Wanting clarification to a past post of "Does everyone eventually go to Heaven"

[Lilybean11]

So I was perusing the ask an apologist section, and saw this question:
"I have heard it said by people who are staunch Catholics, that all people are saved and will eventually end up in heaven. That Hell is not for eternity but only for a period. Is this true?

Thank you.

Paul Dawson "

(I hope that quoting is allowed on another thread!)

The apologist linked him to two sources that, to me, did not really answer the question. So I just wanted to ask here for someone to clarify whether the above is true or if you have ever even heard of something like that.

I have a very strong feeling that the answer will be no, of course. But the idea does make a lot of sense to me. I have always had a real problem with the acceptance of hell- ETERNAL damnation. To me, Hitler times 1,000,000 doesn’t deserve UNENDING suffering. I don’t feel that ANYONE deserves eternal suffering. I can accept someone getting a billion years in hell, as long as at SOME point the suffering would end. (I realize hell is outside of time but I hope you still get my point.) Anywho, yeah, does anyone have an answer to the above quoted post?

 

[JamestheOlder]

Hell is eternal. Satan will welcome you there for eternity, if you wish.

We cannot judge who is or who is not in hell, but the Church teaches it is real, and souls that die in a state of mortal sin go there…for all eternity.

 

[valentino]

The soul is immortal.A person will eventually end up in Heaven or Hell.Not all will be saved.

 

[JerryS]

The CCC paragraphs 1033-1037 address your question (usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art12.shtml).

I don’t think anyone likes the idea of hell. However, our opinion of it has no bearing on whether it is true or not. That is the critical question - is it true? And as I tell my PREP/CCD kids who often ask about hell, (a) Jesus believed in hell, (b) Jesus is God, (c) draw your own conclusion.

True, it is very difficult to understand the justice of eternal punishment for finite offenses. True, it is hard to accept both the doctrines of hell and of God’s goodness. But Scripture and Christian tradition insist on both. So, we must trust God’s goodness, and trust that God will resolve everything in perfect justice in the end.

That said, we cannot know that anyone specific will go to hell. We cannot know the condition of anyone’s heart, or whether they turn to God in time, or whether God gives us some sort of last chance after death. That’s all up to God and beyond the veil, and not really any of our business. We can only nurture our own faith, strive to love of God and neighbor, preach the gospel, and trust God to handle the rest.

 

[mdgspencer]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (in section 1035), says “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 punishment of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God…”
I don’t like to give a longish quote, but something like this seems called for if you simply want something that very clearly says hell is forever. If you would rather have something else, like reasons why there is eternal punishment, let us know.
Also Christ called hell eternal punishment. Jesus says that at the general judgement at the end of the world he will tell some, “depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” and then, we are told, “they will go away into eternal punishment”(Matthew 25:41, 46)

 

[PatrickSebast]

I don’t think anyone likes the idea of hell… .

In fact it isn’t even a matter of whether or not anyone likes it, as Catholics we are called by the Church to hope and pray for the salvation of ALL mankind. It seems that theologically speaking we are supposed to be uncomfortable with the doctrine of Hell to the extent that we wish it on no one, not even the greatest of sinners.

 

[ANNE_2]

Hell for unforgiven Mortal Sins;
Purgatory for Venial Sins and confessionally forgiven mortal sins - for purificiation;
Straight to Heaven for those who have already been purified on earth.

Hell: CCC 1033, 1034, 1035.
Purgatory: CCC 1030, 1031, 1032
Heaven: too many to list from CCC, see index pg 803. Also, ref: the Lord’s Prayer - “as it is in Heaven”.

A few things.
God gave each of us a free will to sin against Him or not.
God is exceedingly merciful to repentant sinners. (Thank goodness )
God is just.
God is all knowing.

scborromeo.org/ccc.htm