January 14, 2012 – Catechism 1257-1266

One of the comments made before about those in the process of becoming Catholic, but die before their baptism, appears to be answered by paragraph 1259.

Paragraph 1261 speaks about children who die that are not baptized.  This was discussed in the comments from a post a week or so ago.  Here the church confirms the hope that God’s mercy will save those children who are not baptized and enforces its theology on baptizing infants so that they do not die without this gift of grace.  So, it is not Catholic teaching that children that die without baptism go to hell.  But Catholic teaching is that we don’t have a specific answer for what happens to those children.  We place our hope in God’s mercy and love, but understand that they have the stain of original sin that is with them from birth and not removed because they have not received baptism. 

I wonder if concupiscence is really understood.  This is the understanding that even with the gift of baptism taking away the punishment for our sin, humans are left with the tendency to sin that is a part of us because of original sin.  This is fairly obvious when think about how much we struggle with doing what we know is right.  I can also see it when I look at my young boy when he is being incredibly bad.   

John 3:5 - 5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Matthew 28:19 - Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: