Do the unborn children go to heaven?

Q. Do aborted children, those lost through spontaneous abortion and those born dead go to Heaven?

A. This question takes on deep personal significance for those parents who have lost a child in one of these ways. Therefore, the first thing to stress is that God is a God of perfect love. His mercy goes beyond what we can understand. We should be at peace knowing that God is the one who meets these precious children as they leave this life even before they are born.

What happens to these precious little ones? In the end we do not know because the answer has never been revealed directly to us through Scripture and the Church has never spoken definitively on this issue. However, we can offer various options based on the principles of our faith and the wisdom of the teachings of the saints. Here are some considerations:

First, we believe that the grace of Baptism is necessary for salvation. These children are not baptized. But that shouldn't lead us to the conclusion that I'm not in Heaven. Although our Church has taught that baptism is necessary for salvation, it has also taught that God can offer the grace of baptism directly and outside the act of physical baptism. Therefore, God can choose to offer the grace of Baptism to these children in a way he chooses. God binds himself to the sacraments, but is not bound by them. Therefore, we should not be concerned that these children die without the external act of Baptism. God can easily offer them this grace directly if he wishes.

Second, some suggest that God knows who among the aborted children would have chosen him or not. Although they have never lived their lives in this world, some speculate that perfect knowledge of God includes knowing how these children would have lived if they had the opportunity. This is only speculation but it is certainly a possibility. If this is true, then these children will be judged in accordance with God's moral law and his perfect knowledge of their free will.

Third, some suggest that God offers them salvation in a way similar to the way he offered it to angels. They are given the opportunity to make a choice when they come to God's presence and that choice becomes their eternal choice. Just as angels had to choose whether or not they would serve God with love and freedom, so it may be that these children have the opportunity to choose or reject God at the time of their death. If they choose to love and serve God, they are saved. If they choose to reject God (as a third of the angels did), they freely choose Hell.

Fourthly, it is not correct to simply say that all aborted, aborted or born dead children automatically go to Heaven. This denies their free choice. We must trust that God will allow them to exercise their free choice like all of us.

Finally, we must believe with absolute certainty that God loves these most precious children much more than one of us has ever been able to. His mercy and justice are perfect and will be treated in accordance with that mercy and justice.