No earthly good

The Catholic church are really on a roll this week.

Yesterday it was the official publication of their lovely document explaining that the sex that priest's are not having must be of the heterosexual variety, but condemning discrimination against homosexuals. Do they have their own special branch of Vatican logic?

Today it's the proposal that limbo has been abolished. Catholic doctrine says that the souls of babies who die before being baptised are sent to limbo, which lies between heaven and hell, because they are still tainted with 'original sin'. The Guardian suggests why limbo might be going out of favour:

More than six million children die of hunger every year in underdeveloped countries where the Church is keen to see its support continue to grow.

It is concerned that the concept of limbo may not impress potential converts.

The Church is aware that Muslims, for example, believe that all children go straight to heaven without passing any test.

And, in preparation for tomorrow's World Aids Day the pope has already taken the opportunity to avoid talking about condoms, instead he invokes "the help and comfort of the Lord" for Aids sufferers. Reminds me of that Johnny Cash song "You're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good".

Comments

[Ryan]

"Catholic doctrine says that the souls of babies who die before being baptised are sent to limbo"

Sorry, that is simply not true. Actually Limbo is a theological "maybe", not a doctrine.

Nor has it been "dropped". Catholics are still allowed to believe in Limbo if they choose.

As concerns the Church's stance on homosexuality, it would be better if one sought intelligently to understand the position than to uncritically stereotype it.