of Carthage in Canon 110 says the same thing, but it may have said that unbaptized infants unfortunately go to hell. Now if this is true and infallible, then why do we say that we don’t know?

fatherangel:

Hello,

Whether God sends someone to heaven, or hell, or purgatory, or limbo, is not something we as Catholics can easily determine simply by rattling off the decrees of Church councils.

Not every statement from a Council is dogmatic or has the highest level of infallibility. And also every statement needs to be understood in its context, according to the Latin meaning of the words, and with a theological sense of the vocabulary that is used. 

The term “hell” in Latin is not always used to signify the pains of the damned or reprobate. There are different levels of hell in medieval Catholic thought, and even limbo itself is described by some authors as the outer edge or entrance area of hell, where people are just slightly in pain, but not being punished like those in the deeper levels of hell. Aquinas did not believe there were “pains” in limbo.

Finally, let me repeat that Catholic dogma has its roots in the Church’s interpretation of Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition. Dogma means what is revealed by God, and Catholic dogma is the presentation of what we believe God has clearly revealed in Scripture or Tradition. Although some Catholics like to publish “dogma lists” as if they are mathematical theorems, the Church’s theologians do not see such doctrines in such black and white terms. 

The Pope, or a Church General Council may say something that is seen as dogma, or defined as of faith (de fide), but the theological schools at times do not always agree to what extend a saying from a “dogma list” is truly binding as dogma. In the matter of original sin, that teaching is solemnly defined by Church Councils. 

And it is clear to the Church that if a person dies without sanctifying grace, in the state of original sin, that they could not enter heaven.

What is not so crystal clear is whether God intervenes in a special or miraculous way to give those who are unbaptized the grace of sanctification, apart from the ritual of water baptism. This has been debated and argued. Some ancient fathers said that the martyrs who died without water baptism were “baptized” with their blood.

Other ancient fathers said that the catechumens who were preparing to become Catholic and died without water baptism were “baptized” with their desire to be Catholic. Apart from blood and desire, are there other circumstances where God “baptizes” a personal spiritually and they receive the grace of sanctification? Well, the Church cannot answer that question, because the Scripture and Apostolic Tradition do not clearly respond to that question.

Therefore, the question remains open and debatable among Catholics. All the Councils, and the dogmas, can say, “If a person dies without grace, then such and such will happen.” But God is mysterious and we do not know for sure who God allows to die with grace, or without grace. For who can read the mind of God? This is why the Church says that on the question of the salvation of the unbaptized, we cannot be for sure. 

We can, however, trust, that God finds a way to give sanctifying grace to those who do not have water baptism but who are loved by God in other ways.

God bless and take care, Fr. Angel