If God is the creator of all things, did God create hell? If not, how was hell created and by whom?
– Drew in Springfield

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This question brings together two essential teachings of Catholic dogma and anthropology. We do indeed profess that God is the Creator of all things. We also hold to the belief that God created mankind in His own image and with free will. The Scriptures and Church teaching are clear that God desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4). But we are all free to accept that or to reject it. God will not force His will, nor forgiveness, nor redemption, nor heaven on anyone.

Our participation of His creation of heaven requires our acceptance to that invitation. None of us can earn or deserve heaven, we can only accept God’s mercy through Christ’s perfect offering of our nature on the cross. All mercy and life eternal in heaven are the fruits of that perfect gift.  Hopefully, we live our lives in a way that accepts that gift, but all of us will also require God’s mercy at our judgment to be ready for heaven. We do not have the details of that judgment, but the Scriptures and writings of the saints through the history of the Church are pretty consistent in that our actions and omissions, our sins, and our failings will require some kind of reckoning, acknowledgment, and acceptance of forgiveness.    We are also free to refuse that forgiveness.  The Church has consistently taught, as Jesus Himself refers, that there is a place of death and separation from God, which is called hell.

Those who would be in hell are there due to their own choosing — their refusal to believe and to repent of their sins, the refusal of God’s mercy and of sharing His life. The question is not properly “who created hell” as much as an acknowledgement that just as on earth, things that are sinful and evil are not created by God (this includes death itself as the Book of Wisdom teaches us), but rather are allowed by God as the result of our being free. God does not create my sin, and He certainly wants to spare us of it and its effects, but He will not force anything on us. Hell is not the “anti-heaven” but the remaining outside of God’s presence. We believe that there is a place outside of heaven, a place where those who refuse to enter will remain. We also pray that there are as few people there as possible! For conversion for ourselves and openness to God’s mercy for others, we are implored to pray, sacrifice, and desire.

This raises the importance of the Catholic teaching on purgatory. Since sin cannot enter heaven, for sin within heaven would make heaven no longer perfect, we will likely need to be made ready to enter heaven (we may need to let go of what we hold onto from our own sins and the hurt of others’ sins upon us, so we will be ready for perfection).Purgatory is not proper punishment or God extracting justice upon us to make up for our sins. It is rather whatever process and healing we will let God work in us, to let go of the imperfections, pride, and sinfulness upon which we may still cling that cannot enter heaven. So, pray for the souls in purgatory and always stive for heaven!

Father Peter Harman is pastor of St. Anthony of Padua in Effingham and holds a Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Catholic University of America.