The Divine Comedy and Catholic Eschatology
2026 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Among the great works of Christian literature, few have exercised as profound an influence upon the Catholic imagination as The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Written in the early fourteenth century, the poem presents a spiritual pilgrimage through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso), culminating in the vision of […]
“Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise”: The Good Thief, Salvation, and the Catholic Doctrine of Redemption
©2026 Victor R. Claveau, MJ Table of Contents Introduction Among the Seven Last Words spoken by Christ from the Cross, few possess the theological depth, pastoral tenderness, and salvific hope contained in the declaration addressed to the repentant thief: “Amen I say to thee: this day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” —Luke 23:43 […]
“Souls go to hell for one great reason…they refuse love”
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen On July 13, 1917, at the Cova de Ira, Fatima, Portugal, when the Mother of God came at noon to the three children, Lucia looked at her and said: “What do you want of me?” Our Lady answered: “I want you to come back here on the 13th of next month. […]
ON THE THOUGHT OF ETERNITY.
Fr. Jean Grou, S.J. WE are terrified at the thought of eternity, and in a certain sense we have great reason to be so, for this thought is indeed very terrible. But if we knew how to be frightened at it usefully, if we could draw from it, as a guide for our lives, the […]
Pope Leo XIV affirms Judas excluded himself from salvation
The Catholic Herald During his General Audience on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the traditional understanding that Judas Iscariot, through his betrayal and lack of final repentance, excluded himself from salvation. His reflections, delivered as part of the Jubilee Year catechesis on “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” highlighted the gravity of Judas’s actions […]
Do suicides go to Gehenna?
Victor R. Claveau, MJ Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and a major public health concern. When a person dies by suicide, the effects are felt by family, friends, and communities. According to statistics provided by the Center for Disease Control, in 2021, suicide was among the top 9 leading […]
Descendit ad Infernos
About one thing the [Catholic] Church is quite clear: the holy patriarchs, people like Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, were not in hell [Gehenna] at the time of the Lord came—not what we mean by hell—and they were not in heaven. They had to wait for our Lord’s coming before they could get into heaven. […]
Gehenna—deprived of the sight of God
The pain of loss, in Gehenna, causes the damned more torment than all their other sufferings; for as we are created for God alone, the loss of Him—our last end—is the most dreadful evil that can befall us. This, the damned realize, and know that their souls will be tortured by a perpetual yearning never […]
Cremation
The Church has always earnestly recommended that the deceased be buried rather than cremated (Code of Canon Law §1176) because it wishes to honor the body, which was once a temple of the Holy Spirit, and to follow the example of Christ. However, the Church does permit cremation provided it has not been chosen for […]
Resurrection of the Body
Christ on the last day will raise the bodies of all men and women from the dead, and unite them with their souls forever. This is an article in both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. Jesus will call to life the bodies of those who are already dead, while for those who survive […]