Vatican changes its mind about limbo

[memphis]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549439/The-Pope-ends-state-of-limbo-after-800-years.html

[fezzyfestoon]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

[Obamanation]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

Scripture and the will of God are made clear over the length of humanity's existence. The truth is learned piece-by-piece and over time. The learning process never ends.

[fezzyfestoon]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

Scripture and the will of God are made clear over the length of humanity's existence. The truth is learned piece-by-piece and over time. The learning process never ends.

So the Bible isn't literal then? We don't understand scripture as it's currently written? Then how can people be so aggressive and strict with religious law?

[DC Al Fine]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

Scripture and the will of God are made clear over the length of humanity's existence. The truth is learned piece-by-piece and over time. The learning process never ends.

So the Bible isn't literal then? We don't understand scripture as it's currently written? Then how can people be so aggressive and strict with religious law?

1) You're confusing Catholics with fundamentalist Protestants.
2) The Bible doesn't make a clear ruling on every single issue. Man's interpretation often comes into play.
3) Where exactly does the Bible mention what happens to unbaptised babies?

[Obamanation]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

Scripture and the will of God are made clear over the length of humanity's existence. The truth is learned piece-by-piece and over time. The learning process never ends.

So the Bible isn't literal then? We don't understand scripture as it's currently written? Then how can people be so aggressive and strict with religious law?

The Catholic Church has never claimed literal interpretation of the bible. That's precisely why Canon Law, the papacy and the communion of the clergy is so important in the Universal Church. These entities interpret the bible for the laity.

[fezzyfestoon]

Not to derail, but I have a question; How do Catholics reconcile the word of God being true and whatever with the church changing rules and teachings? I get that the Pope talks to God and stuff, so does that mean that God changes his mind? Or does he just pick some new tenets to promote for a while. "Ok, the babies thing is getting old, let's just focus on condoms and gays for a while." I really don't get it.

Scripture and the will of God are made clear over the length of humanity's existence. The truth is learned piece-by-piece and over time. The learning process never ends.

So the Bible isn't literal then? We don't understand scripture as it's currently written? Then how can people be so aggressive and strict with religious law?

1) You're confusing Catholics with fundamentalist Protestants.
2) The Bible doesn't make a clear ruling on every single issue. Man's interpretation often comes into play.
3) Where exactly does the Bible mention what happens to unbaptised babies?

Yeah, I know everyone's got a view of the Bible that's different, that's part of my confusion as to how anyone can say they know God's word better. And where these ideas of things that aren't in the bible come from. I suppose you just don't ask questions, especially of the Pope, and just do as you're told. So then who do you trust to tell you these things with so many clearly unholy people in the church?

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

Theological probity is (unfortunately?) not contingent on personal holiness. There is additionally the concept--whose implications I obviously don't entirely subscribe to, otherwise I'd be Catholic--that the Holy Ghost will prevent the leaders of the Universal Church from saying anything too off-base regardless of their own character.

Also, this article is almost six years old.

[Blue3]

Yeah, I was going to say, I thought this happened years ago.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Beside the fact this is six years old, there is also the fact that Limbo was never official Catholic doctrine.  It was a theory on how a loving god would deal with those who through no fault of their own were never capable of being baptized given the doctrine of baptism as the sole means of human salvation.

[Robert California]

I had assumed this already happened. I was afraid that I was reading that we were going back to teaching that there was a limbo.

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

I had assumed this already happened. I was afraid that I was reading that we were going back to teaching that there was a limbo.

You assumed right. OP's link is six years old.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

To be fair to the OP, for the Catholic Church something that happened six years ago is a recent event.