Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope written in 1994, noted that often, "preachers, catechists, teachers . . . no longer have the courage to preach the threat of hell.”
"In point of fact, the ancient councils rejected the theory… according to which the world would be regenerated after destruction, and every creature would be saved; a theory which abolished hell…
[T]he words of Christ are unequivocal. In Matthew’s Gospel he speaks clearly of those who will go to eternal punishment (cf. Matt. 25:46).
[But] who will these be? The Church has never made any pronouncement in this regard,” he added in the book.
Some would be reminded of Steven Spielberg movies and shelve testimonies of humans who were given visions or, at times, actually briefly taken to hell, as fodder for Hollywood production.
Until death, inevitable death, unravels the truth of Heaven, Purgatory… and hell.
Some say that hell is reserved for people like Judas since he betrayed God himself, or Adolf Hitler because he murdered millions. There indications, however, that it suffices for one to choose serious evil at the moment of death to go to hell.
Like Purgatory, hell has levels and the gravity of punishments also vary. But the doctrine, nay, fact is that those who land in hell will stay there eternally.
Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic, one of the visionaries of world-famous Medjugorje apparitions, was once taken to hell by the Blessed Mother.
She recalled: “We saw many people in hell. Many are there already, and many more will go there when they die…The Blessed Mother says that those people who are in hell are there because they chose to go there…”
Vicka described hell as follows: “In the center of this place is a great fire, like an ocean of raging flames. We could see people before they went into the fire, and then we could see them coming out of the fire.
Before they go into the fire, they look like normal people. The more they are against God’s will, the deeper they enter into the fire, and the deeper they go, the more they rage against Him. When they come out of the fire, they don’t have human shape anymore; they are more like grotesque animals, but unlike anything on earth.
It’s as if they were never human beings before…They were horrible. Ugly. Angry.
And each was different; no two looked alike…When they came out, they were raging and smashing everything around and hissing and gnashing and screeching.”
And now, for the last July 02 message of the Blessed Mother as given through another Medjugorje visionary, Mirjana Pavlovic-Lunetti:
"My children; Again, in a motherly way, I implore you to stop for a moment and to reflect on yourselves and on the transience of this your earthly life. Then reflect on eternity and the eternal beatitude. What do you want?
Which way do you want to set out on? The Father`s love sends me to be a mediatrix for you, to show you with motherly love the way which leads to the purity of soul; a soul unburdened by sin; a soul that will come to know eternity.
I am praying that the light of the love of my Son may illuminate you, so that you may triumph over weaknesses and come out of misery. You are my children and I desire for all of you to be on the way of salvation.
Therefore, my children, gather around me that I may have you come to know the love of my Son and thus open the door of eternal beatitude. Pray as I do for your shepherds. Again I caution you: do not judge them, because my Son chose them. Thank you."
