These Last Days News - March 16, 2023
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Pope Francis Denies That Hell Is ‘A Place,’ Says It Is ‘A Posture towards Life’...

THE EXISTENCE
"You have but two final destinies: Heaven and hell. Know that satan will try to remove the reality of the existence of his kingdom, hell, from you. If he makes a farce of his existence among you, he will deceive you so that you will sin and remove yourselves from the Spirit of light. And when you remove yourselves from the Spirit of light, you remove yourselves from eternal life in the Kingdom of your Father, the most high God in Heaven." - Our Lady, February 1, 1975

COMMANDMENTS
"These are the Commandments of the Father. Break one and the gates of hell are open to you." - Moses, March 24, 1974

RETAINED
"It has grieved Me much in the past, as it grieves Me now, that mankind is making changes to My words.... Heaven, hell, purgatory, and especially, My children, the word hell must be retained in your prayers." - Jesus, February 10, 1977

The above Messages from Our Lord and Our Lady were given to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, New York. Read more

LifeSiteNews.com reported on March 16, 2023:

by Michael Haynes

In an interview to mark his 10-year anniversary, Pope Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell, saying that “is not a place” but is instead simply “a state of the heart” and “a posture towards life.”

The pontiff’s comments formed part of a lengthy conversation conducted by Argentinian news site Perfil, one of a number of recent interviews the Pope granted journalists to mark his decade upon the papal throne. Touching on a number of topics he discussed with other reporters, Francis also spoke about his philosophical and theological thought, along with aspects relating to global politics. 

As part of the in-depth discussion, Francis was asked, “What is your own interpretation of Hell and paradise, and what happens to people who go to Hell, and what happens to those who go to paradise?”

Giving a trademark lengthy, convoluted, and somewhat evasive answer, Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell as an actual place. “Hell is not a place,” he said. “If one goes to attend the Last Judgment, and sees the faces of those who go to Hell, one gets scared. If you read Dante, you get scared. But these are media representations.”

Expanding on his answer, Francis described Hell simply as “a state” — a description which appeared to refer to a state of mind. “Hell is a state, there are people who live in Hell continuously.”

He clarified that he was not referring to suffering generally, but to “those who make a world of bad or sick self-referentiality, and end up living in Hell.”

Hell is a state, it is a state of the heart, of the soul, of a posture towards life, towards values, towards the family, towards everything. There are people who live in Hell because they seek it, there are others who do not, who are suffering. And who goes to Hell, to that Hell, to that state? They are already living from here. 

Not content with appearing to deny the existence of Hell, however, Francis implied that there was no one actually in Hell — an about-turn in his argument that saw him appear to thus accept that Hell could be real.

“If you ask me how many people are in Hell, I answer you with a famous sculpture of the cathedral of Deslé,” he said. Providing a description of the sculpture, Francis noted that the sculpture “has Judas hanging and the devil pulling him down, and on the other side they have the Good Shepherd, Jesus who grabs Judas and takes him to the babucha with an ironic smile.”

“What does that mean?” he queried. “That salvation is stronger than damnation. This capital is a catechesis that should make us think.” 

“God’s mercy is always at our side, and what God wants is always to be with his people, with his children, and not for them to leave him,” he ended. 

His remarks echo those made in a controversial interview with atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari, in which Scalfari claimed that Francis denied the existence of Hell and argued instead that “lost souls” were annihilated upon the death of the earthly body.

The Vatican subsequently issued a process of damage control following Scalfari’s publication of the interview. At the time, Fr. Thomas Rosica, English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office, told LifeSiteNews: “All official, final texts of the Holy Father are found on the Vatican website,” and since they were never published by the Holy See Press Office they “should not be considered official texts.” 

They were, said Fr. Rosica, “private discussions that took place and were never recorded by the journalist.”

Catholic teaching on existence of Hell

Pope Francis earnest attempt to deny the existence of Hell, or the possibility of anyone being in it, runs in the face of the Catholic Church’s teaching on the subject. 

The Gospels present the words of Christ on the matter. In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Christ warns how the greedy and selfish rich man, who died unrepentant, “also died, and he was buried in hell.” (Luke 16:22)

So also in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Christ presents the account of Judgment Day and the separation of the just from the unjust. Those who did not follow the law of God “shall go into everlasting punishment,” teaches Christ. (Matt 25:46)

In yet another discourse with His disciples, Christ explained the meaning of the parable of the sower, likening it to the final days of judgement. “The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 13:41)

In his supplement to the Summae Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas draws upon the teaching of Scripture to clearly outline and defend the existence of Hell. Writing about where souls are borne immediately after death, the great theologian writes:

And since a place is assigned to souls in keeping with their reward or punishment, as soon as the soul is set free from the body it is either plunged into hell or soars to heaven, unless it be held back by some debt, for which its flight must needs be delayed until the soul is first of all cleansed.

