The Exorcist Padre Fortea on: El Infierno/Hell

[Abba]

Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

I just want to share with you some of the wisdom of Father Fortea which he shares in a video on Youtube entitled: El Infierno (that is - Hell). The video is in Padre Fortea’s native tongue - Spanish - but not to worry - I will translate.

I just thought to present here the major points he presents and perhaps we can share here our thoughts and comments. I will only presents his main points and I will do so liberally and paraphrase him. I will add the points as we progress.

The first point we will note is that to obtain a good understanding of hell we need not approach it with that hell exists because God is Just and creation needs to be balanced out (as I said I will be liberal - he does not quite put it this way but that’s his point). Instead, Father Fortea says that to get a good grasp and understanding of this mystery - it is best to approach it with the story of the Prodigal Son in mind. And, keeping in mind the love of God for us all. And, that He sacrificed His only begotten son to save us - so how can we think that He would not do all possible to prevent His beloved children from going to eternal damnation?

Another point Padre Fortea makes is that nowhere in the Bible will we find that God tortures people in hell. Padre Fortea says that they go there by there own choosing. And, that God has determined that it is best for them to continue to exist even though this would be out of His presence than to annihilate them.

Father Fortea notes that he is a specialist in hell as he has devoted the days of his life and every day for decades to studying and contemplating hell. He says that there may be some who have devoted themselves with the rigor that he has but there would be few. In other words, he knows what he is talking about.

This is the video presentation (it is actually just audio) that I will be referring to and presenting here for those of you who may be interested:
youtube.com/watch?v=vh32bYPKPCk

This is Padre Fortea’s website:
fortea.ws/

Some of his writings have been translated and are available for purchase on Amazon:

Such as:

Interview With an Exorcist
amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=father+fortea

Well, I don’t see anything else than that one. There are a couple others mentioned in his website but I don’t know if they are available in English.

What do you think about the points presented so far? I can appreciate the idea of approaching an understanding of hell via the Prodigal Son who leaves the father of his own free will and this is how people go to hell. Father Fortea says that there are times when the children or only child of really great parents ends up hating his/her parents and leave. He said that some return and some never do. Similarly, there are souls who reject God and choose hell.

 

[roseofshannon]

I agree that God doesn’t punish people in hell. Isn’t it Satan who does that?

In fact God doesn’t send anyone there, they chose to go themselves because they do not want God and don’t want to choose the good. Plus God still loves them and always will but they have rejected that love.

I’m just wondering though about the wailing and gnashing of teeth Jesus describes in the Bible. Is Fr. Fortea suggesting that although God doesn’t punish people in Hell, they are in agony nonetheless because of the absence of God’s presence and any goodness or love? Or does he believe they really are being tortured as in the vision the Fatima children were shown?

Also, I wonder why it wouldn’t be better to be annihilated than to endure eternal torment?

 

[Abba]

I’m just wondering though about the wailing and gnashing of teeth Jesus describes in the Bible. Is Fr. Fortea suggesting that although God doesn’t punish people in Hell, they are in agony nonetheless because of the absence of God’s presence and any goodness or love? Or does he believe they really are being tortured as in the vision the Fatima children were shown?

Hello roseofshannon,

I will answer this question for now and return for the others when I get a little more time.

Father Fortea in the presentation to which we are referring to specifically does not mention that Satan, demons nor even other souls torment the soul. He does present the situation of the soul, and notes he has come to his understanding of hell by his study of the scripture, prayers etc… in the following way.

Sin to the soul (again these are my words but I am making the point Father Fortea makes) is like a cancer - a disease. Father Fortea uses the example of the person who drinks a lot of alcohol and knows it is bad for him or her, and considers that someday they will stop or cut down. But, time goes by and the person still continues to drink and continues to think that someday they will try to keep it under control or quit. But, the day comes when the doctor tells him your liver is ruined and there is 'no return. The person insists that he/she is now ready to quit and has designed an exercise plan and has everything ready and is really going to do it. But, it’s too late - the liver has been permanent and seriously damaged. That’s it - times up.

