The Catholic Church has never named one person who is in hell. Some have speculated that Judas is there, but that has never been officially declared by the Church. Furthermore, the Church has never stated that more people end up in hell than in heaven. However, before anyone gets the idea that the Church is saying hell doesn?t exist, nothing could be further from the truth. The Catechism clearly defines the existence of hell and reaffirms how possible it is to end up there:
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 punishments of hell, “eternal fire? (CCC 1035).
With all the immorality that exists in today?s world, dying in the state of mortal sin is a very real possibility. Therefore, it is not at all unrealistic to assume that many people could end up in the place of eternal damnation. However, could you imagine how hopeless you would feel if the Church declared that most people do go to hell?
What does this mean for us? Jesus said what He said; the Church said what she said. You and I should not be concerned about how many people end up in hell. Instead we should focus on the reality that hell does exist and do everything in our power to avoid ending up there. By following the commands of Our Lord as spoken through His Catholic Church, we will be on the road that leads to eternal life in heaven!
Beautiful! We live in such a judgemental world – everyday we hear of people being branded as "evil". A timely reminder that we are not to judge – only to focus on our own relationship with God. Thank you.