Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/291

 UMBO 256 LOSBO

Limbo (Late Lat. Iimbxi8)t a word of Teutonic de- to the penitent thief and in the parable of Laiarus

rivation, meaning literally " hem "or " border ", as of a clearly miply^ their condition was one of happiness,

garment, or anything joined on (cf . Ital. lembo; Eng. notwithstimdmg the postponement of the higher bliss

limb), (1) In theolo^cal usage the name is appli^ to which they looked forward. And this, substan-

(a) to the temporary place or state of the souls of the tially, is all that Catholic tradition teaches regarding

just who, although purified from sin, were excluded the umbus patrum.

from the beatific vision until Christ's triumphant as- II. Limbub Infaxtium. — ^The New Testament con- oension into heaven (the Umbus patrum) ; or (b) to the tains no definite statement of a positive kind regarding permanent place or state of those unbaptized children the eternal lot of those who die in original sin without and others who, dying without grievous personal being burdened with grievous person^ guilt. But, by guilt, are excluded from the beatific vision on account insisting on the ab^lute necessity of bein^ ''bom of original sin alone (the limbtis infantium or puero^ again of water and the Holy Ghost" (John, iii, 6) for rum). (2) In literary usage the name is sometimes entry into the kingdom of heaven (see Baptism, sub- applied in a wider and more general sense to any place title Necessity of Baptism) ^ Christ clearly enough im- or state of restraint, confinement, or exclusion, and is plies that men are bom into this world in a state of sin, practically equivalent to '^ prison" (see, e. g., Milton, and St. Paul's teaching to the same effect is quite " Paradise Lost ", III, 495; Butler, " Hudibras ", part explicit (Rom., v, 12 sqq.). On the other hand, it is II, canto i, and other English classics). The not un- clear from Scripture ana Catholic tradition tJbat the natural transition from the theologicad to the literary means of regeneration provided for this life do not re- usage is exemplified in Shakespeare, '' Henry VIII, main available after death, so that those dying unre- act V, sc. 3. In this article we snail deal only with the generate are eternally excluded from the supematural theological meaning and connotation of the word. happiness of the beatific vision (John, ix, 4; Luke, xii, 1. Iaubxsa Patrum. — ^Though it can hardlv be 40; xvi, 19 sqq.; II Cor., v, 10; see also Apocatas- olaimed, on the evidence of extant literature, that a tasis). The question therefore arises as to what, in definite and consistent belief in the Umbus patrum of the absence of a clear positive revelation on the sub- Christian tradition was universal among the Jews, it ject, we ought in conformity with Catholic principles cannot on the other hand be denied that, more espe- to believe regarding the eternal lot of such persons, oially in the extra-canonical writings of the second or Now it may confidently be said that, as the result of first centuries b. c, some such belieffinds repeated ex- centuries of speculation on the subject, we ought to pression; and New-Testament references to the sub- believe that these souls enjoy and will eternally enjoy ject remove all doubt as to the current Jewish belief in a state of perfect natural happiness; and this is what the time of Christ. Whatever name may be used in Catholics usually mean when they speak of the limbu9 apocryphal Jewish literature to designate the abode of infantium, the *^ children's limbo ". the departed just, the implication generally is (1) The best way of justifying the above statement is to that their condition is one of happiness, (2) that it give a brief sketch of the history of Catholic opinion on is temporary, and (3) that it is to be replaced by a the subject. We shall try to do so by selecting the condition of final or permanent bliss when the Messi- particular and pertinent facts from the general history anic Kingdom is established. For details see Charles of Catholic speculation regarding the Fall and original in " Encyclopedia Biblica", s. v. " Eschatology '*. sin, but it is only right to observe that a fairly full In the New Testament, Christ Himself refers by knowledge of this general history is required for a various names and figures to the place or state which proper appreciation of these facts. Catholic tradition has agreed to call the limbus patrum. (1) Pre^Augustinian Tradition, — ^There is no evi- In Matt., viii, 11, it is spoken of under the figure of a dence to prove that any Greek or Latin Father before banquet ''with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the St. Augustine ever taught that original sin of itself in- kingdom of heaven" (cf. Luke, xiii, 29; xiv, 15), and volved any severer penalty after death than exclu- in Matt., xxv, 10, under the figure of a marriage feast sion from the beatinc vision, and this, by the Greek to which the prudent virgins are admitted, while in Fathers at least, was always regarded as beinff strictly the parable of Lazarus and Dives it is called " Abra- supernatural. Explicit references to the subject are hams bosom" (Luke, xvi, 22), and in Christ's words rare, but for the Greek Fathers generally the statement to the penitent thief on Calvary the name parcMiisc is of St. Gregory of Nazianzus may be taken as repre- used (Luke, xxiii, 43). St. Paul teaches (Eph., iv, 9) sentative: "It will happen, I believe", he writes, tiiat before ascending into heaven Christ "also de- "... that those last mentioned [i. e. infants d^g descended first into the lower parts of the earth", and without baptism] will neither be admitted by the just St. Peter still more explicitly teaches that, " being put jud^e to the gloiy of heaven nor condemned to suffer to death indeed, in the flesh, but enlivened in the punishment, since, though unsealed [by baptism], they spirit ", Christ went and " preached to those souls that are not wicked. . . . For from the fact that one does were in prison, which had been some time incredulous, not merit pimishment it does not follow that he is when they waited for the patience of God in the days worthy of being honoured, any more than it follows of Noe" (I Pet., iii, 18-20). that one who is not worthy of a certain honour de- It is principally on the strength of these Scriptural serves on that account to 1x5 punished " ("Orat.", xl, texts, harmonized with the general doctrine of the 23, in P. G., XXXVI, 389). Thus, according to Fall and Redemption of mankind, that Catholic tra- Gregory, for children dying without baptism, ana ex- dition has defended the existence of the limbus patrum eluded for want of the "seal " from the " honour " or as a temporary state or place of happiness distinct gratuitous favour of seeing God face to face, an intcr- from purgatory (q. v.). As a result of the Fall, heaven mediate or neutral state is admissible, which, unlike was clos^ against men, i. e., actual possession of the that of the personally wicked, is free from positive beatific vision was postponed, even lor those already punishment. And, for the West, Tertullian opposes purified from sin, until the Redemption should have infant baptism on the ^und that infants are inno- been historically completed by Christ's visible ascen- cent ("De Bapt.", xviii, in P. L., I, 1221); while St. sion into heaven. Consequently, the just who had Ambrose explains that original sin is rather an in- lived under the Old Dispensation, and who, either at clinatTon to evil than guilt in the strict sense, and that death or after a course of purgatorial discipline, had it need occasioif no fear at the day of judgment (" In attained the perfect holiness required for entrance into Ps. xlviii", 9, in P. L., XIV, 1169); and the Am- glory, were oblieed to await the coming of the Incar- brosiater teaches that the "second death", which nate Son of God and the full accomplishment of His means condemnation to the hell of torment of the visible earthly mission. Meanwhile they were "in damned, is not incurred by Adam's sin, but by our own prison", as St. Peter says, but, as Christ's own words ("In Rom.", v, 12, in P. L., XVII, 92). Thia