Hell
What does the Catholic Church really teach about hell through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Holy Scripture, and 2000 years of Catholic thought? People who dismiss hell entirely loose the seriousness of their choices. And those who are obsessed with hell in the wrong way develop a faith built on terror and not love. The Church does not teach that one bad thought could land you in eternal fire. Fear was never what God intended.
CCC 1035: “The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.”
The souls in hell suffer the loss of eternal communion with God and also punishments according to the sins committed on earth. From this state of separation from God there can be no salvation. As the blessed enjoy eternal love and joy, the damned suffer eternal hatred and unhappiness. In the company of Satan, his demons, and the other lost souls, those in hell will only be able to express bitterness and despair for having turned away from God. We must be mindful that hell exist and use our human freedom for the goodness of God and each other.
We hear in Matthews Gospel: “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Mt 25: 41, 46). Notice in this proclamation hell was never meant for anyone of God’s creation. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Hell was not prepared for human beings; this means that for a person to end up in hell, they have to choose it with full knowledge of what they are rejecting. Hell is real, but it is never God’s intention for human beings whom he loves dearly.
CCC 1058: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: "Lord, let me never be parted from you." If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God "desires all men to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him "all things are possible" (Mt 19:26).
The Catholic Church does teach about hell. Hell is real, it is eternal, and Church never changed this (See CCC 1035 above). It states, “mortal sin,” not any sin. Mortal sin is a grave offense against God's law that destroys sanctifying grace and separates the soul from God. To be considered mortal, an act must meet three strict conditions: it must be a grave matter, committed with full knowledge that it is wrong, and made with deliberate and complete consent.
It also states “immediately after death,” what follow is called the particular judgment. Christ evaluates the person's life and choices, resulting in an immediate allocation to either Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. If one dies in a state of unrepented mortal sin, meaning it was gravely wrong, chose it and refused God’s mercy, chooses to live without God and condemns oneself. God respects their choice.
CCC 1033: “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his
brethren. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."
The Church does not state definitively that any particular soul is in hell. Pope St. John Paul II taught that “eternal damnation remains a possibility, but we are not granted, without special Divine Revelation, the knowledge of whether or which human beings are effectively in it.” Every person who dies is entrusted to the mercy of God, who alone knows the state of our souls. In her liturgy, the Church prays fervently that all humanity may be saved, which is God’s own desire. Eucharistic Prayer II of the new Roman Missal petitions: “Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face.”
—Deacon Gerry Flamm
Texts for Meditation
“Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8,34-38)
"Dear children! Today I am happy, even if in my heart there is still a little sadness for all those who have started on this path and then have left it. My presence here is to take you on a new path, the path to salvation. This is why I call you, day after day to conversion. But if you do not pray, you cannot say that you are on the way to being converted. I pray for you and I intercede to God for peace; first peace in your hearts and also peace around you, so that God may be your peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (Mary’s Message at Medjugorje, June 25, 1992)
Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man. (CCC 2564)
