Mengapa guncang mendengar wahyu-wahyu pribadi yang memojokkan Gereja Katolik?

Dewasa ini ada kesaksian-kesaksian atau wahyu pribadi yang memojokkan Gereja Katolik, seperti kesaksian Angelica Zambrano berjudul “Persiapkan dirimu untuk bertemu dengan Allah!” dan juga dari Barbara Fernandez dengan judul “5 hari di Sorga neraka“. Anda dapat melihat begitu banyak kesaksian dari orang-orang yang dibawa ke Sorga dan neraka, baik dari kesaksian-kesaksian yang bersifat religius, termasuk Kristen dan bahkan anda dapat menemukan situs-situs yang memuat pengalaman tentang kematian yang kemudian kembali lagi (near death experience). Anda dapat mencari situs-situs tersebut dengan kata kunci near death experience. Sebagai umat Katolik, kita tidak perlu goyah dengan kesaksian-kesaksian yang memojokkan iman Katolik, karena iman Katolik dapat dipertanggungjawabkan, baik dari Kitab Suci, Tradisi Suci, yang diperkuat oleh Magisterium Gereja. Mari kita membahas kesaksian-kesaksian tersebut.

Contoh kesaksian-kesaksian yang memojokkan Gereja Katolik:

Berikut ini adalah kutipan dari beberapa kesaksian yang memojokkan Gereja Katolik:

1. Dari “Persiapkanlah dirimu untuk bertemu dengan Allah” oleh Angelica Zambrano:

Sebelumnya, aku biasanya hidup sebagai seorang gadis muda Kristen yang berpikiran ganda. Dulu aku berpikir bahwa setiap orang yang mati akan pergi ke Surga, bahwa mereka yang merayakan misa, juga akan masuk surga, tapi aku salah. Ketika Paus Yohanes Paulus II meninggal, teman-teman dan kerabat akan memberitahuku bahwa ia telah pergi ke surga. Semua berita di TV, pada Extra dan banyak tempat lainnya akan berkata, “Paus Yohanes Paulus II telah meninggal, semoga ia beristirahat dalam damai. Ia sekarang bersukacita dengan Tuhan dan malaikat di surga” dan aku percaya semua itu. Tapi aku hanya menipu diriku sendiri, karena aku melihat dia di neraka, yang tersiksa oleh api. Aku menatap wajahnya, itu adalah Yohanes Paulus II (John Paul II)!! Tuhan berkata padaku, “Lihat, Putri, pria yang engkau lihat itu di sana, adalah Paus Yohanes Paulus II. Ia ada di sini di tempat ini; ia sedang tersiksa karena ia tidak bertobat.”

Tapi aku bertanya, “Tuhan, mengapa ia ada di sini? Ia biasa berkhotbah di gereja.” Yesus menjawab, ” Putri, tidak ada pezinah, tidak ada penyembah berhala, tidak ada orang yang serakah dan tidak ada pendusta yg akan mewarisi Kerajaan-Ku.” (Efesus 5:5) Aku menjawab, “Ya, aku tahu itu benar, tapi aku ingin tahu mengapa ia ada di sini, karena ia biasa berkhotbah kepada banyak orang!” Dan Yesus menjawab, “Ya, Putri, ia mungkin telah mengatakan banyak hal, tetapi ia tidak pernah berbicara kebenaran seperti yg ada. Ia tidak pernah mengatakan kebenaran dan mereka tahu kebenaran dan meskipun ia tahu kebenaran, ia lebih menyukai uang daripada berkhotbah tentang keselamatan. Ia tidak akan menawarkan kenyataan; tidak akan mengatakan bahwa neraka itu nyata dan surga juga ada; Putri, sekarang dia ada di sini di tempat ini.”

