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OF course there’s no such place as limbo. Even
before he became commander in chief of the Swiss Guards, Pope
Benedict XVI had expressed doubts about limbo. The Bible does not
devote a single sentence to the word. The Church does not have a
formal doctrine on the concept of limbo. Newspapers are even
ambivalent about putting the first letter in upper case or not.
Popular belief and traditional
Church teaching have perpetuated the myth of limbo, the place where
unbaptized children were supposedly exiled. They do not enjoy the
full blessings of heaven but they’re spared the punishment of
purgatory or hell. It’s only fair; why punish the little ones
because their parents or guardians failed to have them baptized?
Now you can send the word to
limbo, or wherever it deserves rest. Pope Benedict XVI has blessed
the report of the International Theological Commission, an advisory
body to the Vatican, which reassessed traditional teaching on limbo
in light of pressing pastoral needs, primarily the growing number of
abortions and infants born to nonbelievers who die without being
baptized.
Welcoming the report, Rev.
Richard McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre
Dame, sent this e-mail: “Baptism does not exist to wipe away the
‘stain’ of original sin, but to initiate one into the church.”
We have not read about criticisms
of the Vatican document. The pro-limbo lobby has remained silent.
But some people are asking: If limbo does not exist, should we not
expunge the word from the dictionary?
Well, no. “Limbo” denotes
also a condition of oblivion or neglect, as in the Supreme Court
sending the Cha-cha proposals to limbo. We don’t want to hear
protest from the West Indies, where the dance called “limbo”
originated. The dancers keep bending backward and passing under a
pole that is lowered slightly each time.
The American Heritage Dictionary,
by the way, defines “limbo” thus: “The abode of souls kept
from Heaven through circumstance, such as lack of baptism. 2. A
region or condition of oblivion and neglect; 3. A state or place of
confinement; 4. An intermediate place or state.”
Filipino bureaucrats have a word
for limbo. They call it “floating status.” Any government
employee or official expecting a promotion or a deserved transfer
but gets stuck in the bureaucratic maze is said to be “on floating
status.” The most common victims are military and police
officials.
Despite the Vatican turnabout,
the word is worth saving. “Limbo” is useful as a metaphor.
Distressed citizens claiming a right to organize a party-list group
say they are in the limbo of Philippine politics. Filipinos who
worry whether the country is coming or going say the Philippines is
in limbo.
Bravo for the Pope. But will he
reverse himself or the Church on other traditional beliefs? Does
hell—a place for permanent punishment—exist? When would women
enjoy the right to officiate at Masses? When will the gays earn
respect from the Church?
Is the Pope infallible? Of course
not. But we accept his word on limbo. Now we have one place less to
worry about. You either go to heaven, to hell or to purgatory.
It’s as simple as that.
Beating the heat
WE thought all that wind coming
from the campaign speeches was enough to fan the candidates and keep
them cool. We were wrong.
The Genuine Opposition (which is
different from the Fake Opposition) senatorial candidates, for
example, are moaning that the summer heat, more than the political
fever, will wear them down before the May 14 elections. But they are
coping.
Sen. Ping Lacson, for instance,
uses sunscreen lotion and drinks plenty of water. Rep. Koko Pimentel
shuns direct sunlight. He uses the umbrella a lot and avoids riding
open-top cars.
Former Sen. Nikki Coseteng has
abandoned the traditional vest for a cool T-shirt. A very, very wise
idea. Not to be outdone, the frontrunning Loren Legarda changes her
T-shirt frequently and takes a break between rallies to appear
fresh.
The Team Unity bets are having
the same problem. Only Vic Magsaysay’s sense of humor is keeping
their spirits up.
The coolest candidate is Sen.
Kiko Pangilinan because he does not have to share a truck or car
with anyone.
Some candidates have hired valets
to hold their umbrellas or wipe their sweat off.
The male officeseekers do not
have to appear proper all the time. Sleeveless undershirts will look
good on former secretary Michael Defensor or Sen. Ralph Recto. Show
those legs, Ms. Tessie Oreta.
The best weapon against heat came
from a Japanese baseball star. He appeared in training camp wearing
a wet head of cabbage over his hair.
Our candidates—who have a
solution for every problem in this country—should be just as
resourceful.
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