Proof That Hell Exists

I recently read Monsignor Charles Pope’s new book, The Hell There Is (Gastonia, NC: TAN Books. 2025).  If you believe that Hell does exist but that hardly anyone ends up there, you should read this book.  If you believe there is no such place as Hell, then this book is a must read for you.

It saddens me when I hear people who identify as Christians say there is no Hell.  Why?  It saddens me because Jesus himself makes it clear that Hell does exist.  Msgr. Pope cites numerous verses from the New Testament including Jesus’ own words to prove this.  Msgr. Pope also cites words from Jesus that show that it is likely that more than a few people are in Hell.

Let me be clear.  I judge no individual.  We leave the judging to Jesus (Matthew 7:1).  We should pray daily that, through the mercy of God, no one ends up in Hell.  However, people do and Msgr. Pope also talks about that in his new book.

God does not want anyone to end up in Hell.  That’s why He sent Jesus.  As Jesus says himself, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

I am not going to summarize the entirety of Msgr. Pope’s new book.  Rather, I encourage everyone to read it for yourself.  Even if you firmly believe in Hell and that there could be a number of people there, reading this book may help you talk to others who don’t believe this.  Today I simply want to offer you some key points that I hope and pray will lead you to want to know more.

Msgr. Pope’s very first words in the preface of The Hell There Is are “Of all the theological errors commonly held today, the most popular is surely the denial that of the doctrine of Hell” (ix).  He then tells the story of a time when he preached on heaven and hell from the gospel of the day.  After Mass a woman approached him angry that he had even mentioned Hell and that what he said didn’t reflect the Jesus she knew.  When he told her that what he said was direct quotes from Jesus, she replied, “Well, we know that He never really said that” (ix-x). 

Wow!  That means she is rejecting scripture as the “inspired and inerrant word of God” (x).  Unfortunately, she is not alone.  Many people, including practicing Christians, reject God’s word in this way.  Through their sin, albeit likely unintentionally, they have hardened their hearts against God (xi).  We pray for them.  Msgr. Pope writes, “They reject the kingdom of God because they love the world too much” (xii).  I don’t think they mean to.  They error not in setting out to reject God.  Rather, they find pleasure in worldly things and let that pleasure become their “god.”

They say that God is merciful.  Here they are absolutely correct.  They presume that God then forgives everyone.  He wants to but He does not force himself on anyone.  We are free “to accept or reject His offer of the kingdom” (Msgr. Pope, xii). 

They do not engage in the battle against evil.  Msgr. Pope says, “They are like the Hebrews in the time of Moses who preferred to remain in the desert rather than battle for the Promised Land” (see the Book of Numbers, chapters 13 & 14).  Are you willing to engage in the battle against evil, with the help of God’s Grace, or do you allow yourself to sin freely?

The reality is that we regularly face temptation.  The reality is also that we often fail against temptation and sin.  Then, faced with the prospect of Hell, we take God’s mercy to say there is no Hell (Msgr. Pope, 2).  We want to have hope.  We can have hope but for our hope (of salvation) to be realized, we need to repent of our sins. 

Msgr. Pope addresses the question of our culpability for our sins (5).  He then says, “We refuse to accept that the choices we make ultimately matter” (6).  What many want is a world without consequences.  We want to be able to do whatever we want and never fear punishment.  Hum…I hope no one deliberately thinks this.  We expect a criminal to be punished for their crimes.  We want them to face the consequences.  Are we willing to face the consequences of our sins?

Msgr. Pope then turns to the common assumption that everyone wants to get into Heaven.  He then discusses the fact that people want to get into Heaven based on what they think Heaven is like (10).  He then goes on to speak of how they do not understand their own need for forgiveness because they assume they are right in what they do (Msgr. Pope, 11).

Do not be afraid, God stands ready to forgive us when we repent.  As Msgr. Pope writes, “It is one thing to fail in some of these matters through weakness, but it is quite another to defiantly insist there is nothing wrong with such behavior” (12).  It troubles me greatly to see how people today define their own truth and erroneously shape their entire worldview on what they mistakenly declare as true.  I pray for them.

For those who assume Heaven is what they want to be, Msgr. Pope then addresses the question would they ever be happy in Heaven as it really is, a place of God’s Truth and Grace (15).

Msgr. Pope goes through several passages where Jesus speaks of Hell and how Jesus speaks how many will try to enter Heaven but few will succeed (18ff).  If you need motivation to repent, you should read this section.

If you think you can live your life however you want and then have a deathbed conversion, Msgr. Pope addresses this (20).

Msgr. Pope refers to Jesus’ words in John 3:19-21 to speak to us of those who prefer the darkness because they do not want the Light (of Christ) to expose our sins. 

Luke 16:19-31 tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  Msgr. Pope made me aware of the fact that the rich man does not ask to get into Heaven after his death (40-41).  So much for assuming everyone wants to get into Heaven.

Msgr. Pope then addresses the question, “does everyone in Hell suffer in the same way.”  I leave it to you to read the book for yourselves to know the answer to this question.”

Msgr. Pope then turns to the question of our need for a savior if Hell does not exist (109ff).  What would we need to be saved from?  I wonder if the reason many people do not attend church is because they think they have no need to.  One who thinks they are well does not go to the doctor (111).  If one thinks they have no sin, they mistakenly think they do not need Jesus.  If one thinks they do not need to be saved, what do they need to hope for (see Msgr. Pope, 111)?

There is a part of me who wants to write more here.  I was going to cite more of Msgr. Pope’s book here but I have already written too much.  I want you to read this book for yourself and I know the more I tell you, you may think you know enough and won’t read the book for yourself.

I strongly encourage you to read The Hell There Is for yourself.  I hope that those who do not believe in Hell or that very few people end up there will read this book so that it might scare Hell into them.

If, after reading The Hell There Is, you persist in thinking we are not in battle against evil, I suggest you read Immortal Combat: Confronting the Heart of Darkness by Fr. Dwight Longenecker (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press. 2020) and my articles on it (“Does Evil Exist?”, “The People of the Life”, “Our Weapons Against Evil”).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff