Hell: only our souls or our bodies too?

[The_Reginator]

This is probably in the CCC, but I’m behind in my reading.

Since we are both body and soul, and since we believe in the resurrection of the body, what happens for the majority of us who will end up spending eternity in hell?

Is hell a place for souls only? Or will our souls and bodies be reconnected for all eternity?

 

[revert_jen]

My understanding is that it is just souls until the Final Judgement and then both souls and bodies, but I’m nowhere near 100% sure about that.

–Jen

 

[Usagi]

Everyone will ultimately experience the resurrection of the body and will spend eternity as a body-soul composite. The bodies of the damned will presumably not be glorified like those of the saints, but I’m not sure how they will differ.

Usagi

 

[superamazingman]

oh yes, we’ll have our bodies, whether we go to heaven or hell.

 

[GEddie]

Everyone will ultimately experience the resurrection of the body and will spend eternity as a body-soul composite. The bodies of the damned will presumably not be glorified like those of the saints, but I’m not sure how they will differ.

Usagi

Everybody will be fitted with the pneumatikon soma, spiritual body. This is part of being human. What we know as the human body (psychikon soma) is simply the mold for the body of everlasting life.

However, those who go to Hell will not receive the glorious life that a supernatural body would otherwise give them. For example, pneumatikon soma is “agile”; able to move at will with the speed of the mind; whereas those in Hell are described by our LORD as having “bound hands and feet”; ie, their body movement will be disabled.

ICXC NIKA

 

[SonCatcher]

This is probably in the CCC, but I’m behind in my reading.

Since we are both body and soul, and since we believe in the resurrection of the body, what happens for the majority of us who will end up spending eternity in hell?

Is hell a place for souls only? Or will our souls and bodies be reconnected for all eternity?

We shouldn’t presume that a majority will be in Hell. Certainly there will be more than God intends (even one soul damned is more than He intends) but it may well be a minority.

At the Resurrection, everyone will be reunited with their bodies prior to Final Judgement.

 

[R_C]

We shouldn’t presume that a majority will be in Hell. Certainly there will be more than God intends (even one soul damned is more than He intends) but it may well be a minority.

It will most definitely be a minority. We can as well presume that, given that God is infinitely more wise than Satan and than men.

 

[Anthony_V]

This is probably in the CCC, but I’m behind in my reading.

Since we are both body and soul, and since we believe in the resurrection of the body, what happens for the majority of us who will end up spending eternity in hell?

Is hell a place for souls only? Or will our souls and bodies be reconnected for all eternity?

It is my understanding that those in hell will only have their spiritual soul only, because the Body of Christ alone (the Church and those in it, including those saved by extraordinary circumstances) will be Resurrected from the dead. Only those who experience beatific vision will experience eternity (the eternal life of God), so we could speculate that there is some sort of preternatural “time” that the souls in hell (and purgatory) experience. Essential damnation (as opposed to essential beatitude) is in the loss of God forever. Will there be other non-essential forms of suffering? I don’t know, and I should hope to never know.

 

[SonCatcher]

It will most definitely be a minority. We can as well presume that, given that God is infinitely more wise than Satan and than men.

We shouldn’t presume that either.

 

[R_C]

Why not I don’t think heaven will be less full than hell But alright, we should’t presume period, since we don’t know…so let’s say I hope so, but it’s the sort of hope I’m almost sure of

 

[GEddie]

About the numbers, we just can’t know. We do know, however, that everybody will still be somebody!

ICXC NIKA

 

[Nita]

Mt. 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

[steve_b]

We shouldn’t presume that a majority will be in Hell. Certainly there will be more than God intends (even one soul damned is more than He intends) but it may well be a minority.

Even though God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth, [1 Tim 2:4] He doesn’t force anyone to be saved.

It’s possible the Regenerator you responded to, had the following statements from Jesus in mind

• wide is the road to destruction and many are on it [Mt 7:13-14]
• narrow is the road to life and few are on it. [Mt 7:13-14]
• many are called, few are chosen [Mt 22:14]
• etc etc

Therefore, It’s possible to take from those statements, that hell is probably more populated with souls than heaven is, not that we know of course, just that Jesus is making a clear distinction, and He should not only know that, I don’t think He would scare us needlessly. .
SC:

At the Resurrection, everyone will be reunited with their bodies prior to Final Judgement.

True. And those who are in heaven are then in heaven body and soul, and those who are in hell are now in hell body and soul. Purgatory ceases to exist.

 

[The_Reginator]

Re the number of people headed for heaven or hell:
Here’s an interesting (hour long!) video on that very topic.
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/share/watch.php?vidID=totf-2008-10-05

Apparently many of the saints and doctors of the Church, along with the children of Fatima, have spoken of the small number of people that will actually make it to heaven.

It would be interesting to do some research and start another thread on this topic. I say ‘another thread’ because I seem to recall this matter being hashed out here some time ago …