Limbo

Limbo

In the theology of Roman Catholic Church, Limbo is a place which exists somewhere between heaven and hell, where the souls of sinless people are casted. Although they are not suffering in punishment for they are not sinners, they are also not rewarded with the joyfulness of coexisting forever with God in his paradise. The idea of Limbo is believed to have rooted from feudal theologians in Western Europe, as part of the four portions of the underworld which are Hell of the Damned, Purgatory, Limbus Patrum or Limbo of the Fathers and Limbus Infantum or Limbo of the Infants.

Limbo of the Fathers is thought of as a place where the saints and patriarchs of the Old Testament are held in reserve until the day Christ descends to the dead and liberates them. Limbus Patrum is also regarded as a dwelling of the souls of people who, even as they have transgressed consciously while alive, have died in good relations with God. They have to wait for Christ's redemption though before they can be allowed to come into his heavenly kingdom. This is supported by a passage in the Bible stating that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through him.

Limbus Infantum on the other hand is considered as the home of the souls of sinless, unbaptized persons like infants. Even though they have not sinned since they died too young to have sinned at all, they too were correspondingly not released from the original sin of man that may only be cleansed through the sacrament of baptism. Since the Roman Catholic Church instills that baptism is required to receive salvation, souls of infants who were not baptized while alive are subsequently forbidden from entering heaven. The souls of mentally challenged people are also believed to be kept in Limbus Infantum.