Question Five
Indulgences do not avail children existing in limbo, nor should prayer be made for them
It is asked whether indulgences avail children existing in limbo and whether prayer should be made for them.
To this it is answered that, since the children in limbo are not members of Christ, nor will they be, since they were not incorporated into Christ through baptism and neither possess nor will possess sanctifying grace, therefore they are not capable of the grace of indulgences, nor should prayer be made for them.
The reason is that, on account of the defect of grace of which they are deprived through the sin of the first parent, since they are and will be in the state of no longer acquiring grace or eternal life, they consequently cannot deservedly be helped by prayers.
Hence Augustine says—and this is placed by the Master of the Sentences in Book IV, distinction 49, the final chapter—“The suffrages of the Church do not benefit the unbaptized, because they were never united to Christ.”
These things are from the Master in Book IV and John of Torquemada upon On Penance.