Ketika aku melihat pria ini, ia memiliki ular besar dengan jarum-jarum, melilit tenggorokannya, dan ia akan mencoba utk melepasnya. Aku memohon dengan Yesus, “Tuhan, bantulah dia!” Pria itu akan berteriak,“Tolong aku, Tuhan, kasihanilah aku, bawa aku keluar dari tempat ini, maafkan aku, aku bertobat, Tuhan! Aku ingin kembali ke bumi, aku ingin kembali ke bumi untuk bertobat.” Tuhan mengamati dia dan berkata kepadanya, “Engkau sangat tahu dgn baik. Engkau tahu benar bahwa tempat ini nyata… Sudah terlambat; tidak ada kesempatan lagi untukmu.”
Tuhan berkata, “Dengar, Putri, Aku akan menunjukkan kehidupan orang ini.” Yesus menunjukkan layar besar di mana aku bisa mengamati bagaimana orang ini menawarkan misa berkali-kali kepada orang banyak. Dan bagaimana orang-orang yang ada begitu menyembah berhala. Yesus berkata, “Dengar, Putri, ada banyak penyembah berhala di tempat ini. Penyembahan berhala tidak akan menyelamatkan, Putri. Aku satu-satunya yang menyelamatkan, dan di luar Aku, tidak ada yang menyelamatkan. Aku mengasihi pendosa, tetapi aku benci dosa, Putri. Pergi dan beritahukan manusia bahwa aku mengasihi mereka dan bahwa mereka perlu datang kepada-Ku.”
Ketika Tuhan sedang berbicara, aku mulai melihat bagaimana orang ini menerima banyak sekali koin dan uang kertas; uang, semua yang dia akan simpan. Ia punya begitu banyak uang. Aku melihat gambar orang ini duduk di atas takhta, tetapi aku juga bisa melihat lebih dari itu. Memang benar bahwa orang-orang ini tidak menikah, aku dapat meyakinkanmu, aku tidak mengada-ada, Tuhan menunjukkan kepadaku, orang-orang itu tidur dengan biarawati; dengan banyak perempuan di sana! [1 example]
Tuhan menunjukkan kepadaku orang-orang ini hidup dalam percabulan, dan Firman mengatakan bahwa pezinah tidak akan mewarisi Kerajaan-Nya. Saat aku sedang menonton semua ini, Tuhan berkata, “Lihat Putri, semua ini yang aku tunjukkan kpdmu adalah apa yang terjadi, apa yang ia jalani dan apa yang terus terjadi di antara banyak orang, di antara banyak imam dan paus yang ada.” Kemudian ia berkata, “Putri, pergi dan beritahukan manusia bahwa sudah waktunya untuk berbalik kpdKu.”
…..
Tapi kemudian Ia berkata, “Putri, dia adalah Maria. Maria, yang melahirkan Yesus Kristus, yaitu Aku. Putri, Aku ingin memberitahu engkau bahwa ia tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang hal-hal yang terjadi di Bumi. Aku ingin mengatakan kpdmu yaitu engkau harus pergi dan beritahukan pd manusia, beritahukan penyembah berhala bahwa neraka itu nyata, dan bahwa penyembah berhala tidak akan mewarisi Kerajaan-Ku, tetapi pergi dan katakan pd mereka bahwa jika mereka bertobat, mereka dapat masuk ke dlm tempat tinggal surgawiKu. Pergi beritahu mereka bahwa Aku mencintai mereka dan beritahu mereka bahwa Maria tidak memiliki pengetahuan apa-apa [yg terjadi di bumi] dan satu-satunya yg mereka harus tinggikan adalah Aku, karena baik Maria, atau St. Gregory ataupun santo lainnya dapat [mungkin maksudnya: tidak dapat] menawarkan keselamatan. Aku adalah Satu-satunya yang menyelamatkan dan di luar Aku – tidak ada, tidak ada, tidak ada – yg menyelamatkan!” la mengulanginya tiga kali – tidak ada yang dpt menyelamatkan, hanya la yg menyelamatkan.

Umat manusia telah tertipu dgn mempercayai dalam anggapan santo, yang mana bukan, tetapi adalah setan, yang bekerja melalui berhala yang dibuat oleh tangan manusia. Tapi, biar Aku beritahukan engkau bahwa Tuhan ingin memberikan yang terbaik. la ingin engkau untuk masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Surga; untuk bertobat dan meninggalkan penyembahan berhala. Karena penyembahan berhala tidak akan menyelamatkanmu. Yesus Kristus dari Nazaret adalah yg dpt menyelamatkan, yang memberikan nyawa-Nya bagimu, bagiku dan bagi semua umat manusia. Tuhan memiliki pesan yg besar bagi manusia. Ketika la menangis, Dia berkata,“Tolong, Putri, jangan diam; pergi dan katakan yang sebenarnya, pergi dan katakan apa yang Aku telah tunjukkan kpdmu.”

