Recently I wrote about the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist (Communion).
Baptism is the cleansing of our souls and the removal of sin - original sin.
Adam and Eve disobeying God was the first sin. With them being our earthly parents, that sin is carried over to all of us.
Baptism is given the way that Jesus baptised John the Baptist. "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".
Cleansing - what better way to cleanse us than with Holy water. Water is a symbol of cleansing.
I hear people say that Baptism isn't necessary for an infant since they can't possibly sin at that age. It is true? They are innocent, but they carry that original sin. If they were to die as infants and not have been baptized, would they go to heaven? That is the question isn't it?
After several years of study, the Vatican's International Theological Commission said there are good reasons to hope that babies who die without being baptized go to heaven.
The italicized is from Catholic News Story:
In a document published April 20, the commission said the traditional concept of limbo -- as a place where unbaptized infants spend eternity but without communion with God -- seemed to reflect an "unduly restrictive view of salvation."
The church continues to teach that, because of original sin, baptism is the ordinary way of salvation for all people and urges parents to baptize infants, the document said.
But there is greater theological awareness today that God is merciful and "wants all human beings to be saved," it said. Grace has priority over sin, and the exclusion of innocent babies from heaven does not seem to reflect Christ's special love for "the little ones," it said.
"Our conclusion is that the many factors that we have considered ... give serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and enjoy the beatific vision," the document said.
"We emphasize that these are reasons for prayerful hope, rather than grounds for sure knowledge," it added.
This has been an issue for quite some time - in earlier times, babies that weren't baptized and who died as infants couldn't even be buried in the cemeteries.
I think there is hope and I do believe that they go to heaven when unbaptized, but they don't enjoy the full joy of heaven.
Heaven has many levels (or rooms in the mansion) and it is a place that you yearn to be close to God. Depending on our sins and what we did or didn't do in our lives will put us on a level in heaven (or even hell for that matter). We will want to be as close to God in heaven as possible.
We have been given the Sacrament of Baptism to relinquish that original sin and then we are given the Sacrament of Penance so that we can cleanse ourselves over and over. Thus allowing us to be closer to God in life and in the eternal life.
