[BlackVeil]

It used to be, that Catholics believed that unbaptised infants could not go to heaven. Therefore, in the case of a risky birth, the infant was baptised during the labour. St Francis Xavier, when travelling in Japan, lamented when a young boy died that he could not enter heaven, as he had not yet been baptised. The souls of unbaptised infants, it was said, went to "limbo". Presumably, this doctrine of limbo was developed because it seems so unjust that they should be in hell.

But that is a view of former centuries, and in the 20th century, most people in the church came to believe that all innocent beings could enter heaven.

[pegleg]

Presumably, this doctrine of limbo was developed because it seems so unjust that they should be in hell.

Limbo has never been a doctrine of the Church, it was a theological theory put forth by St. Augustine. The basis of his theory was an infant who dies unbaptized would have the stain of original sin on their soul. The official position of the Church is we trust these children to the mercy of God.

[rwfromkansas]

And babies are innocent before a perfect and holy God?

[WriteOn]

Presumably, this doctrine of limbo was developed because it seems so unjust that they should be in hell.

It was never accepted doctrine, just theological theory.