2. Dari 5 hari di Sorga Neraka oleh Barbara Fernandez:

Tuhan memanggil seorang wanita yang sangat cantik dengan kecantikan yang tak dapat digambarkan, seperti semua yang aku lihat disana. Dan Tuhan berkata kepadaku : “Ini adalah Maria! Pergilah dan katakan pada setiap orang bahwa Maria bukanlah ratu surga. Raja Surga adalah Aku, Raja dari segala raja, dan Tuhan dari segala tuhan, Satu-satunya yang berkata “Akulah Jalan, Kebangkitan dan Hidup (Yohanes 14 : 6-7). Pergilah dan katakan kepada manusia yang DIBUTAKAN bahwa tidak ada api penyucian, karena kalau ada Aku akan menunjukkannya kepadamu. Sebaliknya, ada Neraka, Lautan api, Yerusalem yang indah, dan Surga yang telah Kutunjukkan kepadamu. Tapi katakan kepada mereka bahwa tidak ada api penyucian; katakan itu adalah tipuan iblis, tidak ada api penyucian ”.

Bagaimana menanggapinya:

Dua kesaksian tersebut adalah dua kesaksian diantara banyak kesaksian yang sedang marak di forum-forum dan dipergunakan banyak orang untuk memojokkan Gereja Katolik. Sebenarnya, pada awalnya saya tidak tertarik untuk menanggapi wahyu-wahyu seperti ini, karena saya pikir bahwa hal ini tidak perlu ditanggapi dan tidak ada gunanya. Namun, ketika ada pertanyaan dari umat Katolik sendiri, yang menyatakan imannya tergoncang karena kesaksian ini, maka saya memutuskan untuk memberikan tanggapan atas isu-isu ini. Berikut ini adalah argumentasi yang dapat saya berikan:

Kesaksian tersebut belum tentu benar

Dari banyak komentar di katolisitas dan mungkin juga di forum-forum Kristen lain, terlihat bahwa ada sebagian umat Kristen non-Katolik yang langsung menganggap bahwa kesaksian tersebut adalah benar. Namun, kalau ditanya, bagaimana seseorang tahu atau bagaimana membuktikan bahwa kesaksian ini benar? Maka, jawabannya sebenarnya sulit untuk dapat dipertanggungjawabkan, karena cenderung sangat subyektif dan sungguh sulit untuk dapat dibuktikan kebenarannya. Bagaimana seseorang dapat membuktikan kebenaran wahyu pribadi seperti dari Barbara Fernandez dan Angelica Zambrano? Sungguh terlalu cepat kalau kesaksian mereka langsung dianggap benar dan apalagi dijadikan sebagai argumentasi dalam berdiskusi dengan umat Katolik. Bagi orang-orang yang percaya akan kesaksian mereka, maka cobalah minimal berfikir, bagaimana saya tahu apakah kesaksian ini benar atau salah dan apakah parameternya?.

Kebenaran dokrin vs kesaksian-kesaksian

Dalam suatu diskusi tentang doktrinal, maka argumentasi berupa kesaksian-kesaksian tidaklah dapat membantu. Kalau seseorang mengatakan bahwa api penyucian tidak ada karena dalam kesaksian Barbara Fernandez dikatakan bahwa Api Penyucian tidak ada dan Tuhan telah mengatakannya; Bahkan dikatakan oleh Tuhan bahwa keberadaan Api Penyucian hanyalah merupakan tipuan iblis, maka bukti apakah yang mendukung mereka bahwa kesaksian yang diberikan itu adalah benar? Pertanyaannya, bagaimana kalau ada santa-santo yang mempunyai pengalaman bahwa Api Penyucian itu ada dan bahwa Maria mengerti akan apa yang dialami oleh umat Tuhan sejauh yang diijinkan oleh Tuhan, maka apakah kemudian umat non-Katolik mau menerimanya?

a. Tentang Api Penyucian: St. Faustina dalam buku hariannya mengatakan “…I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call Her “The Star of the Sea”. She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice which said] ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls.’” (Diary, 20)“

