‘No One in Hell’: Catechism-Approved?

Some claim that certain passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, such as paragraphs 1821 and 1058, seem to support the thesis that it’s possible to believe that humans will not end up in hell.

For example, paragraph 1821 reads,

We can . . . hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere “to the end” and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In hope, the Church prays for “all men to be saved.” She longs to be united with Christ, her Bridegroom, in the glory of heaven.

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In a similar manner, paragraph 1058 states,

The Church prays that no one should be lost: “Lord, let me never be parted from you.” If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4), and that for him “all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

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Since the Church exhorts to pray that everyone perseveres unto the end and that no one enter hell, it follows that we can reasonably hope for all to be saved.

First, I think the context of paragraph 1821 reveals that the prayer that all men will be saved is meant for men who are still alive on earth. Right before its statement about the Church’s prayer that all men be saved, it speaks of the necessity to persevere to the end and the good works accomplished with Christ’s grace. Persevering unto the end and accomplishing good works through grace can only refer to man’s life on earth. Therefore, the prayer that all men be saved most likely refers to all men who are still alive on earth, striving to persevere and accomplish good works by grace. This doesn’t bear on all the departed souls prior to this current day, who may very well be in hell.

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