Author Topic: Is It Really Heresy to Teach that Hell is Not Filled With Literal Fire (Read 3610 times)

MrYeZe · « **on:** September 19, 2014, 03:36:48 PM »

I just wanted to know, has the Church ever made an official declaration on this. Keep in mind, I'm not suggesting that there is not a hell, or whether or not Hell is eternal torment, but whether the torment consists of being burned by literal, physical, burning fire, or not.

Dolores · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2014, 03:50:32 PM »

According to Church teaching, there are two "pains" associated with Hell, poena damni and poena sensus.

Poena damni, the pain of loss, is the worse of the two pains. It is the knowledge that one's soul is completely separated from God, and that one will be denied the beatific vision for eternity.

Poena sensus, the pain of the senses, consists of the physical torment suffered by the damned. Most of history's theologians regard a real, material fire to be what causes this torment. Some other theologians regard "hell-fire" metaphorically, and believe that it is not fire as we know it causing torment to the souls of the damned, but something metaphysical beyond our understanding. As far as I know, the Church has never official endorsed or censured one side or the other.

7sorrowsbvm · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2014, 04:13:23 PM »

The children at Fatima were given a vision of Hell which depicted the damned souls being tossed about in flames.

s2srea · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2014, 04:49:44 PM »

Remember that our actual bodies (the ones we now use) will be reunited with our souls at the 2nd coming, and it will either be used to glorify God or be punished for eternity. Since it will be an actual body (again, the very one we are using now) actual fire, it follows, will be used.

That's my logic, so I may be wrong.

MrYeZe · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2014, 05:30:11 PM »

Quote from: 7sorrowsbvm

The children at Fatima were given a vision of Hell which depicted the damned souls being tossed about in flames.

Well, to be fair, that could have just been a vision in the same sense of Isaiah's visions and such, that is, not a literal one.