Heaven Archives

Pope: Heaven is an encounter with Jesus, not a boring waiting room

Catholic News Service, Vatican
Apr 27, 2018

Heaven is not an eternally dull existence but rather the completion of a journey toward a promised encounter with the Lord, Pope Francis said.

Ferment over pope’s supposed Hell bombshell mounts in Italy

Global Church
Apr 5, 2018

A columnist for the official newspaper of the Italian bishops’ conference says the pope’s friendship with a 93-year-old journalist who sometimes puts words into his mouth is a healthy challenge to the “catholically correct.”

Pope Francis: Paradise is the embrace with God, infinite love

Vatican
Oct 25, 2017

“Paradise is not a fantasy land, or even an enchanted garden,” Pope Francis said during his weekly General Audience Oct. 25. “Paradise is the embrace with God, infinite Love, and we enter it thanks to Jesus, who died on the cross for us.”

In response to Sartre, Church says, ‘Heaven is other people!’

Commentary
Oct 29, 2016

Famously, the existentialist philosopher and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre once penned the line, “Hell is other people.” Based on the Church’s faith in the communion of saints, Catholicism responds to Sarte by saying, “Heaven is other people!”

It's not easy to get to Heaven — assuming you want to go

Life
Dec 18, 2015

“The Great Divorce,” based on C.S. Lewis’ classic theological fantasy about heaven and hell. Produced by the Fellowship For Performing Arts; showing at the Pearl Theatre, 555 West 42nd St., New York. Most of the action in “The Great Divorce” takes place on grass. The three actors, all barefoot, walk

Life
Jan 22, 2015

In December, Pope Francis got the attention of pet owners everywhere when he was quoted as saying, “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.” Alas, media outlets, including The New York Times, confused the remarks and the circumstances under which they were made. The pope had actually made a