How should a good Catholic handle situations that involve emotionalism, assertion that the child is in Heaven, and disbelief in the limbo of children in cases where parents lose a child through miscarriage?

Emotionalism? Just say nothing. By saying anything contrary you will cause them to sin and you will be responsible for them sinning.

I was wondering since the topic has come up at my work before I think.

Just say that you believe that limbo is a state of natural happiness but because of original sin it is impossible to see the beatific vision without baptism.

Explain it as if they were children.  Here's what I have told my young children and they can understand easily.

Little babies who die before baptism go to a place called Limbo.  It is a special place of only happiness.  But it is also not possible to ever be with God because only those who are baptized can be with God.

This is what my 3 y/o and 5 y/o understand.

They will probably still adamantly disagree with you, but this is as much information as they can grasp.  Because of their emotional and spiritual immaturity, I think it would be charitable to explain it to them as you would a young child.

I agree 100%. I saw someone get thrown out of Freerepublic for teaching this dogma of limbo of infants. The Catholics at FR wouldn't hear anything but that unbaptized babies to go to heaven.

They posted the CCC 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," 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.


The thrown out poster correctly pointed that CCC 1261 does not say that the unbaptized infant is saved, it just says that "can only entrust them to the mercy of God", which says nothing one way or another. He pointed out how God's mercy is the natural paradise of limbo of the infants, but no beatific vision. He was booted out. They don't want to hear anything "negative". Never mind that it is the teaching from the beginning, and the Vatican II church has never taught that unbaptized infants are saved.

Thank God you know to do it and have the intent and wish to baptize the baby if possible!

Thanks for the children's explanations, everyone. They were quite helpful even as an adult. Our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 11 weeks. My husband was able to do a conditional baptism, but we both feel that it was likely too late. We've since discovered how difficult it is to find good information about Limbo. It was never well explained to either of us- was just always sort of a passing thing.

We've been told countless times by well meaning friends and family members that our child is in Heaven. Though it's a small possibility given the conditional baptism, we just thank them for their compassion. Perhaps I will get bolder in time.

I do always make a point of telling them that husband did a conditional baptism, to underscore the importance of doing what we an. I have heard stories of children born alive and Catholic parents "forgetting" to baptize them in their few short hours on Earth. I find this heartbreaking.

I agree with you totally.  And let me tell you in the novus ordo church there's quite a waiting period to have a child baptized.  I had to wait a whole year (plus take classes) for my oldest child.  They don't consider it a priority because of their false teaching of universal salvation.

It's hard to discuss Limbo with novus ordo catholics.  

Obviously I'm not in NO church now.

It's tough to talk about. I've had people get irate with me for suggesting their dog didn't go to heaven. My miscarried child I believe is in limbo. I don't talk to my wife about it because she wants the baby in heaven and it would upset her. Either way a miscarried baby is happy and not suffering.

If your talking to the parents of a miscarried baby I would just tell them your praying for them.