Help with John 8:51

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Waynec

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The following from the Haydock Commentary:
Ver. 51. He shall not see death, he shall not die, for ever. That is, he shall not incur an eternal death, as they who die in sin: but they understood his words of the death of the body. Wi. — You accuse me of being possessed with a devil, because I preach to you a doctrine far different from what you are accustomed to hear; but I speak nothing but the truth; I give honour to my Father, I execute his orders; and the words I now speak to you, are the words of eternal life. Whoever observes them shall not die. Moses promised a long life to those who observed what was commanded in the old law, and offered them as their reward goods and temporal prosperity. But I now offer you an eternal life. Believe my words, keep them, and observe my ordinances, and you shall not feel the death of the soul, the second, eternal, and most miserable of deaths. Calmet._emphasized text

How are we as Catholics to take the last sentence of this commentary regarding the second and eternal and most miserable of deaths?
I understand it as my soul at death being separated from God. My JW friend believes that that soul will be annihilated. She doesn’t beleive in the immortal soul. She doesn’t beleive that you can be separated from God and the soul still exist. Can this be explained to her or is it an exercise in futility? Is there some one out there who is more educated in the bible who can help me with this?
Thanks in advance.
 
The Catholic teaching on Hell is not that the soul has an absolute separation from God. God is omnipresent, and things are only conserved in existence by his action. However, the souls undegoing the “eternal death” have no hope of redemption or receiving God’s grace. Insofar as they lack God’s grace, they have a spiritual death, and are separated from him in that sense.
 
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The soul of the damned is not anhilitated but goes to hell for eternity,separated from God. There is no basis for belief in soul anhilitation. JWs misinterpret the Bible.
 
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