Apakah dengan kesaksian seperti ini, maka umat Kristen non-Katolik akan percaya akan keberadaan Api Penyucian? Anda dapat membandingkan kehidupan Barbara Fernandez dengan St. Faustina. Siapakah yang lebih dapat dipercaya? Kalau masih kurang, silakan membaca kesaksian dan kehidupan dari St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Gertrude, St. Frances of Rome, St. Padre Pio, dll. yang semuanya menyatakan bahwa Api Penyucian adalah nyata. Kalau parameter kebenarannya adalah individu yang memberikan kesaksian, maka bandingkan kehidupan mereka yang menyatakan bahwa Api Penyucian itu ada dengan kehidupan orang yang menyatakan bahwa Api Penyucian itu tidak ada. Jadi, siapa yang lebih dapat dipercaya?

b. Tentang Maria: Ada begitu banyak cerita tentang penampakan-penampakan Maria, seperti: (sumber: silakan klik)

Our Lady of the Pillar di Spanyol (tahun: 39), oleh Santo Yakobus.
Our Lady of Walsingham di Inggris (tahun: 1061), oleh Richeldis de Faverches.
Our Lady of the Rosary di Perancis (tahun: 1208), oleh St. Dominic
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (+ abad 13), oleh St. Simon Stock.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Laus
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Our Lady of La Salette
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Pontmain
Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Beauraing
Our Lady of Banneux
Our Lady of Akita

Anda juga dapat melihat sumber yang lain seperti marypages – klik ini. Dan ada lagi sumber yang lain di sini – silakan klik. Apakah dengan banyaknya wahyu pribadi sehubungan dengan Maria, yang juga didukung dengan banyak mukjizat, maka umat Kristen non-Katolik dapat menerima bahwa Maria sering membantu umat Allah? Kalau mereka tidak dapat menerimanya – karena diragukan kebenarannya, mengapa sebaliknya mereka menganggap wahyu-wahyu yang memojokkan Gereja Katolik adalah benar? Bukankah dengan demikian terjadi standar ganda? Untuk menghindari standar ganda ini, maka diskusi harus berfokus pada dogma dan doktrin dan bukan berdasarkan wahyu-wahyu pribadi.

c. Tentang Paus Yohanes Paulus II yang dikatakan ada di neraka. Di dalam kesaksian tersebut dikatakan bahwa Paus ada di neraka karena tidak mengatakan kebenaran, lebih menyukai uang daripada berkotbah tentang keselamatan, tidak pernah mengatakan bahwa neraka dan Sorga itu ada, melakukan penyembahan berhala, menerima banyak uang, dll. Kalau seseorang percaya akan kesaksian seperti ini, maka saya kira, mereka tidak tahu apa yang dilakukan oleh Paus Yohanes Paulus II dan tidak membaca apa yang ditulis oleh Paus Yohanes Paulus II, baik tentang kebenaran tentang adanya neraka dan Sorga. Kalau dikatakan Paus menerima uang, kemanakah uang itu sekarang? Apakah ada anggota keluarganya yang menjadi kaya karena dia menjadi Paus? Kalau dikatakan bahwa Paus tidak pernah berkotbah tentang keselamatan, neraka dan Sorga, maka silakan membaca sebagian tulisannya, yang diberikan pada beberapa audiensi umum hari Rabu:

Heaven is Fullness of Communion with God

Heaven as the fullness of communion with God was the theme of the Holy Father’s catechesis at the General Audience of 21 July 1999. Heaven “is neither an abstraction not a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit,” the Pope said.

1. When the form of this world has passed away, those who have welcomed God into their lives and have sincerely opened themselves to his love, at least at the moment of death, will enjoy that fullness of communion with God which is the goal of human life.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “this perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed is called “heaven’. Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfilment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness” (n.1024).

Today we will try to understand the biblical meaning of “heaven”, in order to have a better understanding of the reality to which this expression refers.

2. In biblical language “heaven””, when it is joined to the “earth”, indicates part of the universe. Scripture says about creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gn 1:1).

