Children who die without Baptism

Hi, Subject: Children who die without Baptism I've recently been studying this question. I believe my understanding falls completely within Catholic parameters but I''ll let you be the judge. Children who die without being baptized *should* go to heaven based upon the God''s Mercy and Justice. First. Original Sin is not actual sin. It is the propensity to sin. Because a soul directly created by God we know that at the time of conception it is perfect, without stain of sin. 382 "Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity" (GS 14 § 1). The doctrine of the faith affirms that the spiritual and immortal soul is created immediately by God. Therefore, a soul which has not sinned has not willfully opposed God and remains in a state of Grace. himself from God and is still in a state of Grace. 405 Although it is proper to each individual,original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam''s descendants.... 404 How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants?.... And that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act. 1850 Sin is.... a revolt against God through the will.... In the end there will be only heaven and hell. No other states or conditions will exist. Unless the conjectured Limbo is a part of heaven or hell it will cease to exist. That would leave the unbaptized child outside of heaven and either permanently erased from existence or stuck in hell. 366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God...and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death..... 1038 The resurrection of all the dead, "of both the just and the unjust,"623 will precede the Last Judgment...Then Christ will come "in his glory, and all the angels with him. . . . Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another. . . . And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."[i] It would be wrong for a soul that has not sinned to remain outside of heaven when the only option left is hell. What do you think? Sincerely, De Maria

Closely related is the following question: So what is the necessity of Baptism? The previous message was about children who die without being baptized. The assumption is that they died without committing willful and actual sin against God as well as without baptism. John 3:3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother''s womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Let''s begin again. Original sin is the propensity to sin, but is not yet actual sin. In other words, being born with Original sin guarantees we will sin. There is no way around it. That is why Baptism is necessary. Because even the most innocent child who has not yet sinned will eventually sin. At that point he will need the influx of the Holy Spirit to mark him as a child of God. Say for instance that your child locks himself out of your house (i.e. sins). How will he get back in? If you have previously given him a key, he can get back in by himself. In a sense, that is Baptism. The key to get back to our house, our heavenly abode. Or say that your child is lost and if found unconscious. How will he be returned to you? If he has an identification card which identifies him as a member of your household he can be returned to you. Baptism provides us with that identifying mark on our soul. Before your child has left your home he is with you. Before we commit sin, we are with God. [i]1272 Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated. 1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus'' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"64 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church''s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism. It is as though the flesh circumscribes the soul at conception. But the soul is still pristine. It is a babe in an enemy camp. Remember, we have three enemies, the flesh, the world and Satan. Do we know when the soul makes a willful separation from God preferring the flesh to the Divine? Can a one day old child commit sin? We know that there are individuals who never achieve the age of reason. Are there individuals who acquire the age of reason at remarkably young ages? If so, then Baptism remains imperative. Baptism, the mark that can't be erased is like an opening or channel to God's grace. The soul retains the option to communicate with God. Baptism does not guarantee that the soul will communicate with God, but the lifeline is there if the soul needs it. What do you think? Sincerely, De Maria