Q3. The souls in Hell: if God is so merciful, why has He given up on those souls in Hell. The answer I have been getting is that God has given us enough chances during our life time. I find that answer not completely satisfactory. His mercy should be no bound, should extend to the souls wherever they are , and He will not rest until all the souls ( including those in Hell) have been saved. But that is not the Church’s position? Can you comment on this?

Dear Thirty Eight,

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Universal Church, outstanding Medieval scholar, saint and theologian whose theological treaties and copious works have shaped the views and thinking of numerous saints, popes, and brilliant Catholic minds over the centuries, in this life man’s soul is infused into his body. As such, it is not only affected but also “altered” by his body. The goods or ills the body brings will lead directly to perpetual beatitude or wretchedness in the soul.

After this life the soul is no longer subject to alteration. At that point, the wicked souls will be in a state of loss, a state of utter agony and desolation. Due to non-repentance, they will continue to desire what they previously desired and craved for: vices and gratifications. As revealed by the Scripture, God is like a consuming fire (Gen 15:17, Ex 3:2, Ps 50:3, Luke 16:19 ff). A loving God that He is, He embraces all men, including even the wicked. Due to the lack of charity in these wicked souls and their non-conformity to God’s will and nature, God’s fiery embrace is scorching and punishing to them (hence the feeling of “hellfire”). Their state of being is what we call “hell”.

For the saintly people, the same process of alteration wrought by their bodies in this life will leave them in a state of blessedness, an ultimate happiness that consists in the unobstructed vision of God and the immovable repose of his will in the first Good. While nobody is perfect, whatever venial sins that remain to stain their souls in spite of a life of holiness and sanctification are completely expiated by the fervor of their love. Due to their charity and complete conformity to God’s will and nature, God’s fiery embrace is warm and pleasing to them. Their state of being is what we call “heaven”.

What about those who are somewhere in between? No one is admitted to the possession of eternal life unless he is free from all sin and imperfection (cf. Luke 12:58-59). During the lives of these souls, they have not done full penance for their sins but for which they have been sorry in the end or somewhere along the process. In spite of their less than perfect conditions, these souls are still adorned with charity; their wills are conformed to the divine will. As a result, the punishments that they suffer in God’s fiery embrace avail them for cleansing and purification.

This Thomistic understanding of heaven, purgatory, and hell sees the cause of reward (heaven, purgatory) or punishment (hell) in man himself. How man lives and makes his choices in this life directly contributes to his state of being (blessed or condemned) in the next life, thus avoiding the pitfall of making God the merciless punisher, absolving Him from the cruelty of exacting excruciating punishments.

At this point, one can still argue, as you did in your question, that God being all merciful should find a way to forgive and help even the wicked souls. On this issue, we need to keep in mind two important parameters that govern functioning of the economy of salvation: God’s respect for human freedom and His justice. God will not stop the wicked people from choosing to be wicked, just as He did not stop Satan from rebelling against Him. Furthermore, a merciful God Who condones wickedness cannot be a God of truth and righteousness. This is where the parameter of justice comes into play.

This is the end of my explanation. I have sent you all my replies on blind copy and also made them available to my contact lists for the benefit of those interested in the same issues. I would appreciate your feedback just so I know whether my explanations are understandable, useful, and acceptable. If you don’t want me to disclose your feedback, please say so and I will certainly respect your wish.

In Christ,
Edmond Lo