It happens similarly to the soul with sin and the rejection of God. People are drawn in little by little, with a little white lie, then a real lie full of all intentions to deceive, then maybe borrowing without permission and then outright just stealing etc… and we keep going down that road of sin. Then the soul can find itself constantly committing moral sins and not even thinking much about it and continues to go down that road. God knows the soul is going down the road of perdition and at the most opportune moment when His grace would be most receptive and effective on the soul God will be it a grace to return from the road. There are souls that snap out of it and return but there are others that continue and continue no matter how many graces.

The thing is, Father Fortea notes, that the direction lead to like a cliff (his example) where that if you come to a tip and fall you fall unto another below and can fall to another and there is a point where someone has to get you out because you yourself cannot get out and God gives the soul the grace to get out. But, there are soul that keep going or return or simple do not welcome the assistance, and just keep going.

Applying that analogy to the soul and sin then, what occurs is that the soul becomes harden as it goes down that road of sinning and it reaches a point that it cannot of it’s own accord return. It may start with little sins and bad intents but I like the way Socrates put - it will just help to make the point clear that Fortea makes, so allow me a little quote from Socrates.

Socrates said that the justice we obtain from miserable people is the knowledge that with every miserable act they commit they become more and more like themselves. Well, Fortea is saying that as we continue to sin we become more and more sinners and there comes a point we we ourselves of our own accord can no longer turn back because this way of life, thinking and feeling has denote who we are.

And, so, in hell the souls in hell are torment by their own composition by themselves. They are their own prison because of who they became by their very actions, thoughts and feelings. They are who they are and they do not want to be in the presence of God.

Father Fortea says that sins hurt and damages the soul and it is uncomfortable. He said that we see the exterior of a person who is enriching himself by hurting others and we see the smile but inside damage has been done to the soul and it is painful.

The gnashing of teeth etc… is the soul itself suffering because of who it is. But, Father Fortea says that this torment is not constant but that the (suffering, bitterness) reaches that point but souls are not in constant agony and the agony is caused by themselves because of who they are.

I find it very interesting and I am learning from Padre Fortea about hell. It’s very interesting.

 

[Abba]

I think Father Fortea’s explanation of hell is the best one I have heard so far. The question he is addressing in his lecture is: How can a loving and merciful God condemn souls to eternal damnation? The typical answers are to bring things to harmony again/the debt must be paid or ‘revenge is mine said the Lord’ and so he is collecting a debt. These explanations although not eliminated per se, only raise more questions. Father Fortea’s explanation is conclusive and complete and does not raise more questions and actually answers the question and other.

I think it would be very nice if someone can download the video, and translate it and upload with English subtitles. Perhaps, Father Fortea can have his assistants do this and he can provide it in his own website and translations of in his own website of his other works. He needs to offer his wisdom to the international audience which will benefit from receiving it. I am going to send to him an Email asking him to do so.

Moving on, in his lecture of the Explanation of Hell, Father Fortea takes away the mystique and provides a venue (Prodigal Son approach) which permits for a deeper and more profound understanding. The explanation, God is Just and justice must be served or merely that souls choose to go to hell, kind of leaves us at the entrance of the understanding but with Father Fortea’s approach we can understand better. Hell then is understood in continuity with this existence instead of this unknow, totally mysterious most horrible place where demons whip souls and souls are constantly tortured etc…

I agree that God doesn’t punish people in hell. Isn’t it Satan who does that?

Well, he does not specify and instead he focuses on how the souls have brought upon themselves and how they suffer exactly because of who they are. But, he does say, and this is of course is the understanding that he himself has arrived at; that far from God torturing the souls in hell, He mitigates their suffering. God controls from afar the sufferings of those in hell because otherwise the suffering they may cause each other would end up with pure and constant agony century after century after century. Imagine being in a school full of bullies for eternity. Ouch!

Also, I wonder why it wouldn’t be better to be annihilated than to endure eternal torment?

Fortea says that God loves His children even those who are in hell. And that in hell, they continue to exist and to have their thoughts etc… but without a body and they can interact with one another etc… and that the pain and suffering are not constant… He uses the analogy of a prison to explanation how people end up in hell and how their stay in hell is.

I apologize for all my typos and sloppy writing… I am just banging the keyboard… I’ll see if I can get an ‘r’ insert in exorcist on the title.

Peace.