Heaven is the transcendent dwelling-place of the living God

Metaphorically speaking, heaven is understood as the dwelling-place of God, who is thus distinguished from human beings (cf. Ps 104:2f.; 115:16; Is 66:1). He sees and judges from the heights of heaven (cf. Ps 113:4-9) and comes down when he is called upon (cf. Ps 18:9, 10; 144:5). However the biblical metaphor makes it clear that God does not identify himself with heaven, nor can he be contained in it (cf. 1 Kgs 8:27); and this is true, even though in some passages of the First Book of the Maccabees “Heaven” is simply one of God’s names (1 Mc 3:18, 19, 50, 60; 4:24, 55).

The depiction of heaven as the transcendent dwelling-place of the living God is joined with that of the place to which believers, through grace, can also ascend, as we see in the Old Testament accounts of Enoch (cf. Gn 5:24) and Elijah (cf. 2 Kgs 2:11). Thus heaven becomes an image of life in God. In this sense Jesus speaks of a “reward in heaven” (Mt 5:12) and urges people to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (ibid., 6:20; cf. 19:21).

3. The New Testament amplifies the idea of heaven in relation to the mystery of Christ. To show that the Redeemer’s sacrifice acquires perfect and definitive value, the Letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus “passed through the heavens” (Heb 4:14), and “entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself” (ibid., 9:24). Since believers are loved in a special way by the Father, they are raised with Christ and made citizens of heaven. It is worthwhile listening to what the Apostle Paul tells us about this in a very powerful text: “God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-7). The fatherhood of God, who is rich in mercy, is experienced by creatures through the love of God’s crucified and risen Son, who sits in heaven on the right hand of the Father as Lord.

4. After the course of our earthly life, participation in complete intimacy with the Father thus comes through our insertion into Christ’s paschal mystery. St Paul emphasizes our meeting with Christ in heaven at the end of time with a vivid spatial image: “Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thes 4:17-18).

Sacramental life is anticipation of heaven

In the context of Revelation, we know that the “heaven” or “happiness” in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit.

It is always necessary to maintain a certain restraint in describing these “ultimate realities” since their depiction is always unsatisfactory. Today, personalist language is better suited to describing the state of happiness and peace we will enjoy in our definitive communion with God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up the Church’s teaching on this truth: “By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has “opened’ heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ” (n. 1026).

5. This final state, however, can be anticipated in some way today in sacramental life, whose centre is the Eucharist, and in the gift of self through fraternal charity. If we are able to enjoy properly the good things that the Lord showers upon us every day, we will already have begun to experience that joy and peace which one day will be completely ours. We know that on this earth everything is subject to limits, but the thought of the “ultimate” realities helps us to live better the “penultimate” realities. We know that as we pass through this world we are called to seek “the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1), in order to be with him in the eschatological fulfilment, when the Spirit will fully reconcile with the Father “all things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Col 1:20).

To the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors the Holy Father said:

I extend a special welcome to the young people taking part in the Forum of the European Youth Parliament, as well as to the St Vincent Ferrer Chorale from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and the Taiwanese Native Folklore Group, accompanied by Cardinal Shan. Upon all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims, especially those from England, Scotland, Korea, Taiwan, Canada and the United States, I invoke the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you have a happy and blessed summer!

Hell is the State of Those who Reject God

At the General Audience of Wednesday, 28 July 1999, the Holy Father reflected on hell as the definitive rejection of God. In his catechesis, the Pope said that care should be taken to interpret correctly the images of hell in Sacred Scripture, and explained that “hell is the ultimate consequence of sin itself… Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy”.

1. God is the infinitely good and merciful Father. But man, called to respond to him freely, can unfortunately choose to reject his love and forgiveness once and for all, thus separating himself for ever from joyful communion with him. It is precisely this tragic situation that Christian doctrine explains when it speaks of eternal damnation or hell. It is not a punishment imposed externally by God but a development of premises already set by people in this life. The very dimension of unhappiness which this obscure condition brings can in a certain way be sensed in the light of some of the terrible experiences we have suffered which, as is commonly said, make life “hell”.

In a theological sense however, hell is something else: it is the ultimate consequence of sin itself, which turns against the person who committed it. It is the state of those who definitively reject the Father’s mercy, even at the last moment of their life.

