Dear Editor, Fr Rolheiser in a convoluted article (IC 4/8/16), has given us his version of Hell, and on reading it I am wondering are we both in the same Church. Much of what he has written is contrary to what I had always believed.
For clarification I turned to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, described by Pope St John Paul as “a sure and authentic reference text for teaching Catholic doctrine…offered to every individual who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us and who wants to know what the Catholic Church believes”.
So what does it say about Hell? On page 236 I read: “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbour or against ourselves. To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him forever.”
God predestines no one to go to Hell; for this a wilful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God who does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance: “Father, accept this offering from your whole family, grant us your peace in this life, save from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen”.
Yours etc.,
Patrick O’Neill,
Killorglin, Co. Kerry