“This truth is attested by the manifest authority of the canonical Scriptures and the doctrine of the holy Fathers,” he continues, “wherefore the contrary must be judged heretical as stated in Dial. iv, 25, and in De Eccl. Dogm. xlvi.” 

Later in the same section, St. Thomas reaffirms the physical existence of Hell, drawing as always from the Fathers of the Church and Sacred Scripture. Citing St. Basil, Aquinas writes that: 

at the final cleansing of the world, there will be a separation of the elements: whatever is pure and noble remaining above for the glory of the blessed, and whatever is ignoble and sordid being cast down for the punishment of the damned: so that just as every creature will be to the blessed a matter of joy, so will all the elements conduce to the torture of the damned, according to Wisdom 5:21, “the whole world will fight with Him against the unwise.” 

This is also becoming to Divine justice, that whereas they departed from one by sin, and placed their end in material things which are many and various, so should they be tormented in many ways and from many sources.

So resolutely did St. Thomas teach regarding the existence of Hell, that he outlined the manner in which the tormenting fire – of which the Scriptures speak – would be real. “However, whatever we may say of the fire that torments the separated souls, we must admit that the fire which will torment the bodies of the damned after the resurrection is corporeal, since one cannot fittingly apply a punishment to a body unless that punishment itself be bodily.” 

Aquinas further cites the teaching of Pope St. Gregory along with that of St. Augustine to support his writing. 

In comments provided to LifeSiteNews, catechist and author Deacon Nick Donnelly highlighted the importance of teaching the physical existence of Hell, since doing so “upholds the objective reality of God’s Justice.”

“When our Lord referred to the punishments of Hell — the eternal fire and undying worm — He described them in very physical terms, not in terms of psychological or spiritual states of mind,” said Donnelly. 

The Church Fathers understood Jesus’ depiction of Hell as being a literal description of a physical place. It is essential to teach the nature of Hell as a physical place because it upholds the objective reality of God’s Justice — God determines the punishment of the damned — and the objective reality of the resurrection of the body — the bodies of the damned suffer real punishments.

The English cleric slated Francis’ comments on Hell as ultimately being an “example of his dethronement of the true God for one of his own making.”  

Pope Francis’ caricature of Hell as being a psychological state is yet another example of an idolatrous humanism that reduces everything to this world, as if man’s experience is the measure of God, rather than God’s eternal design and plan as being the measure of man’s destiny. Pope Francis’ offhand dismissal of our Lord’s description of the physicality of Hell is yet another example of his dethronement of the true God for one of his own making.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  We welcome your comments at the end of this page.  Email a link or print out a copy of this web page to your clergy, family, friends and relatives.  Email this page to a friend.

CURIA
"My children, what I have warned you of the past is developing fast in Rome. The agents of 666 now are in full control of the Curia. O My children, I beg you, as your Mother, to pray and pray for your Vicar. Do much penance and acts of atonement for your bishops. Many shepherds have fallen asleep. Satan has poisoned the minds of many. The doors of the Eternal City of Rome were opened and demons entered to wreak havoc in the House of My Son.”  - Our Lady, June 18, 1977

WAR AMONG YOUR CLERGY
"The Eternal City of Rome shall go through labor pains. The struggle shall lead to blood within the streets. There shall be a war among your clergy. It shall be bishop against bishop and cardinal against cardinal, for 666 has entered upon Rome. I repeat, My children: awaken from your slumber! 666, the forces and agents of satan, have entered upon Rome!”  - Our Lady, July 24, 1976

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Our Lady of the Roses Awesome Bayside Prophecies... http://www.tldm.org/Bayside/ These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.

