HELL

POPE EXPLAINS HELL IS REJECTION OF GOD

Not Divine Punishment But Human Choice

VATICAN CITY - At his usual Wednesday morning general audience, which today was held in the Paul VI Audience Hall and attended by 8,000 people from different parts of the world, the Pope spoke about Hell as the final rejection of God.

"God is an infinitely good and merciful Father," the Holy Father explained, "But, unfortunately, man, who is called to respond freely, can choose to reject God's love and forgiveness absolutely, and remove himself forever from joyful communion with Him."

"This is precisely the tragic situation described by Christian doctrine when referring to damnation or Hell. It is not a punishment from God inflicted from outside, but the result of positions taken by man already in this life," he clarified. "The same dimension of unhappiness that this dark condition entails can be understood to a degree in some of our terrible experiences, which turn life, as the saying goes, into a 'Hell."

"In the theological sense, Hell is something else: it is the final consequence of the very sin that turns back on the one who committed it. It is the situation in which the one who rejects the father's mercy, even at the last moment of life, finally places himself. Redemption remains as an offer of salvation, which man should freely embrace. This is the reason why each one will be judged 'according to his works," continued the Holy Father.

"Moreover, the pictures of Hell given to us in Sacred Scripture must be correctly interpreted. They express the total frustration and emptiness of a life without God. More than a place, Hell is the state of the one who freely and finally removes himself from God, the source of life and joy," added the Pope.

"Condemnation must not be attributed to God's initiative, because in his merciful love he cannot but will the salvation of the beings he has created.  In reality, it is the creature who closes himself to his love," John Paul II explained. “Condemnation consists, precisely, in the final removal of oneself from God, freely chosen by man and confirmed by death, which seals the choice forever. God's sentence ratifies this state."

The Holy Father said that "the Christian faith teaches that the very risk of a 'yes' or 'no' characterizes the creature's liberty, and some have already said 'no.' They are those spiritual creatures who rebelled against God's love and are called demons. For us human beings, this experience of theirs is like a warning: it is a constant reminder to avoid the tragedy that is the outcome of sin, and to model our existence on Jesus, whose life unfolded as a yes to God. Condemnation remains a real possibility but, without special divine revelation, we have not been given the knowledge if there are human beings who are definitely affected and who they are."

John Paul II ended the catechesis saying: "Improper use of Biblical pictures must not create psychosis or anxiety; rather, it represents a necessary and saving admonition to liberty, within the announcement that the Resurrected Jesus has defeated Satan, giving us the Spirit of God, and allowing us to say, 'Abba, Father.' This point of view, which is full of hope, is dominant in the Christian message. It is effectively reflected in the Church's liturgical tradition, as can be seen in the words of the Roman Canon, for example: '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.' After greeting his fellow countrymen in Polish, John Paul II called for prayer so that no one would go to Hell.

The pilgrims gathered for the audience were from widely scattered, meaning that the Pope greeted the crowds in many languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Czech, Hungarian, Lithuanian, and Italian.

There was also a group of international students gathered for a summer Latin program present, so the Holy Father greeted them in the official language of the Church: "We strongly encourage you all that by diligently studying and effectively teaching you may pass on like a torch the understanding, love, and use of this same immortal language in your own countries."