Hell is a state of eternal damnation

2. To describe this reality Sacred Scripture uses a symbolical language which will gradually be explained. In the Old Testament the condition of the dead had not yet been fully disclosed by Revelation. Moreover it was thought that the dead were amassed in Sheol, a land of darkness (cf. Ez. 28:8; 31:14; Jb. 10:21f.; 38:17; Ps 30:10; 88:7, 13), a pit from which one cannot reascend (cf. Jb. 7:9), a place in which it is impossible to praise God (cf. Is 38:18; Ps 6:6).

The New Testament sheds new light on the condition of the dead, proclaiming above all that Christ by his Resurrection conquered death and extended his liberating power to the kingdom of the dead.

Redemption nevertheless remains an offer of salvation which it is up to people to accept freely. This is why they will all be judged “by what they [have done]” (Rv 20:13). By using images, the New Testament presents the place destined for evildoers as a fiery furnace, where people will “weep and gnash their teeth” (Mt 13:42; cf. 25:30, 41), or like Gehenna with its “unquenchable fire” (Mk 9:43). All this is narrated in the parable of the rich man, which explains that hell is a place of eternal suffering, with no possibility of return, nor of the alleviation of pain (cf. Lk. 16:19-31).

The Book of Revelation also figuratively portrays in a “pool of fire” those who exclude themselves from the book of life, thus meeting with a “second death” (Rv. 20:13f.). Whoever continues to be closed to the Gospel is therefore preparing for ‘eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thes 1:9).

3. The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God. Rather* than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy. This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the truths of faith on this subject: “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called ‘hell'” (n. 1033).

“Eternal damnation”, therefore, is not attributed to God’s initiative because in his merciful love he can only desire the salvation of the beings he created. In reality, it is the creature who closes himself to his love. Damnation consists precisely in definitive separation from God, freely chosen by the human person and confirmed with death that seals his choice for ever. God’s judgement ratifies this state.

We are saved from going to hell by Jesus who conquered Satan

4. Christian faith teaches that in taking the risk of saying “yes” or “no”, which marks the human creature’s freedom, some have already said no. They are the spiritual creatures that rebelled against God’s love and are called demons (cf. Fourth Lateran Council, DS 800-801). What happened to them is a warning to us: it is a continuous call to avoid the tragedy which leads to sin and to conform our life to that of Jesus who lived his life with a “yes” to God.

Eternal damnation remains a real possibility, but we are not granted, without special divine revelation, the knowledge of whether or which human beings are effectively involved in it. The thought of hell — and even less the improper use of biblical images — must not create anxiety or despair, but is a necessary and healthy reminder of freedom within the proclamation that the risen Jesus has conquered Satan, giving us the, Spirit of God who makes us cry “Abba, Father!” (Rm. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

This prospect, rich in hope, prevails in Christian proclamation. It is effectively reflected in the liturgical tradition of the Church, as the words of the Roman Canon attest: “Father, accept this offering from your whole family … save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen”.

To the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, the Holy Father said.

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Nigeria, Hong Kong and the United States of America. I wish you a pleasant visit to Christian Rome and I invoke upon you the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

*[Note: The original Italian says, “(Più che) More than a place, hell indicates…” This suggests correctly that although hell is not essentially “a place,” rather the definitive loss of God, confinement is included. Thus, after the general resurrection the bodies of the damned, being bodies not spirits, must be in “some place,” in which they will receive the punishment of fire.]

Purgatory Is Necessary Purification

Before we enter into full communion with God, every trace of sin within us must be eliminated and every imperfection in our soul must be corrected

At the General Audience of Wednesday, 4 August 1999, following his catecheses on heaven and hell, the Holy Father reflected on Purgatory. He explained that physical integrity is necessary to enter into perfect communion with God therefore “the term purgatory does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence”, where Christ “removes … the remnants of imperfection”.

1. As we have seen in the previous two catecheses, on the basis of the definitive option for or against God, the human being finds he faces one of these alternatives: either to live with the Lord in eternal beatitude, or to remain far from his presence.

For those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God, but still imperfectly, the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of “Purgatory” (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030-1032).

To share in divine life we must be totally purified

2. In Sacred Scripture, we can grasp certain elements that help us to understand the meaning of this doctrine, even if it is not formally described. They express the belief that we cannot approach God without undergoing some kind of purification.

