Catastrophic for the Catholic Church’: World media reacts to Pope Francis’ denial of hell

ROME, April 4, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – Mainstream media was in a furor last week over the news of Pope Francis purportedly saying that “hell does not exist” and that unrepentant souls in mortal sin simply “disappear.”

On the eve of the Holy Thursday, an Italian journalist published an article claiming that the pope had told him that hell does not exist. Eugenio Scalfari, 93, atheist journalist and founder of the left-wing newspaper La Repubblica, claimed on March 28 that Pope Francis had told him two days before that the souls of those who do not go to heaven are annihilated.

“Souls are not punished,” Francis allegedly said. “Those who repent obtain God's forgiveness and go among the ranks of those who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot be forgiven disappear. There is no hell — there is the disappearance of sinful souls."

Scalfari’s article — and then the Vatican’s vague warnings not to trust it — was picked up by mainstream media worldwide.

The story was highlighted in the United States by the Drudge Report, whose online headline shrieked “Pope Declares No Hell?” It linked to a March 29 article by Michael W. Chapman of CNS News, who called Francis’s alleged remarks “a denial of the 2,000-year-old teaching of the Catholic Church about the reality of Hell and the eternal existence of the soul.”

Calling for eternal life is not the same as eternal hell, but there is evidence in Scripture that hell never ends. If Jesus is the source of life, then being away from Him seems to make sense of eternal death. The question for posters here seems to be a quiet, peaceful, death, undisturbed, just not alive, or a burning eternity in a pit spoken of in Revelation forever. All of us of course, you would think would want to gravitate to the source of eternal life, but if you miss the mark, I wouldn't expect to have the life of Riley while in hell. Here is some of the evidence I found that speak of eternal life in a bad place and not just annihilation.

Ecc 12:5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets.

This eternal home is either good or bad, but it clearly speaks of being dead to the world.

Mat 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Everlasting punishment is not annihilation.

Mar 3:29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"--

While true, condemnation doesn't necessarily mean fire, but it is eternal.

Jud 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

This does speak plainly of eternal fire.

Luk 16:24 Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

So the rich man is dead, and apparently lived an evil life, but is still able to feel the flames.

Rev 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

We might be arguing over the number of angels on the head of a pin, but the second death is what is to be avoided at all costs. If we think about it very long, why are we even contemplating not living forever with out Lord and Savior? He has made it so easy to be saved. He has paid our price so we wouldn't have to. Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to save us. He said the WORD would judge us. The further we drift from what Scripture says, the more judgement will fall upon us. Rather than trying to figure out how hot hell is, why not fall in love with Jesus and contemplate eternal bliss living with someone that loves us more than His life here on earth?

One thing I've observed over my years of studying Scripture is, this world is NOT our reality. Heaven with God is our reality. This world is scheduled to burn and is NOT eternal. Even the people that take the mark from the Antichrist will only buy themselves another couple of years before they are tossed into hell for eternity. If life is that important here on earth, it will end badly for you. The people that are willing to die here on earth for Christ, will be rewarded in Heaven. It doesn't matter if you get cancer, catch a bullet from a drive by, run your car off a cliff, or get eaten by an animal, every person living right now will die unless Jesus comes back for us first. How stupid is it to be thinking about annihilation verses eternal flame? Eternal life is better than temporary life, and living together in Heaven is better than being annihilated.

One of my oldest friends is a serious - and deeply concerned - Catholic. He is so serious that one of his sons became a priest. And what is the cause of his concern? On numerous occasions, but especially when news of some new and disturbing revelation makes its way into the media, he has commented that he is absolutely convinced that the Vatican has been under the control of Marxists and/or OTHER unGodly influences for many decades!
If YOU are a Catholic, the video at the link will make you very angry. Much of what it contains has been scantily covered in the American press or not at all.
That said, I share your concern that not only has the very top of YOUR church been compromised by forces inimical to Christ’s commission to St. Peter, but the evidence is clear that these same Satanic forces have captured the upper reaches of most religions.
We must pray that their leadership can be returned to a clear understanding of their mission and work to see that they do so.
DB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ItX6yy2rM&t=33s

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.