re: #287 J. Bastard (Buttland Institute)

The Church teaches, in general, that baptism is necessary for salvation. Not necessarily the rite of baptism, but possibly also baptism through martyrdom for Christ, and baptism through a desire of baptism. Plus there is a loophole with a hope for the fate of unbaptized infants. (At what moment of time is an infant no longer an infant? Heh. But I digress.)

Now, obviously, nobody can say with certainty that any given individual did not harbor Catholic thoughts/desire for baptism before death and is therefore not in hell. But we can say with certainty, in aggregate, that most of them didn’t. Because that’s just not factual. So while we can’t pinpoint who is in hell and who isn’t, most of them are in hell, as follows from the standard teachings.

That would be a general assumption, but ain’t necessarily so. There are a thousand levels of sophistication in orthodox Catholicsm, from recently converted tribesmen to almost incomprehensible theologians and mystics.
Pope will not presume to say anyone or collectivity is in Hell. That would be like an anti-canonization.