According to Old Testament religious law, what is destined for God must be perfect. As a result, physical integrity is also specifically required for the realities which come into contact with God at the sacrificial level such as, for example, sacrificial animals (cf. Lv 22: 22) or at the institutional level, as in the case of priests or ministers of worship (cf. Lv 21: 17-23). Total dedication to the God of the Covenant, along the lines of the great teachings found in Deuteronomy (cf. 6: 5), and which must correspond to this physical integrity, is required of individuals and society as a whole (cf. 1 Kgs 8: 61). It is a matter of loving God with all one’s being, with purity of heart and the witness of deeds (cf. ibid., 10: 12f.)

The need for integrity obviously becomes necessary after death, for entering into perfect and complete communion with God. Those who do not possess this integrity must undergo purification. This is suggested by a text of St Paul. The Apostle speaks of the value of each person’s work which will be revealed on the day of judgement and says: “If the work which any man has built on the foundation [which is Christ] survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor 3: 14-15).

3. At times, to reach a state of perfect integrity a person’s intercession or mediation is needed. For example, Moses obtains pardon for the people with a prayer in which he recalls the saving work done by God in the past, and prays for God’s fidelity to the oath made to his ancestors (cf. Ex 32: 30, 11-13). The figure of the Servant of the Lord, outlined in the Book of Isaiah, is also portrayed by his role of intercession and expiation for many; at the end of his suffering he “will see the light” and “will justify many”, bearing their iniquities (cf. Is 52: 13-53, 12, especially vv. 53: 11).

Psalm 51 can be considered, according to the perspective of the Old Testament, as a synthesis of the process of reintegration: the sinner confesses and recognizes his guilt (v. 3), asking insistently to be purified or “cleansed” (vv. 2, 9, 10, 17) so as to proclaim the divine praise (v. 15).

Purgatory is not a place but a condition of existence

4. In the New Testament Christ is presented as the intercessor who assumes the functions of high priest on the day of expiation (cf. Heb 5: 7; 7: 25). But in him the priesthood is presented in a new and definitive form. He enters the heavenly shrine once and for all, to intercede with God on our behalf (cf. Heb 9: 23-26, especially, v. 24). He is both priest and “victim of expiation” for the sins of the whole world (cf. 1 Jn 2: 2).

Jesus, as the great intercessor who atones for us, will fully reveal himself at the end of our life when he will express himself with the offer of mercy, but also with the inevitable judgement for those who refuse the Father’s love and forgiveness.

This offer of mercy does not exclude the duty to present ourselves to God, pure and whole, rich in that love which Paul calls a “[bond] of perfect harmony” (Col 3: 14).

5. In following the Gospel exhortation to be perfect like the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5: 48) during our earthly life, we are called to grow in love, to be sound and flawless before God the Father “at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Thes 3: 12f.). Moreover, we are invited to “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit” (2 Cor 7: 1; cf. 1 Jn 3: 3), because the encounter with God requires absolute purity.

Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected. Purification must be complete, and indeed this is precisely what is meant by the Church’s teaching on purgatory. The term does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence. Those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ who removes from them the remnants of imperfection (cf. Ecumenical Council of Florence, Decretum pro Graecis: DS 1304; Ecumenical Council of Trent, Decretum de iustificatione: DS 1580; Decretum de purgatorio: DS 1820).

It is necessary to explain that the state of purification is not a prolungation of the earthly condition, almost as if after death one were given another possibility to change one’s destiny. The Church’s teaching in this regard is unequivocal and was reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council which teaches: “Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed (cf. Heb 9: 27), we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed, and not, like the wicked and slothful servants, be ordered to depart into the eternal fire, into the outer darkness where “men will weep and gnash their teeth’ (Mt 22: 13 and 25: 30)” (Lumen gentium, n. 48).

6. One last important aspect which the Church’s tradition has always pointed out should be reproposed today: the dimension of “communio”. Those, in fact, who find themselves in the state of purification are united both with the blessed who already enjoy the fullness of eternal life, and with us on this earth on our way towards the Father’s house (cf. CCC, n. 1032).

Just as in their earthly life believers are united in the one Mystical Body, so after death those who live in a state of purification experience the same ecclesial solidarity which works through prayer, prayers for suffrage and love for their other brothers and sisters in the faith. Purification is lived in the essential bond created between those who live in this world and those who enjoy eternal beatitude.

