Dear E.M.,
Thank you for your consideration.
This papal affirmation made public by Eugenio Scalfari, the editor of the newspaper La Repubblica who interviewed Pope Francis several times, is most probably objective. It is raising a lot of dust in the public opinion around the world to the point that even The New York Times posted it.
Also, some Vatican Cardinals took a position against that declaration, as reported here.
The Vatican first played around without saying anything, then, it denied this declaration.
Nonetheless, we believe it is objective and that Francis is performing another of his dialectical-clownish games of denying the Catholic dogma and, then, denying the denial.
He has done this many times such as in his statements on homosexuality, pre-marital cohabitation, contraception, married priests and communion for the divorced, to mention just a few. As we know, the more astonishing surprises a circus performer causes to his audience, the more popular he becomes. This is why Pope Francis is always looking for another surprise.
This dialectical-clownish tactic has been very efficient for Progressivism to advance its agenda. So, Francis is kept in place doing what he does with the entire support of the “conservative” Benedict XVI, who recently assured us that Francis is a sound theologian…
So far, this is regarding the tactic of affirming/denying, and its constant progressivist use.
Now, what to say about the denial of Hell?
In this regard, Francis did not innovate. John Paul II had already said something similar when he stated that Hell and Heaven are states of mind rather than physical places (here and here).
Benedict XVI also wrote that Heaven is not a place but a presence of God among men. In another occasion he denied the existence of Limbo.
Francis himself in other occasions had already denied Heaven, Hell and Purgatory altogether.
The conclusion is that when Francis speaks through Scalfari’s mouth that Hell doesn’t exist, he is reaffirming Progressivism’s agenda. In other words, the post-conciliar progressivists Popes are “teaching” Catholics to not believe in the Last Things. This translates: "Catholics, you should live exclusively for this world."
This is our take on the recent Scalfari-Francis statement that Hell does not exist.
Cordially,
TIA correspondence desk
