Dare we Hope?

[jerryplan14]

Hello,
In your library, under the title The Hell There Is! there is the assertion “Thus the issue that some will go to hell is decided, but the issue of who in particular will go to hell is undecided.”
In Hans Urs Von Balthasar’s essay “Dare We Hope” he states that this is not necessarily the case. He seems to be saying that - not only do we not know who is in hell, likewise we don’t know if anyone is there and thus we can ‘hope’ that all will be saved. Yes, hell exists, yes satan and the demons will be there eternally. Yet, the Church has never declared that some human beings “will go to hell is decided.”
Acknowledging the words of Jesus, the Apostles, Church Fathers, Saints, appoved apparitions, etc it seems very probable that there are people in hell, however are you not stating a ‘theological opinion’ as a fact that the Church teaches? An opinion with much common sense, logic and backing, but not a definitive Church teaching?
Thank you, Blessings,
Jerry

 

[Liberian]

Jerry Plan,

Hello and welcome to the Catholic Answers Forums. I hope you have a blessed and fruitful time here.

Acknowledging the words of Jesus, the Apostles, Church Fathers, Saints, appoved apparitions, etc it seems very probable that there are people in hell, however are you not stating a ‘theological opinion’ as a fact that the Church teaches? An opinion with much common sense, logic and backing, but not a definitive Church teaching?

I must confess that I had not considered the question in that way. My figuring has always been that either there are people in Hell or there are not, and the vast preponderance of the evidence would indicate that there are. In fact, I have not seen any evidence beyond modern-day wishful thinking that would lead me to believe that nobody is in Hell. Jesus, the Apostles, the Church Fathers, saints, and approved apparitions are quite a heavy crowd to set oneself against.

• Liberian