Expert: Fr. Michael - 5/21/2007

Question
Dear Father Jerome,

As a young boy attending Catholic School, the nuns would keep us in line by telling us that if we did not behave, that when we died, God would punish us with eternal burning in a place called Hell. As an adult Catholic, I find it hard to believe that a loving father would actually condemn a person to such eternal suffering. What does the Church actually teach about Hell. Is it a literal place where souls go to burn for eternity, or does it mean something else?

Answer
God doesn't condemn the person; the person sends himself to Hell by, of his own free will, rejecting God and His Commandments.  Yes, God is merciful to those who are sincerely contrite for their sins and make every effort not to commit them again, but the justice of God must condemn those who are not contrite and make no effort to follow the ordinances of God.

Truly, the unrepetant have committed themselves to Hell, whose severest consequence is the deprivation of God for eternity.  Sacred Scripture (the Bible) makes this quite clear from the words of Christ Himself.

Your confusion seems to be your incorrect definition of "love."  Christ Himself defines the term:  "If you love me, keep my commandments."