Limbo

:This article is about Roman Catholic theology. For other uses of the term, see Limbo (disambiguation).

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In Roman Catholic theology, limbo describes the temporary status of the souls of good persons who died before the resurrection of Jesus, and the permanent status of the unbaptised who die in infancy (without having committed any personal sins, but without having been freed from original sin).

Related Topics:
Catholic - Theology - Status - Soul - Resurrection of Jesus - Unbaptised - Infancy - Sin - Original sin

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Limbo comes from the latin limbus meaning a hem or an edge or a boundary. While "limbo" is often popularly understood to be a "place where souls go", the term also describes and reflects theological uncertainty. As such, limbo is not part of the Church's official doctrine (compare purgatory, which is). Official Church teaching remains that the status of these souls (who don't seem to deserve hell, yet cannot follow the divinely-revealed path to heaven) is in limbo – in other words, their fate cannot be determined by any but God.

Related Topics:
Purgatory - Hell - Heaven - God

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