A
AitchB
Guest
And is there a Catholic teaching regarding this?
- Status
H
Hokomai
Guest
If hell does not exist, does a mortal sin matter?
S
silicasandra
Guest
I think it might depend on what you believe about Hell. I am not convinced that Hell is an actual “place”, more that it is a state of mind: how a soul must exist when it is in full knowledge of God, yet has rejected God. To my knowledge, this is not incompatible with Catholic teaching. The idea that Hell is a place where we are “sent” does not make sense to me and never has - but it can be a useful metaphor to try and reach humans who would otherwise lack the ability to really talk about it.
P
philial
Guest
N
Newbie2
Guest
Double
Good point, though.
To willfully reject the teaching that there is a “place” or “state” where one’s soul will reside for eternity is a mortal sin. This is more a matter of willfully rejecting Church dogma.
To struggle with understanding what hell is or what is its nature is not.
J
Joe_5859
Guest
The proper theological term would be either voluntary doubt, incredulity or heresy. 
See CCC 2088-2089 for more details.
See CCC 2088-2089 for more details.
J
JRKH
Guest
Honestly I think that this is a very complex question that might be best handled by your confessor, pastor, an/or Spiritual director. There are many aspects of this that we cannot know because we do not know you.
However I do suggest that this is a serious issue and one that you need to address for Catholic Dogmatic Teaching DOES requires a belief in hell. (See HERE - “last things”)
Now - I would say that it is possible and reasonable for one to accept the truth of Church teaching (as revealed by God) while also hoping that - in the future - God will provide a different, more complete revelation.
But for right now, we have no choice but to accept as the revealed teaching of God, that hell exists.
Peace
James
J
Jesus_123
Guest
** +**
. . :coffeeread: . . .
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin
1854 Sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity. the distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in :bible1: Scripture,129 became part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience.
1855 Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart
of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.
Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.
1856 Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God’s mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation:
**When the will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible with the charity that orients man toward his ultimate end, then the sin is mortal by its very object . . . **whether it contradicts the love of God, such as blasphemy or perjury, or the love of neighbor, such as homicide or adultery… But when the sinner’s will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are venial.130
1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "**Mortal sin **is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."131
1858 **Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, **corresponding to the answer of ***Jesus ***to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
1860 **Unintentional ignorance **can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.
1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the** eternal death of hell**, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
**1862 **One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.
1863 Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness."134
While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call “light”: if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.135
**1864 **"Whoever blasphemes against the **Holy Spirit **never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."136 **There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.137 Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss. **
. . :coffeeread: . . .
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin
1854 Sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity. the distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in :bible1: Scripture,129 became part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience.
1855 Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart
of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.
1856 Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us - that is, charity - necessitates a new initiative of God’s mercy and a conversion of heart which is normally accomplished within the setting of the sacrament of reconciliation:
**When the will sets itself upon something that is of its nature incompatible with the charity that orients man toward his ultimate end, then the sin is mortal by its very object . . . **whether it contradicts the love of God, such as blasphemy or perjury, or the love of neighbor, such as homicide or adultery… But when the sinner’s will is set upon something that of its nature involves a disorder, but is not opposed to the love of God and neighbor, such as thoughtless chatter or immoderate laughter and the like, such sins are venial.130
1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "**Mortal sin **is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."131
1858 **Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, **corresponding to the answer of ***Jesus ***to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."132 The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.
1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
1860 **Unintentional ignorance **can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.
1861 Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the** eternal death of hell**, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.
**1862 **One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent.
1863 Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul’s progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God; it does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness."134
While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call “light”: if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession.135
**1864 **"Whoever blasphemes against the **Holy Spirit **never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."136 **There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit.137 Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss. **
all for Jesus+
J
Jesus_123
Guest
+*Sacred :bible1: Scripture below deals with the absolute reality of hell . . . and this is just New :bible1: Testament Scripture . . . there are also multitudes of references to hell in the Old :bible1: Testament . . . *
1 Matthew 5:22
But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2 Matthew 5:29
And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell.
3 Matthew 5:30
And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell.
4 Matthew 10:28
And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.
5 Matthew 11:23
And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.
6 Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
7 Matthew 18:9
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
8 Matthew 23:15
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.
9 Matthew 23:33
You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?
10 Mark 9:42
And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:
11 Mark 9:44
And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:
12 Mark 9:46
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:
13 Luke 10:15
And thou, Capharnaum, which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be thrust down to hell.
14 Luke 12:5
But I will shew you whom you shall fear: fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him.
15 Luke 16:22
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.
16 Acts Of Apostles 2:24
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.
17 Acts Of Apostles 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
18 Acts Of Apostles 2:31
Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption.
19 James 3:6
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.
20 2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment:
21 Apocalypse 1:18
And alive, and was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell.
22 Apocalypse 6:8
And behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon him, his name was Death, and hell followed him. And power was given to him over the four parts of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
23 Apocalypse 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works.
**
24 Apocalypse 20:14**
And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death.
But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2 Matthew 5:29
And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell.
3 Matthew 5:30
And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell.
4 Matthew 10:28
And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.
5 Matthew 11:23
And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.
6 Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
7 Matthew 18:9
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
8 Matthew 23:15
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.
9 Matthew 23:33
You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?
10 Mark 9:42
And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:
11 Mark 9:44
And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:
12 Mark 9:46
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:
13 Luke 10:15
And thou, Capharnaum, which art exalted unto heaven, thou shalt be thrust down to hell.
14 Luke 12:5
But I will shew you whom you shall fear: fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him.
15 Luke 16:22
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.
16 Acts Of Apostles 2:24
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.
17 Acts Of Apostles 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
18 Acts Of Apostles 2:31
Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption.
19 James 3:6
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.
20 2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment:
21 Apocalypse 1:18
And alive, and was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell.
22 Apocalypse 6:8
And behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon him, his name was Death, and hell followed him. And power was given to him over the four parts of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
23 Apocalypse 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works.
**
24 Apocalypse 20:14**
And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death.
. . . all for Jesus+
B
Bookcat
Guest
Yes hell is.
This is clear from Divine Rev. and the Teachings of the Church.
So yes it is something that one must hold as part of Revelation.
And to reject such can yes end up being a mortal sin.
This is clear from Divine Rev. and the Teachings of the Church.
So yes it is something that one must hold as part of Revelation.
And to reject such can yes end up being a mortal sin.
B
Bookcat
Guest
James I would not put it in that way. There will not be any “different” revelation. Hell is hell and exists. That will not change. Now of course we may understand things more deeply when we behold God in the face (or if we choose that one way ticket otherwise) but I would not say that it will be “different” …though as with other things we can understand things more completely yes.
J
JRKH
Guest
B
Bookcat
Guest
Partiulcarly note there the “involuntary doubt”…The proper theological term would be either voluntary doubt, incredulity or heresy.
See CCC 2088-2089 for more details.
and also this other line from the Catechism:
157 Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but “the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives.” “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.”
And it is good to read the Catechism on Hell …to know what is actually taught (which can differ from the movies…
)
W
wayman
Guest
If Hell didn’t exist what would be the point of Jesus coming and dying for our sins? The existence of Hell is something that has always been a teaching of the Church and therefore falls under the category of the ordinary Magisterium which a Catholic has to accept as an infallible teaching. In other words, one can not be a true Catholic and obstinately reject this teaching.
T
thistle
Guest
As this is an infallible teaching of the Church it would be heresy to consciously reject it.
B
Bookcat
Guest
Some have brought up “heresy” . Here is the definition.
Catechism:
“Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same”
Catechism:
“Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same”
V
vera_dicere
Guest
I’d say you’re skating on thin ice, even if to not beleive was okay, it could lead one to think “hey, there’s no Hell, what’s God gonna do if I decide to open fire with my brand new AK-47 in that pre-school over there?”
Well, that’s an exaggeration. But I know a few Protestants who beleive in “non-existance” after death for sinners, ie. no Hell, just cease to exist. They have a relationship with God only because they like the warm fuzzies, as they say, but things like fornication, contraception, adultery, abortion, people can do those things, they will miss out on Heaven, but they won’t go to any Hell. A very flawed idealolgy indeed.
