At that time, people were deeply religious. For many, the salvation of their soul was more important than life in this world. So, for parents, it was essential that their babies be baptized soon after birth to cleanse them of their original sin.
In many cases, however, the child died before receiving the sacrament of baptism. This was a horror for the parents because it meant that the souls of these little beings fell victim to eternal damnation. Their corpses were not allowed to be buried in the consecrated earth of a cemetery.
The dead children were tainted with the stain of original sin*, and the medieval Church was no Seelentröster (soul comforter) for the parents.
*Here is a blog about a lecture on the original sin
The strict rule that unbaptized children will go to hell comes from Church
Father Augustine, who is still regarded by many Catholics as the second St. Paul in the
interpretation of the faith.
So, it became custom, albeit forbidden, to bury the little bodies near the church wall so that they would be sprinkled with rainwater from the church roofs. This water was considered sacred, and so it had to have a healing effect. Although the sacrament of baptism may only be administered to the living, a Traufkind perhaps would become a Taufkind?*
*A play on words in German. Traufen, i.e., eaves catch water: A child buried below the eaves will become a baptized child.
People's lack of understanding about the fate of innocent children
ultimately led towards the end of the 18th century to the idea that
unbaptized children endure a Vorhölle (limbo puerorum). Still, the idea of unbaptized children ending up in hell remained part of Christian heritage and in everyday life for much longer.
It was not until 2007 that the Vatican decreed that unbaptized children could at least hope for the "blissful vision" of God. Nowadays, those Sternkinder (star children) are also entitled to a church funeral.
*
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| Church Father Augustine (©Ercole De Roberti/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images) |
So, it became custom, albeit forbidden, to bury the little bodies near the church wall so that they would be sprinkled with rainwater from the church roofs. This water was considered sacred, and so it had to have a healing effect. Although the sacrament of baptism may only be administered to the living, a Traufkind perhaps would become a Taufkind?*
*A play on words in German. Traufen, i.e., eaves catch water: A child buried below the eaves will become a baptized child.
|
| A skeleton of a Traufkind afflicted with the stain of original sin from excavations near the Church of Eggolsheim (©IN TERRA VERITAS Bamberg) |
It was not until 2007 that the Vatican decreed that unbaptized children could at least hope for the "blissful vision" of God. Nowadays, those Sternkinder (star children) are also entitled to a church funeral.
*
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