HIGHEST MITRES
"Do not be misled by the outer clothing of man, for there are many wolves in sheep's clothing, wearing the apparel of rank. Know that many have given themselves to satan.
     "Pray, pray much for those who wear the highest mitres, for they, too, have set themselves onto the road to hell. Your prayers and your acts of sacrifice and those who hear My voice, pray much for the Red Hats that have gone onto the wide road."  - Our Lady, October 2, 1974

HIGHEST PLACES OF THE CHURCH
"We ask that you pray much. Pray for those in the House of God who have lost their way. Many mitres are now going onto the road to perdition. Pray for them, for it is of great sorrow to Our hearts to see a man of God fall from his mission.  
     "Satan has entered into the highest places of the Church.
     "Pray much. I have asked you in the past to help patch the cracks. The bark of Peter flounders.
     "You will stand fast with Our Vicar. Do not allow your hearts, through your ears and human senses, to be misled. The enemies of God send out false interpretations.”  - Our Lady, April 13, 1974

CONTROL OF MANY MAJOR POSITIONS
"Control—you must know, my child, and tell the world that satan has control now of many major positions in the House of God, in the Eternal City of Rome. Traitors surround your Vicar. His sufferings are great.
     "Already they have chosen his successor. But pray, my children, pray much that he does not be removed, for woe to the world! The crucifixion of the Mystical Body of Christ! Woe to mankind!"
     Veronica -  Now Michael is stepping back, and he's now pointing with his spear. He has a spear in his right hand. He's pointing with his spear now, and he's pointing to a cardinal. And he's now writing above his head: "W".
     Now he's going over—I should be able to see him; he's standing right in front of him, and he's pointing to the next cardinal, and he's writing above his head: "A".
     And he's then going to the next one—he's sitting way over at the end, though, and he's writing above his head: "S".
     Now he's coming forward, and he's pointing his spear with disdain at a "V", a big "V". A big "V" now is appearing on the head of, I guess he's a bishop, or archbishop. He's wearing the same kind of a, like a . . . a . . . he's got a biretta-like, one of those little round hats. It's sort of a purplish color. And now above his head is written the letter "V".
     Now Michael is bending forward.
     St. Michael - "They are the initials, my child. You will pray for them, and ask many of earth's children to pray that they come out of the darkness. Their souls wallow in sin. They are blinded, and they are misleading those under their rule.
     "V. does much damage to the Holy Father [Pope Paul VI] by changing his correspondence. V. rewrites his letters. V. censors his mail. He did not, my child, receive the medals you sent to him. He did not receive your correspondence, my child. The Holy Father shall receive his knowledge from Mary, the Queen of Heaven and his Mother."  - St. Michael, August 21, 1974

“SET TO RIGHTS THE DAMAGE”
“I, Michael, guardian of the House of God, give fair warning to all cardinals and bishops in all houses upon earth, churches, that you must set to rights the damage that you have created, the damage that has destroyed many souls.
     "It will be a command of the Father from Heaven that all in authority defrock and excommunicate those under their rule who seek to destroy the Faith as given by the Father from Heaven.
     "Speak, my child; speak now as I have directed you. There is a major law in the Faith of Jesus Christ that none shall enter into secret societies of the Masons. The sons of satan are rulers, known by the name of Freemasons. All who join this heinous..."
     Veronica - Oh! Oh, my goodness! Oh!
     St. Michael - "All who join this secret society will immediately be condemned to the abyss forever.
     "Those in rule will excommunicate and defrock all who enter and make pact with the separated brethren and who will compromise the Faith with the separated brethren.”  - St. Michael, August 21, 1974

TRAVELING ROAD OF FALLEN ANGELS
"To all of Our bishops and cardinals: awaken from your sleep! This warning is given so that you will have time to make amends. You are burrowing like rats into the foundation of My House! In your quest to improve, you are destroying My House! In your arrogance, you are traveling the road of the fallen angels! Modernization—you shall not change to please human nature! You will bring man to his God through discipline. The rules have been given to you, set down very clearly in the Book of life, the Bible. You will not change the words to suit your fallen nature! My word to you is this: Return My House to the rule! A House in darkness will shut its doors. The filth must be cleansed!"  - Jesus, December 6, 1974 

USING RANK TO DESTROY SOULS
"Those who have the highest rank in My Son's House, in the houses throughout your world, are using their rank to destroy many souls. Pray, pray much for them, for they, too, shall burn in the fires of hell.”  - Our Lady, August 14, 1974

CARDINAL AGAINST CARDINAL
“When I am returned to remain guard at the tabernacles, and my name is returned, you will find the people flocking back into the houses of their God. Instead, now I have been locked out and satan has been invited in. His agents fill the seats of the houses of God. The battle will rage with great ferocity in the House of God—bishop against bishop, cardinal against cardinal, until the score has been settled in favor of the Eternal Father, your Creator.”  - St. Michael, August 21, 1974

