SEEDS OF DOUBT

 

The topic of an eternal Hell is not a pleasant one.  No sane person wants to go to this horrible place (Mark 9:42-48).  Most of us would rather not even talk about it and we would like to think that no one goes there.  If only we could be assured that it will remain empty!  Wouldn’t that be great?

Some may say that if Hell is indeed a reality, maybe it is just there as a warning so that we will live right and steer clear of the sins that God warned us about in the Bible.  It would be an effective deterrent.  Then everyone could go to Heaven!  We can hope, can’t we?  So, is there a chance that Hell will remain empty?

Well, it seems that Pope Francis, the head of the largest church in the world (the Catholic Church) may be convincing himself (and others) that it could indeed be empty.

According to an article from the Catholic News Agency (CNA) dated January 24, 2024, Pope Francis did an interview and appeared on Italy’s most prime-time talk show.  It was an hour-long broadcast with a viewership of three million people tuning in.

The pope was asked how he imagines the concept of Hell.  He responded, “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of Hell as empty; I hope it is.” 

See the article here:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256542/pope-francis-i-like-to-think-of-hell-as-empty

To his credit, the pope says that this is not a dogma, that is, it is not an official or infallible teaching of the Catholic Church.

But the Bible is clear.  Jesus Christ, Himself, said:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 – emphasis added).

This passage is unmistakably clear, and of course the pope is well aware of what Jesus said.  He could have told his audience:

“Hey folks, what Jesus said about Hell is clear: There will be many more people in Hell than in Heaven.  Let’s not fool ourselves.  We’d like Hell to be empty, but Jesus cannot lie.”

But no, he decided to confuse his audience and plant seeds of doubt.

We can all hope that it will be empty, but Scripture tells us otherwise.  Our “hope” does not override God’s truth.  This type of hope is not a biblical one.

Misleading the Flock

It is interesting that in this same interview, the pope also stated:

“As a bishop, I have a very great responsibility to the Church.”  He was also asking for prayer “that I do not end up in the attitude of a mediocre shepherd who does not take care of his flock.”

Yes indeed, he does have a great responsibility.  People are actually placing their souls in this man’s hand.  And part of that responsibility is to NOT mislead the flock (Ezekiel 34:7-10; Acts 20:28).

It is true that the pope did not directly say that Hell is (or will be) empty.  But planting that subtle, yet false, little seed about Hell is not “taking care of his flock.”  It makes him worse than a “mediocre” shepherd – this just adds to the already-known fact that he is a false shepherd.  His hope of Hell being empty is a direct contradiction of God-breathed Scripture (Matthew 7:13-14).

Pope Francis is flirting with the teaching of universalism.  Universalism is a doctrine claiming that all humans will eventually be saved.  But this is certainly not what the Bible teaches (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10).  He is toying with the idea without actually officially declaring that Hell will be empty.  It is an extremely dangerous suggestion.  He is actually giving these people a false hope by planting seeds of doubt.

Sadly, when people believe in universalism, they will ultimately say, “Hey, I don’t have to worry, since no one goes to Hell!  So I can live any sinful way I want and still go to Heaven.”  This produces moral indifference and it is the obvious fruit of this teaching.

Not Just Suggesting…

But just in case anyone was wondering, there is evidence that Pope Francis does indeed lean toward universalism.

Here is a link to a speech given by the Pope containing some interesting (and unbiblical) statements:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2022/documents/20220202-udienza-generale.html

According to this official speech to a general audience by the pope, titled St. Joseph and the Communion of Saints:

“No one can exclude themselves from the Church….”

And again, a little later the pope says:

“‘Father, let us think about those who have denied the faith, who are apostates, who are the persecutors of the Church, who have denied their baptism: are these also at home?’  Yes, these too, even the blasphemers, everyone.  We are brothers.  This is the communion of saints.”

Interestingly, there is absolutely nothing in this speech about repentance, forgiveness, guilt, contrition, or sorrow for sin.  Apparently, a person does not need repentance after blaspheming or becoming an apostate, and he can still be a member of the Catholic Church!

Again, the pope says that no one can exclude himself from the Catholic Church.  Is Francis teaching some kind of “Once Saved, Always Saved” doctrine for Catholics?

Is God’s Justice Too Harsh?

In another article concerning the same interview, Pope Francis is said to have also commented on the phrase from the traditional Act of Contrition prayer:

“… because I have sinned, I have deserved your punishments.” 

But the pope doesn’t seem to like this wording and described this as “overly harsh.”  See here:

https://ucatholic.com/news/pope-francis-discusses-hope-for-empty-hell-in-candid-tv-interview/

Overly harsh?  Is punishment for sin really a radical concept?  Our very laws in America are indeed based on biblical principles – including punishment for crime and punishment for sin.  Why should this surprise anyone?

While the idea of an “empty Hell” may seem “compassionate,” this concept is not biblical.

The “Gradual Decline” Concept

There is a principle, a concept, in which the devil operates – one that I will term the “gradual decline.”  When the devil wishes to attack most people, when he wants you to move away from God and His Word, he will not show up as a scary monster in a red suit with a pointy tail and a pitchfork, and announce that he is here to steal your soul!  That’s much too obvious.  If he did that, everyone would easily recognize the danger and reject him.  But since he is very subtle and deceptive (2 Corinthians 11:13-14), he is more likely to introduce false teaching a very little bit at a time, so that no one notices the damage until it is too late.

A fitting analogy would be if you were talking to someone and a third person was hiding and he ever-so-slightly turned down the light dimmer switch every fifteen minutes while you talked.  And before you know it, after a couple of hours, to your surprise, you are almost completely in the dark!

It is the same concept that the devil uses to deceive people with a little bit of false doctrine, given every so often, until it is too late and you are neck deep in heresy.

This, I think, accurately describes the pope’s subtle twisting of Scripture.  First he plants a tiny “harmless” seed by suggesting Hell may be empty.  To the faithful Catholic, the pope is seen as the “Vicar of Christ.”  He represents Jesus Christ on earth, or so they teach.  This faithful Catholic has never seen Jesus, but he has seen his representative (the pope).  It is hard for him to doubt the leader of Christ’s Church, since they see him as utterly trustworthy.  If the pope says that he hopes that Hell will be empty, then this Catholic can say the same thing! 

This seed sits there in his brain and becomes quite real to him and may become a “foundational” concept.  After this idea is completely saturating his mind, it becomes easier to accept this teaching as absolute.  Once that happens (and an empty Hell becomes a “reality”), it is just a small step to feel free to go deeper and deeper into sin, and finally, his heart becomes hardened (Romans 2:5) and anything goes.  You know, because there is no danger of Hell anyway, right?

This person is in a gradual decline, falling directly into the devil’s trap.  And it all started “innocently” with the pope’s “hope” that Hell will be empty.

Conclusion

Make no mistake – Universalism is a false teaching.  The Bible is clear when it tells us that Hell will not be empty. (1 Corinthians 9:16, Romans 2:6-10 and Revelation 21:8)

This is bad enough, but what’s next for the average Catholic?  What deception does the pope have in store to convince the world tomorrow or next week?  He’s been a very controversial pope in the past, and this idea of an empty Hell is certainly raising eyebrows, as well.  We know that this is not an official Catholic teaching, but this is still being pushed by its leader.

Some may be thinking that what the pope said is no big deal – he’s just talking or pondering, not teaching.  But words have meaning and many of the one billion Catholics in the world are impressionable and may be easily swayed by him.

My prayer is that they would be swayed by the Holy Scriptures and not be corrupted by these seeds of doubt. 

 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)