![]() While Limbo is technically adjacent to Hell, its occupants do not experience any punishment or pain.Ĭatholic theology distinguishes two kinds of Limbo. Lastly, Gehenna (the fires of Hell for the damned). Purgatory (for those who have died in a state of grace but who require further purification). The Limbo of the children (a natural paradise for unbaptized children with original sin alone). These abodes are known as the Limbo of the fathers (a natural paradise for the Old Testament saints now empty). As Limbo is believed to be on the fringe of Hell, Thomas Aquinas sought to explain the four abodes of Hell. Limbo derives from the Latin word limbus, meaning “edge” or “fringe.” It denotes the region “on the fringe” of the abyss of Hell. So as to explain why the souls in Limbo are deprived of the beatific vision, we must seek to understand what Limbo is. That is to say that the souls in Limbo have not rejected God. The souls in Hell are deprived of the beatific vision because they have rejected God. To be in Heaven is to be in the direct presence of God. The beatific vision is that state of the soul where one “see the divine essence by an intuitive vision and face to face, so that the divine essence is known immediately, showing itself plainly, clearly and openly, and not mediately through any creature” (Denzinger 1000-2). The Catholic conception of Limbo is that it is a state or abode of those souls who are excluded from the beatific vision yet do not suffer the pains of Hell. ![]() ![]() ![]() One of the more difficult and controversial aspects of the afterlife is what happens to children who die before they are baptized. The State Of The DeadĬatholic doctrine on what happens when we die can be complex. I will then seek to explain Limbo and conclude by examining some of the questions and objections to belief in Limbo. I will begin by defining the Catholic viewpoint on the state of the dead. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |