Pope says hell and damnation are real and eternal

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This is a small excerpt
HELL is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanise the faithful, Pope Benedict XVI has said.
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Addressing a parish gathering in a northern suburb of Rome, the Pope said that in the modern world many people, including some believers, had forgotten that if they failed to “admit blame and promise to sin no more”, they risked “eternal damnation - the inferno”.
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Hell “really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much any more”.
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I am wary of the Australian papers report of this. This appears to be not a Wednesday audience but a Papal Parish visit. Therefore I am not sure if we shall have a English translation of this available or if his remarks will be offically released. If** anyone locates one please link it.**

I would find it odd if the Pope used the word “place” alone or indicated that there were real “flames”. There very well might be. But I notice the Church as been careful about describing it as such. Especially when one looks at John Paul II statements
ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2HEAVN.HTM

This has come up on another board as these remarks and I want to be careful assuming what the Holy Father said
 
**Yes, hell is a real place . . . .

Romans 9:20-23 – What if God willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory.
Code: 
* fitted - Greek: katartizo- to complete thoroughly; fit; frame; arrange; prepare
Romans 3:23 – all have sinned

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death
Code: 
* death-Greek: thanatos-loss of life; separation by which life is ended: spiritual death is eternal separation from God.
I John 5:12-- He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

John 14:6–(Jesus speaking) – I am the life–

Luke 16:26–(speaking of the rich man in hell)–there is a great gulf fixed.
Code: 
* gulf- Greek: chasma: from chao (to gape or yawn); chasm or vacancy (impassible interval); a separation
**
 
Yes I see what you mean. However I am not saying that it doesn’t exist. I am more interested in the exact wording he used. Especially if he really said it is literally Fire or its a place and did not qualify it with or State or Consition. The reason I am curious about this is that people will be making a comparision between John Paul II remarks and Benedicts
 
Since it is a Zenit article and the articles cannot link directly to the page, I will print the article in its entirety as I received in my e-mail today. Forum Administrators: If posting this without a link is not acceptable, please accept my apologies.
Pope Says Sin Is True Enemy
Visits Parish of Diocese of Rome
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ROME, MARCH 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Hell consists in closing oneself off from the love of God, and sin is the true enemy of the human person, Benedict XVI says.
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The Pope made that comment on Sunday when celebrating Mass at the Parish of St. Felicity and Martyred Sons in the northern sector of the Diocese of Rome.
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“If it is true that God is justice, then we should not forget that he is above all love; if he hates sin it is because he has an infinite love for all human beings,” the Holy Father explained.
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The Pontiff reflected on the Gospel account of the day’s liturgy. It dealt with the adulterous woman who was to be stoned to death, but who was saved and forgiven by Jesus.

Benedict XVI stated: "Jesus does not start a theological debate about the law of Moses; he is not interested in winning an academic dispute on an interpretation of the Mosaic laws. His objective is to save a soul and reveal that salvation can be found only in the love of God.
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"Jesus came to tell us that he wants us all in heaven and that hell, of which so little is said in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love.
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“Therefore even in this episode, we understand that our true enemy is our attachment to sin, which can lead us to failing our existence.”
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Recalling that Jesus sent the adulterous woman away with the words, “go and sin no more,” the Pope explained, “Only God’s forgiveness and his love, received with an open and sincere heart, give us the strength to resist evil and to sin no more, to let us be touched by God’s love which becomes our strength.”
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Benedict XVI concluded, “Jesus’ attitude thus becomes a model to be followed by all communities, called to make love and forgiveness the pulsating heart of their lives.”
ZE07032620
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Okay, so it doesn’t seem he said anything about “place” or “flames”…but still, we cannot doubt that there will be a place with real flames, at least after the General Resurrection (when we get our bodies back…it wouldn’t really make much sense to speak of “place” or “flames” regarding disembodied spirits…though theologians always tried…)
 
max37 said:
This looks like it. It’s Catholic news, and it’s from Australia,
cathnews.com/news/703/149.php

I don’t see any mention of flames but direct reference to hell, the enemy, and sin.
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Thanks. I am wondering if we shall see the entire remarks. This might have not been a prepared text(nothing wrong with that) but the Pope just speaking off the cuff with out notes or text
 
I’m still not clear. Does the NT quote Jesus as saying anything about hell?
 
Valke2 said:
What did Jesus say about eternal damnation?
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**Luke 16:

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"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day.
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And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
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who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
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When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,
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and from the hades, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
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And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
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Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
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Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’

**
 
batteddy said:
…but still, we cannot doubt that there will be a place with real flames
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**Jesus speaking:

Luke 16:23
and from hades**, where (the rich man) was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
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And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
 
I always thought that the Church taught Hell as being the absence of Christ, not brimstone and fire?
 
Here’s a link to the News.com.au story of what the Pope said. It was posted on The Drudge Report, too, which has the benefit of also reaching a huge secular part of the culture.
 
lsusportsfan said:
This is a small excerpt
HELL is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanise the faithful, Pope Benedict XVI has said.

Addressing a parish gathering in a northern suburb of Rome, the Pope said that in the modern world many people, including some believers, had forgotten that if they failed to “admit blame and promise to sin no more”, they risked “eternal damnation - the inferno”.

Hell “really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much any more”.
Click to expand...
“Pope says hell and damnation are real and eternal”

This has been the constant teaching of all the popes, no?

John Paul II taught also that “Hell is a place”…
All this is narrated in the parable of the rich man, which explains that hell is a place of eternal suffering, with no possibility of return, nor of the alleviation of pain (cf. Lk 16:19-31). General Audience, 28 July 1999]
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While in the same address, the English translation says “Rather than a place…” the actual Italian connotes “More than (Più che) a place…”
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lsusportsfan said:
Thanks. I am wondering if we shall see the entire remarks. This might have not been a prepared text(nothing wrong with that) but the Pope just speaking off the cuff with out notes or text
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Please read my entire post above. You will see that he was speaking during a homily about the Sunday Gospel reading in regard to stoning the sinner.
 
Valke2 said:
I’m still not clear. Does the NT quote Jesus as saying anything about hell?
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What does the Old Testament say about hell, Jesus taught how to avoid it not about it. Remember he did not come to change the law but to fulfill them.
In some of the Palsm’s it is mention.
 
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