What is Hell?

[LivingWordUnity]

I don't have contempt for the article at all because I read it in the context of the entirety of Catholic teaching on the matter and I know what it is saying and more importantly, what it is not saying. It does not state that there will be more souls in hell than in heaven. If it were a fact that God ordained that most sould am would go to hell and communicated His will to us as such, it would be evil to pray that all or most souls be saved. Clearly, there is a long tradition in the Church of praying that all or most be saved, and this is evidence that the Church does not believe that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that most will meet eternal torture. You can have that personal belief if you like.

You called the article "spam" when it wasn't. It wouldn't make any sense for someone to try to discredit an article that way if they actually believe that it agrees with them.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” - Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Did you read Dr Kreft's thoughts on the matter?

From my own personal point of view, we know that Christ is victorious over Satan. If only a few are saved and the majority are tortured by Satan for eternity, that doesn't seem like much of a victory for the almighty. There are likely some souls in hell. I don't believe it can be concluded that most are.

I read what Dr. Kreeft said about the population of Hell, and I don't agree with him. He seems to interpret Matthew 7:13-14 to mean the opposite of the words that Jesus said. So I think his interpretation of it is a far stretch and most likely in error. This is actually the first time that I found something Dr. Kreeft has said that I don't agree with. As the article shows, some of the ones who would disagree with Dr. Kreeft's theory on the population of Hell are St. Irenaeus, St. Basil, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine, and I choose to go with their interpretation since their opinion carries more weight. However, I agree with the rest of what Dr. Kreeft said about Hell.

Padre Pio: "I believe that not a great number of souls go to hell. God loves us so much. He formed us at his image. God loves us beyond understanding. And it is my belief that when we have passed from the consciousness of the world, when we appear to be dead, God, before He judges us, will give us a chance to see and understand what sin really is. And if we understand it properly, how could we fail to repent?"

What is the source for that quotation?

Articles referenced:
The Population of Hell by Avery Cardinal Dulles
Hell by Peter Kreeft

 

[MikeK]

You called the article "spam" when it wasn't. It wouldn't make any sense for someone to try to discredit an article that way if they actually believe that it agrees with them.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” - Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I read what Dr. Kreeft said about the population of Hell, and I don't agree with him. He seems to interpret Matthew 7:13-14 to mean the opposite of the words that Jesus said. So I think his interpretation of it is a far stretch and most likely in error. This is actually the first time that I found something Dr. Kreeft has said that I don't agree with. As the article shows, some of the ones who would disagree with Dr. Kreeft's theory on the population of Hell are St. Irenaeus, St. Basil, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine, and I choose to go with their interpretation since their opinion carries more weight.

What is the source for that quotation?
.

The Friar of San Giovani by John McCaffery, a book he wrote detailing his conversations with the Saint. Pio also stated frequently in his homilies that the vast majority of people will experience purgatory, and that it will be unpleasant to say the least. Obviously, all souls that experience purgatory wind up in heaven.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

The Friar of San Giovani by John McCaffery, a book he wrote detailing his conversations with the Saint. Pio also stated frequently in his homilies that the vast majority of people will experience purgatory, and that it will be unpleasant to say the least. Obviously, all souls that experience purgatory wind up in heaven.

The author says in the book:

“I have written down these reminiscences in the hope that those who read them will be moved to find out more about Padre Pio, and will give him the opportunity of carrying on and extending through them the crusade of leavening and succor to which his life and sufferings, like those of his Master, were wholly dedicated. They have been written entirely from memory. It is therefore possible, because of the passage of time, that where there is not direct personal experience, there may be circumstantial details which are not completely accurate; but for the factual occurrence of all the events and episodes herein recounted I can vouch absolutely.” - John McCaffery, The Friar of San Giovanni: Tales of Padre Pio

The author says he's going by memory, and only the "events and episodes" can be relied on for accuracy. So his memory of a conversation might not be totally accurate. Having said that, perhaps God will give us all a chance to see and understand with more clarity what sin really is just before judging us. However, if the majority of people still choose Hell I don't think that makes God any less merciful. It just means more people chose to reject God. And I believe that probably the majority of people who end up in Heaven had to pass through Purgatory first since so many of those who try to be righteous still struggle with sin.