Unbaptized babies

[Fabian V. Donovan]

A person on another board had a question about Unbaptized Babies and salvation. She wanted to know it there was an official Orthodox teaching as in the RCC such as Limbo was. I really could not answer this except to say that God is all merciful and we depend on His mercy, I also explained that we see Adam’s legacy not as guilt for which we pay but the fall left with a fractured nature. This poor woman was upset because she had children baptized RC and was afraid she did wrong because she was also told by Catholics the infant baptism didn’t start until the around the 5th century and than there’s that whole limbo thing. I linked her a catechism but it barely speaks on the matter and I would to give something a little more comforting as she is in deep pain.

Thank You

IC XC
Patrick Peter

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Fabian,

Could you clarify this sentence please: "This poor woman was upset because she had children baptized RC and was afraid she did wrong because she was also told by Catholics the infant baptism didn�t start until the around the 5th century and than there�s that whole limbo thing."

Baptism is a means of entry into the broader life of the Church. But it is only from within the life of the Church that baptism is a life-giving sacrament. This means that preceding the sacraments is the life of the Church and it is really an entry into this life that restores a person- including babies- to life.

After all even baptised babies have only a barely developed free will in order to accomplish their salvation. So then we could ask how can they be saved? Of course there is the grace of the Baptism but it is wrong to see this grace as being separate from the grace of the Church. Baptism is not simply a matter of adding something to ourselves- grace-but is rather a means of entry into the grace of the Church and it is this which begins the process of re-creating the person. Baptism in fact is only real & effective from within the context of the praying, grace-filled Church. So if a child dies unbaptized they are still saved through the prayers of the Church.

Pastorally it is absolutely crucial to tell mothers, fathers & family members to pray for these unbaptised children.

In Christ- Fr Raphael
PS: I think St Gregory of Nyssa deals with this question in one of his writings also in the affirmative.

[Fabian V. Donovan]

Dear Father

Yes the poor women was getting conflicting information, she was feeling bad because she had her infant children baptized and was afraid she did something because she was told the early church didn’t baptize infants and that practice only started around 5th century. But she was also afraid that if they were not baptized they wouldn’t get to heaven.

I explained to her that infant baptism was practiced was from the start and that we also gave Chrismation and Communion to infants, she then asked what was the Orthodox view on the salvation of infants that die without baptism. I told her they go to heaven, but I think she was looking for an official teaching.

I think the answer I was looking for is in your Post about freewill and I will check St Gregory of Nyssa.

Thank You
IC XC
Patrick
PS I was go by Patrick, that’s the name I was Chrismated with.