Zbawienie dzieci nie ochrzczonych? Niejasna doktryna – mocna nadzieja

Abstract

The paper looks into the matter of redemption of the children that died without being baptised. The basic question is: Are they redeemed? The Church's binding doctrine has no unequivocal answer. The lack of doctrinal unequivocality has a negative effect on pastoral treatment of this matter. Starting with doctrinal unequivocality the author goes on to underline an unfailing hope of redemption for all children, including those that were not baptised. Grounds for this hope might be found in the first place in what Jesus Christ said about children. He grants them the right to the Kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 19,15). The attitude of the Church, which never approved of Augustine's conception of condemnation in hell or the mediaeval theory of Limbus, lets us cherish a hope of full redemption for non-baptised children. Serious contemporary theology, taking into account personal dimension of every human being, not excluding an infant, grants them a possibility – as known by God Himself – of moving from the state of the original sin to the state of total friendship with God.