by Fr. Robert J Carr, Editor, Catholicismanew.org for New Song
Columnist for the Brazilian (Portuguese) pages at El Pais of Madrid, Spain, Juan Arias makes an interesting assumption. According to Mr. Arias, Pope Francis changed the Church teaching on Hell. He cites a part of a sentence from the Holy Father’s homily to new cardinals, in which the pontiff says the following: The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone for eternity; Arias takes this as a change from the ancient doctrine of eternal damnation. The columnist, however, does not cite what follows the semi-colon: to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart. What we actually see is not a change in the Church’s doctrine on hell, but a reiteration of her mission.
It is the will of God that all are saved and it is the Church’s mission, as the body of Christ, to lead all to salvation. It is not our mission to condemn anyone to hell for all eternity, or for any time, but indeed, to open others to God’s powerful mercy by leading people to seek it with a sincere heart. This is also the mission of every baptized member. We are all commissioned at that sacrament to open our ears to hear His word and our lips to proclaim His faith to the praise and glory of God the Father (Rite of Baptism). When we do that, we open others to the call to a sincere act of repentance which is the opening to receiving God’s mercy.
In the ceiling of Most Blessed Sacrament Church, which is the more easterly of the two churches in my parish, one can see a boat among the rafters. It is not stored there, but is part of the design of the structure itself. This is an ancient symbol, the Church as lifeboat to save people from the sinking ship they are on, which is the world. If you want salvation, you need to recognize your troubled state and leave the sinking ship for the saving lifeboat. However, what happens if you either do not believe the ship is sinking or refuse to acknowledge that you are on the wrong vessel? Then you will refuse to leave what you consider the solid ground. The sinking ship may be listing making it harder to stand up straight, but does it not seem more stable than the shaking lifeboat? Nevertheless, when you understand the truth, you realize that your only chance of salvation is indeed the lifeboat. This is similar to the mission of the church.
It is the will of the sender of the lifeboat that all on the sinking ship are saved, but some will refuse the offer. There is nothing that can be done. The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone for eternity, it is rather to invite people to repent of their sins and to welcome the mercy of God in their lives. There are those who refuse to hear this offer and who reject the invitation God makes through His Church. This is where there is no sincere repentance and there is a hardness of heart that refuses salvation. This is the teaching of the Church in light of the Pope’s words. It is like the man who refuses to accept that he is on a sinking ship.
During this time of Lent, the Church makes a special invitation to all to return to Her fold and to her call to holiness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and a return to the Eucharist. Each one of us as the baptized have a part in the Church’s overall mission, which is bringing all to holiness through a sincere act of repentance and an acceptance of God’s gift of divine mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our mission is not to condemn anyone to hell, but to remind them of the offer of salvation. Those who accept it by humbly turning from the falsehood of sin and the truth of Christ find the route to heaven, those who refuse have no other recourse but to continue on the sinking vessel that carries one away from Christ for all eternity.
This is what the Pope is actually saying with his words and this teaching is as ancient as the gospels themselves.