God's love is great, but hell 'exists and is eternal,' pope says

Published: 2007-03-26

ROME (CNS) -- God's mercy and love are great, but those who reject him should know that hell "exists and is eternal," Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope made the comments during a visit March 25 to a Rome parish that serves a predominantly immigrant population, including the city's Filipino community. In a sermon, the pope focused on what has become a running theme of his pontificate: the importance of divine love. "Only God's love can change from within the existence of the person and, consequently, the existence of every society, because only his infinite love liberates from sin, the root of every evil," the pope said. That same love is reflected in the sacrifice of Christ, who came with the concrete goal of saving souls, he said. "Christ came to tell us that he desires all of us in heaven and that hell, which isn't spoken about much in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love," the pope said.

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