Did the Pope Really Say There Is No Hell?

A couple of months ago, on Holy Thursday, a stunning news report appeared in every media outlet around the world. A typical headline read: “Pope says there is no Hell.”

It seems Pope Francis once again had an informal chat with his friend, Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari. In the subsequent article, Scalfari wrote that the pope said holy and faithful people will spend eternity in Heaven with God, while sinful, faithless people will simply cease to exist, because there is no Hell, a place of eternal torment.

Scalfari is a 93-year-old avowed atheist who prides himself on never taking notes or recording interviews. After he meets with someone, he goes back to his office and tries to recreate the basic essence of the discussion, often crafting quotations that did not actually happen.

In the wake of the “there is no Hell” article, the worldwide response was fast and furious. The criticism focused on three issues:

1. Why in the world is the pope even meeting with this guy, especially since this is not the first time Scalfari printed stunning quotes attributed to Pope Francis?

2. Why did the Pope not comment and clarify his views in the wake of this article? (Note: As I write this, a few weeks afterward, the pope has yet to address this matter. By the time you read this, maybe something will have been said publicly.)

3. Why was the Vatican’s official response to this matter so weak? The Vatican statement pointed out Scalfari’s loose journalistic standards, and advised people that the quotations were not exactly what the pope said. However, the Vatican statement did not clearly and forcefully rebuke the quotations in Scalfari’s article, nor reiterate the Church’s 2,000-year-old doctrine on the existence of Hell.

Cardinal Raymond Burke could barely contain his frustration. He angrily declared that the Pope’s alleged denial of Hell and the Vatican’s weak response are causing a Church scandal that is “beyond tolerable.”

Yet again countless believers around the globe are uttering this classic question, but not as a comical punchline: “Is the pope Catholic?”

Personally, I WISH the pope’s alleged comments were true. The idea that sinful, faithless people will spend eternity in torment, separated from the love of God, makes me sad. Especially since many of my loved ones and friends fall into that category. (I know I’m not supposed to judge a person’s heart, but on the other hand, if someone declares, “Belief in God is STUPID!!” then that’s a fairly strong hint.)

However, Jesus’ words in Scripture are crystal clear. Here’s a couple examples: “Don’t fear those who kill the body,” Jesus said, “rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). And: “Then he will say…’Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire’….And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matt 25:41, 46).

Anyway, there are a couple of other popular theological claims that I wish also were true:

1. Assurance of Salvation. This means if you sincerely accept Christ as Lord and Savior at any point in your life, you’re guaranteed eternal life in Heaven. Many Fundamentalist groups preach this belief, and call it, “Once saved, always saved.” I really wish this were true, but again, the words of Scripture do not support it. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matt 7:21). Also, St. Paul gave this warning: “See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off" (Rom. 11:22). If assurance of salvation is true, Paul never would’ve written that.

2. Everyone ultimately goes to Heaven. This idea is based on a very sincere desire that every person who ever lived gets spared the pains of Hell. You know who else has that exact same desire? God. But God is not only all-merciful and all-loving, he also is all-just and all-righteous. If evil, unrepentant people get rewarded the same as holy, faithful people, that would make a mockery of God’s justice.

The truth is, as sad as it may be, Hell is real. But God does not send people to Hell. People send themselves there when they choose to spurn God’s offer of love and forgiveness.

So, if you saw those sensational headlines, don’t worry. Pope Francis can’t change Church doctrine, even if he wanted to. And to answer your question: Yes, the pope is Catholic.