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Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ! You asked essentially three questions: (1) If only heaven and hell remain at the Last Judgment, are those in Purgatory taken immediately to heaven, even if they have only been in Purgatory a short time? (2) You were taught as a child that unbaptized children could not enter heaven, but enjoy everlasting happiness in Limbo. How can this be if only heaven and hell remain on the Last Day? (3) Has the concept of Limbo been dropped and, if so, what does become of little children who die without the Sacrament of Baptism?

In response to your first question, it is true that all persons will meet their final destiny, either eternal life or eternal punishment, at the Last Judgment (Catechism, no. 1038). It would seem, then, that those still in Purgatory at that time “get out early” or without much purification in the event that they have not been there long. There are many particulars about the judgment or the afterlife that we do not know, but there are some things that we can know, because God has revealed them.

First, as the Catechism teaches in nos. 1472-73, as well as nos. 1030-32, sin has a “double consequence.” Sin must not only be forgiven, but one must also be purified with regard to the temporal punishment. No one attains the vision of God’s glory with any need of purification remaining. So while we may speculate on the particulars of how the process works or how we are to understand it in terms of time, what we do know is that those in Purgatory receive a complete purification “so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (Catechism, no. 1030).

Concerning the second question, the concept of Limbo is a theological opinion that has never been considered part of the deposit of faith. This means that, while the Church has never officially taught it as a doctrine to which one must give assent, theologians in the Church speculated about the possibility of Limbo in light of doctrines that are definitive. There are two in particular: (1) God has made Baptism the ordinary way in which He imparts to us the great gift of salvation. (2) God is full of mercy, desires all men to be saved and would not, therefore, gratuitously send an infant to eternal damnation who, though stained with original sin, has not willfully rejected God’s gift of life. Theologians reasoned from this that there must be a place of natural beatitude (happiness) to which those who died without Baptism are placed for eternity. So no one is bound to believe in limbo, but one may speculate concerning its possibility.

This leads naturally to the third question. If Limbo does not exist, what happens to children who die without the benefit of Baptism? Concerning the necessity of Baptism in general, the Church reminds us, “God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments” (Catechism, no. 1257; emphasis original). The Church maintains that in the wisdom of God, there are ways in which the fruits of Baptism can be imparted, such as the desire for Baptism, for those who are not baptized through no fault of their own.

Regarding children specifically, “the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them” [Mk. 10:14; cf. 1 Tim. 2:4], allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who died without Baptism” (Catechism, no. 1261).

For more detail on Limbo, I have attached our Faith Fact. For more information on Heaven, hell, and Purgatory, feel free to call us at 1-800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484). Catholics United for the Faith offers information on a wide variety of subjects concerning the Catholic faith. Let us know if we can serve you further.

United in the Faith,