Limbo, in Roman Catholic theology, is the home of souls who belong neither in heaven nor in hell. Limbo is a Latin word that means on the border. Souls in limbo enjoy perfect natural happiness but lack the supernatural joy of seeing God.
Roman Catholic theologians have developed two concepts of limbo. Limbus patrum (fathers’ limbo) is the temporary place or state of the souls of holy people who died before Christian times. Many Christians believe that after Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He took these souls to heaven. Limbus infantium (infants’ limbo) is the eternal place or state of infants who have died unbaptized. The idea of limbus infantium rests on the belief that baptism is needed to enter heaven but that unbaptized infants have not sinned and thus do not deserve hell. Many Roman Catholic theologians have taught the existence of limbus infantium, but it is not part of official church doctrine. In 2007, a Vatican commission reported that there were grounds for hope that unbaptized infants went to heaven.