Directives from Heaven... http://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D132 - Third Secret,  Part 4 - Bishop against bishop, cardinal against cardinal  PDF
D155 - Antipope of History PDF
D186 - Excommunication    PDF
D188 - Wrath of God    PDF
D190 - Cardinals, Part 1  PDF
D191 - Cardinals, Part 2    PDF
D192 - Cardinals, Part 3   PDF

EDITOR'S COMMENT:  Evil is accelerating and the Anti-Christ forces are gaining power in the world.  When the persecution starts, all Christian web sites on the internet will be forced to close.  Be sure to have in your possession all the following items: the Bayside Prophecy books, Bayside Medals, Douay-Rheims Bibles, the Protection Packets, Candles, Sacramentals, and Religious Books.  Purchase these items now while they are still available!  You will urgently need them in the days ahead.  Also, you can print out all PDF files for the Directives from Heaven and all of the Bayside Prophecies.  Copy Our Lady's messages and the Directives from Heaven now while they are still available!  Pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance on how to prepare now and for the days ahead when the Antichrist is revealed.  Viva Cristo Rey!

Articles...

Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Synod Interim Report ‘Clearly a Prefabricated Text’ Representing a ‘Radical Neo-Pagan Ideology’...
http://www.tldm.org/News25/Bishop-Athanasius-Schneider-Synod-Interim-Report-Clearly-A-Prefabricated-Text-Representing-A-Radical-Neo-Pagan-Ideology.htm

Archbishop Burke preaches tough Communion rule: Turn away abortion-rights backers under pain of mortal sin
http://www.tldm.org/News11/ArchbishopBurkeToughCommunionRule.htm

Archbishop Burke: Bishops must discipline pro-abortion Catholic politicians
http://www.tldm.org/News11/ArchbishopBurkeDisciplineProAbortCatholicPoliticians.htm

Pope Benedict supports excommunication for pro-abortion politicians: "Incompatible with receiving Communion"
http://www.tldm.org/News10/PopeExcommunicateDenyCommunionToProAbortCatholicPoliticians.htm

Pope Benedict XVI says that refusing Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians is a "doctrine of the Church"
http://www.tldm.org/News7/Ratzinger3.htm

Honduran Cardinal: "A politician who publicly supports abortion, he excommunicates himself"
http://www.tldm.org/News10/HonduranCardinalCommunionMustBeDenied.htm

Pope Benedict warns pro-abortion politicians against receiving Communion unworthily
http://www.tldm.org/News10/PopeUnworthyCommunion.htm

Catholics must be free of grave sin to receive Holy Communion
http://www.tldm.org/News6/ReceptionofCommunion.htm

Archbishop Burke: more profoundly sorrowful would be a bishop who failed "to safeguard the worthy reception of  Communion"
http://www.tldm.org/news6/Burke2.htm

Sacrilegious Communion and the U.S. bishops
http://www.tldm.org/News6/sacrilege.htm

Austrian Bishop Lugner says mall owner excommunicated for providing space for abortion clinic
http://www.tldm.org/News10/AbortionBishop%20Lugner.htm

Bishop Henry says he would refuse Prime Minister Holy Communion, would consider excommunication
http://www.tldm.org/News7/AbortionBishopHenry.htm

Links...

Bishops and bald eagles, Judie Brown, March 2, 2007
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/brown/070302

Cardinal Ratzinger said, "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." He did not say 'could,' or 'may,' but that he "must,"  Barbara Kralis, July 6, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040706

Prohibition is worthless without enforcement, Barbara Kralis, June 24, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040624

Is not murder just as evil as lust in the eyes of God? Barbara Kralis, June 8, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040607

Ten questions regarding the denial of the Eucharist, Barbara Kralis, May 24, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040524

Your names have been written in Heaven… "It is not by accident that you are called by My Mother, for your names have been written in Heaven.... But with this great grace you have great responsibility to send this Message from Heaven throughout the world, for if you are able to recover just one more for Heaven, an additional star shall be placed in your crown." - Jesus, August 5, 1975

A great obligation to go forward... "It is not by accident that you are called by My Mother, for it is by merit and the prayers that have risen to Heaven for your salvation.  For those who have received the grace to hear the Message from Heaven, you have a great obligation to go forward and bring this Message to your brothers and sisters.  Do not expect a rest upon your earth, for you will have eternal rest very soon." - Jesus, June 12, 1976

The sin of omission...  "The sin of omission shall condemn many to hell, be they layman or Hierarchy.  I repeat:  not the sin of commission, but the sin of omission will commit many to hell." - Our Lady of the Roses,  October 6, 1980

My gift to help spread Our Lady of the Roses' messages to the world.  

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