NO MORE LIMBO

As a lapsed convert to Roman Catholicism, we're familiar with the concept of limbo, the place where unbaptized babies go when they die because their Original Sin has not been washed away. As a fan of beach parties we're also familiar with the other limbo, but this is neither the time nor place for that conversation.

Pope Benedict is basically telling the faithful that past thinking about limbo (the place, not the dance) is inoperative. A report from the International Theological Commission, a Vatican advisory panel, says we can hope that unbaptized babies won't have to wait on the theological outskirts of Heaven's city limits. Time reports:

Theologians said the move was highly significant, both for what it says about Benedict's willingness to buck a long-standing tenet of Catholic belief and for what it means theologically about the Church's views on heaven, hell and original sin — the sin that the faithful believe all children are born with. Although Catholics have long believed that children who die without being baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, the Church has no formal doctrine on the matter. Theologians, however, have long taught that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in communion with God.

No limbo, but purgatory still exists. How low can you go?