To the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors the Holy Father said:

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. Upon all of you I invoke the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Happy summer holidays to you all!

Dan ini hanya sebagian kecil dari tulisan-tulisan yang pernah dibuatnya. Dalam salah satu tulisannya, yaitu Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, par.26, dituliskan:

…Nor can the church omit, without serious mutilation of her essential message, a constant catechesis on what the traditional Christian language calls the four last things of man: death, judgment (universal and particular), hell and heaven. In a culture which tends to imprison man in the earthly life at which he is more or less successful, the pastors of the church are asked to provide a catechesis which will reveal and illustrate with the certainties of faith what comes after the present life: beyond the mysterious gates of death, an eternity of joy in communion with God or the punishment of separation from him. Only in this eschatological vision can one realize the exact nature of sin and feel decisively moved to penance and reconciliation.

Kalau dikatakan bahwa Paus Yohanes Paulus II menyembah berhala, apakah buktinya? Bukankah diskusi akan lebih berkualitas kalau seseorang dapat memberikan argumentasi dari Alkitab tentang apakah Sakramen Ekaristi adalah penyembahan berhala? Kalau ada yang tertarik tentang topik ini, silakan bergabung dalam diskusi tentang hal ini di sini – silakan klik. Juga diskusi tentang patung-patung di dalam Gereja Katolik yang dianggap berhala dapat dilihat di diskusi ini – silakan klik, dan ini – silakan klik. Dalam diskusi ini dibahas dasar-dasar dari Alkitab dan juga dari tulisan-tulisan Bapa Gereja. Dan saya yakin diskusi di link tersebut lebih berbobot daripada berdiskusi tentang kesaksian pribadi seseorang yang tidak jelas kebenarannya.

d. Tentang para kudus. Diskusi tentang para kudus dapat dilihat di sini – silakan klik dan ini – klik ini.

Sola Scriptura vs kesaksian-kesaksian

Saya yakin tidak semua umat Kristen non-Katolik mau menggunakan kesaksian-kesaksian pribadi untuk memperkuat argumentasi mereka. Ada kemungkinan, orang-orang yang kurang dapat memberikan argumentasi secara Alkitabiah, mendalam dan terstruktur cenderung untuk menggunakan kesaksian-kesaksian seperti ini. Kalau memang Kitab Suci saja cukup untuk membuktikan dogma dan doktrin dari gereja-gereja Kristen, maka saya yakin tidaklah bijaksana untuk menggunakan kesaksian-kesaksian pribadi seperti ini untuk memojokkan iman Gereja Katolik. Apakah dengan demikian, maka Kitab Suci tidak dapat membuktikan kebenaran dogma dan doktrin dari gereja-gereja ini?

Kesimpulan

Sebagai umat Katolik, kita tidak perlu bimbang dengan kesaksian-kesaksian pribadi yang memojokkan iman Katolik, karena kesaksian-kesaksian tersebut belum tentu benar bahkan banyak sekali kesalahannya. Parameter kebenaran bagi umat Katolik sangatlah mudah, karena kita mempunyai Magisterium Gereja yang memberikan pengajaran yang pasti. Ini berarti, kalau kesaksian-kesaksian tersebut bertentangan dengan pengajaran Magisterium Gereja, maka kesaksian-kesaksian tersebut adalah salah dan menyesatkan.

Sebaliknya saya mengundang umat Kristen non-Katolik untuk berdiskusi dengan berfokus pada dogma dan doktrin. Kalau memang anda mempercayai Sola Scriptura, maka merujuklah pada Kitab Suci dan bukan pada kesaksian-kesaksian pribadi seperti ini, sehingga argumentasi yang diberikan lebih mempunyai dasar dan kriteria yang jelas. Mengedepankan kesaksian seperti ini justru memperlemah posisi anda, karena seolah-olah anda tidak lagi mempunyai argumentasi yang lain, dan memerlukan kesaksian-kesaksian pribadi yang tidak dapat dibuktikan kebenarannya dan bersifat sangat subyektif. Dan saya yakin, bahwa umat Kristen non-Katolik juga mempunyai dasar yang jelas dan dapat mempertanggungjawabkan dari sumber yang jelas, yaitu Kitab Suci. Semoga usulan ini dapat diterima.