World Mercy Congress 'Catches Fire'

A Report from Inside the Vatican

We post the following article and text for the consideration of our readers, but we note that this is the theological interpretation of one Russian Orthodox Bishop drawing on the writings of one theologian from the 600s. We post this material, therefore, not so much to highlight the teachings of that theologian on heaven and hell, although those teachings are expressed with eloquence and poetic power, but rather to offer a window onto the mind of the Russian Orthodox Bishop who is studying and interpreting the writings of that 7th century theologian. The Russian Orthodox Bishop is Hilarion Alfeyev, who is the head of the theological delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church which is carrying forward a theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the various Orthodox churches. Bishop Alfeyev is also a composer, and Inside the Vatican worked together with him to bring concerts of his music performed by Russian musicians to Rome in March 2007 and to Washington, New York and Boston in December 2007. We have engaged in these initiatives in an effort to assist the process of theological dialogue in the hope of restoring church unity, if it be the will of God.

- the Editor

Read the report here.

Fresno bishop issues pastoral message about Limbo

"Babies That Die Without Baptism” is the subject of Fresno Bishop John Steinbock’s pastoral message for April. Referencing the millions of unborn children who “are killed by abortion” as well as the estimated “one in five pregnancies [that] end in a miscarriage,” Bishop Steinbock says that “older Catholics remember from the days of their catechism that baptism is necessary for salvation, and that Limbo was a place where unbaptized children would go after death.” However, Steinbock says, “many Catholics may not realize it but Limbo was just a theological opinion, and was never part of the official teaching of the Church.”

Steinbock cites the conclusions of the International Theological Commission’s Vatican-initiated study, The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die without Being Baptized, which, last April, concluded: “There are theological and liturgical reasons to hope that infants who die without baptism may be saved and brought into eternal happiness, even if there is not an explicit teaching on this question found in Revelation....”

[snip]

Steinbock concludes his letter, saying God “can give the grace of Baptism to someone who is unable to receive it. Catholic parents should do everything possible to ensure that their children are baptized as soon as possible after birth, but if an unborn child or young child dies without baptism, parents should find comfort from the teaching of the Church, entrusting with hope their unbaptized children to the merciful love of our God.”