Well, that’s an exaggeration. But I know a few Protestants who beleive in “non-existance” after death for sinners, ie. no Hell, just cease to exist. They have a relationship with God only because they like the warm fuzzies, as they say, but things like fornication, contraception, adultery, abortion, people can do those things, they will miss out on Heaven, but they won’t go to any Hell. A very flawed idealolgy indeed.
S
silicasandra
Guest
Bookcat, you know a lot about such things, so I’ll submit my previous answer to you:
I believe that Hell exists, but I don’t conceive of it as an actual “place.” Is this idea of Hell compatible with Catholic teaching? I know what our “picture” of Hell looks like, but this has been presented to me as a way to make humans understand what we will feel like, which we can’t really approximate in any way since we have never experienced it (and hopefully none of us ever do!
)I know it isn’t quite the subject of the OP, but I think it relates closely enough - as far as what, exactly, we are supposed to believe regarding Hell.
T
thistle
Guest
Bookcat, you know a lot about such things, so I’ll submit my previous answer to you:
I believe that Hell exists, but I don’t conceive of it as an actual “place.” Is this idea of Hell compatible with Catholic teaching? I know what our “picture” of Hell looks like, but this has been presented to me as a way to make humans understand what we will feel like, which we can’t really approximate in any way since we have never experienced it (and hopefully none of us ever do!
I know it isn’t quite the subject of the OP, but I think it relates closely enough - as far as **what, exactly, we are supposed to believe regarding Hell./**QUOTE]
We are obliged to believe Hell exists. That is not dependent on whether you believe its a state or a place or both.
The OP is asking if its a mortal sin to not believe Hell exists. The answer is yes its a mortal sin to believe Hell does not exist.
HELL
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 for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
CCC 1034 Jesus often speaks of “Gehenna” of “the unquenchable fire” reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost. Jesus solemnly proclaims that he “will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,” and that he will pronounce the condemnation: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!”
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.
CCC 1036 The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed, we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where “men will weep and gnash their teeth.”
CCC 1037 God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come to repentance:”
Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.
B
Bookcat
Guest
Hum…not sure I have the full answer for you here. There is so much that is speculative about the last things.Bookcat, you know a lot about such things, so I’ll submit my previous answer to you:
I believe that Hell exists, but I don’t conceive of it as an actual “place.” Is this idea of Hell compatible with Catholic teaching? I know what our “picture” of Hell looks like, but this has been presented to me as a way to make humans understand what we will feel like, which we can’t really approximate in any way since we have never experienced it (and hopefully none of us ever do!
I know it isn’t quite the subject of the OP, but I think it relates closely enough - as far as what, exactly, we are supposed to believe regarding Hell.
I would not use the term “state of mind” …that you had used in the other post.
The language of “state” though is certainly used by the Church.
But such does not exclude also the concept of “place”… but I think it is safe to say that we really do not know how “place” is involved in Hell (or Heaven). Our frame of reference here is quite limited …we use the term place when we think of locations like “Rome”…I think whatever Heaven and Hell is…will far outstrip our minds limited concepts. There is of course I am sure lots of various speculations down through the ages.
“More than a physical place, hell is the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy.” -Bl. Pope John Paul II
Hopefully (in terms of Hell) not something that will be gained by first hand experience either…let us remain in Christ…as the truly living!
There is so much we do not know (though there are certain things we do)…and wonderfully we hope with the certainty of hope that we will find out …in terms of heaven…and of the resurrection and the new heavens and new earth.
(by the way such would also make a wonderful question for Jimmy Akin on his Thurs. radio show…he can perhaps illuminate things more for you)
CCC: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2O.HTM
Read also these: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2M.HTM and vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2Q.HTM
Here is a text I found for you by Bl. Pope John Paul II …(note the corrections to the English translations from the Italian.)
catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=1183
Pope Benedict XVI (march 25 2007):
“… this is why he was to die on the Cross and why the Father was to raise him on the third day. Jesus came to tell us that he wants us all in Paradise and that hell, about which little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love.”
- Status