Letter on Certain Questions Concerning Eschatology

The recent Synods of Bishops dealing with evangelization and catechesis have created
increasing awareness of the need for perfect fidelity to the fundamental truths of faith, especially at
the present time, when profound changes in human society and the concern to integrate the
Christian faith into the various cultures require that a greater effort be made than in the past to make
that faith accessible and communicable. This latter need, so urgent at present, requires that greater
care than ever be given to safeguarding the true meaning and the integrity of the faith.

Hence, those responsible in this matter must be extremely attentive to anything that might
introduce into the general attitude of the faithful a gradual debasement or progressive extinction of
any element of the baptismal Creed necessary for the coherence of the faith and inseparably
connected with important practices in the life of the Church.

We think it urgently necessary to call one of these elements to the attention of those to
whom God has entrusted the function of advancing and protecting the faith, in order that they may
forestall the dangers that could threaten this faith in the minds of the faithful.

The element in question is the article of the Creed concerning life everlasting and so
everything in general after death. When setting forth this teaching, it is not permissible to remove
any point, nor can a defective or uncertain outlook be adopted without endangering the faith and
salvation of Christians.

The importance of this final article of the baptismal Creed is obvious: it expresses the goal
and purpose of God's plan, the unfolding of which is described in the Creed. If there is no
resurrection, the whole structure of faith collapses, as St. Paul states so forcefully (cf. 1 Cor. 15). If
the content of the words "life everlasting" is uncertain for Christians, the promises contained in the
Gospel and the meaning of creation and Redemption disappear, and even earthly life itself must be
said to be deprived of all hope (cf. Heb. 11:1).

But one cannot ignore the unease and disquiet troubling many with regard to this question. It
is obvious that doubt is gradually insinuating itself deeply into people's minds. Even though,
generally speaking, the Christian is fortunately not yet at the point of positive doubt, he often
refrains from thinking about his destiny after death, because he is beginning to encounter questions
in his mind to which he is afraid of having to reply, questions such as: Is there really anything after
death? Does anything remain of us after we die? Is it nothingness that is before us?

Part of the cause of this is the unintentional effect on people's minds of theological
controversies given wide publicity today, the precise subject and the significance of which is
beyond the discernment of the majority of the faithful. One encounters discussions about the
existence of the soul and the meaning of life after death, and the question is put of what happens
between the death of the Christian and the general resurrection. All this disturbs the faithful, since
they no longer find the vocabulary they are used to and their familiar ideas.

There is no question here of restricting or preventing the theological research that the faith
of the Church needs and from which it should profit. But this does not permit any omission of the
duty to safeguard promptly the faith of Christians on points called into doubt.

In the present serious situation, it is our intention to recall briefly the nature and various
features of this difficult twofold duty.
 To begin with, those who act as teachers must clearly discern what the Church considers to
pertain to the essence of the faith; theological research cannot have any other aim in view than to
investigate this more deeply and develop it.

The Sacred Congregation, whose task it is to advance and protect the doctrine of the faith,
here wishes to recall what the Church teaches in the name of Christ, especially concerning what
happens between the death of the Christian and the general resurrection.

1. The Church believes (cf. the Creed) in the resurrection of the dead.
2. The Church understands this resurrection as referring to the whole person; for the elect it
is nothing other than the extension to human beings of the resurrection of Christ itself.
3. The Church affirms that a spiritual element survives and subsists after death, an element
endowed with consciousness and will, so that the "human self" subsists. To designate this element,
the Church uses the word "soul," the aiccepted term in the usage of Scripture and Tradition.
Although not unaware that this term has various meanings in the Bible, the Church thinks that there
is no valid reason for rejecting it; moreover, she considers that the use of some word as a vehicle is
absolutely indispensable in order to support the faith of Christians.
4. The Church excludes every way of thinking or speaking that would render meaningless or
unintelligible her prayers, her funeral rites and the religious acts offered for the dead. All these are,
in their substance, loci theologici.
5. In accordance with the Scriptures, the Church looks for "the glorious manifestation of our
Lord, Jesus Christ" (Dei verbum, 1,4), believing it to be distinct and deferred with respect to the
situation of people immediately after death.
6. In teaching her doctrine about man's destiny after death, the Church excludes any
explanation that would deprive the assumption of the Virgin Mary of its unique meaning, namely
the fact that the bodily glorification of the Virgin is an anticipation of the glorification that is the
destiny of all the other elect.
7. In fidelity to the New Testament and Tradition, the Church believes in the happiness of
the just who will one day be with Christ. She believes that there will be eternal punishment for the
sinner, who will be deprived of the sight of God, and that this punishment will have a repercussion
on the whole being of the sinner. She believes in the possibility of a purification for the elect before
they see God, a purification altogether different from the punishment of the damned. This is what
the Church means when speaking of Hell and Purgatory.

When dealing with man's situation after death, one must especially beware of arbitrary
imaginative representations; excess of this kind is a major cause of the difficulties that Christian
faith often encounters. Respect must, however, be given to the images employed in the Scriptures.
Their profound meaning must be discerned, while avoiding the risk of over-attenuating them, since
this often empties of substance the realities designated by the images.

Neither Scripture nor theology provides sufficient light for a proper picture of life after
death. Christians must firmly hold the two following essential points: on the one hand they must
believe in the fundamental continuity, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, between our present
life in Christ and the future life (charity is the law of the kingdom of God and our charity on earth
will be the measure of our sharing in God's glory in heaven); on the other hand, they must be clearly
aware of the radical break between the present life and the future one, due to the fact that the
economy of faith will be replaced by the economy of the fullness of life: we shall be with Christ and
"we shall see God" (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2), and it is in these promises and marvellous mysteries that our hope
essentially consists. Our imagination may be incapable of reaching these heights, but our heart does
so instinctively and completely.
 Having recalled these points of doctrine, we would now like to clarify the principal features
of the pastoral responsibility to be exercised in the present circumstances in accordance with
Christian prudence.

The difficulties connected with these questions impose serious obligations on theologians,
whose function is indispensable. Accordingly they have every right to encouragement from us and
to the margin of freedom lawfully demanded by their methodology. We must, however, unceasingly
remind Christians of the Church's teaching, which is the basis both of Christian life and of scholarly
research. Efforts must also be made to ensure that theologians share in our pastoral concern, so that
their studies and research may not be thoughtlessly set before the faithful, who today more than
ever are exposed to dangers to their faith.

The last Synod highlighted the attention given by the bishops to the essential points of
catechesis with a view to the good of the faithful. All who are commissioned to transmit these
points must have a clear view of them. We must therefore provide them with the means to be firm
with regard to the essence of the doctrine and at the same time careful not to allow childish or
arbitrary images to be considered truths of faith.

A Diocesan or National Doctrinal Commission should exercise constant and painstaking

vigilance with regard to publications, not only to give timely warning to the faithful about writings
that are unreliable in doctrine but also and especially to acquaint them with works that can nourish
and support their faith. This is a difficult and important task, but it is made urgent both by the wide
circulation of printed publications and by the decentralization of responsibilities demanded by
circumstances and desired by the Ecumenical Council.

At an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul
II approved the present Letter, decided upon at an Ordinary Meeting of this Sacred Congregation,
and ordered its publication.

In Rome, at the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on May 17, 1979.

Franjo Cardinal Seper,

Prefect

+Fr. Jérôme Hamer, O.P.,

Titular Archbishop of Lorium
Secretary

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