Father,

I read somewhere that in heaven the saved enjoy eternal contemplation of God and participation in divine life, and that the state of happiness is linked to the merits achieved by man in earthly life. In any case, each person remains satisfied with their own degree of beatitude, without the desire to increase it and without envy of others; indeed, each person enjoys not only their own bliss, but also that of others.

If so, where do these statements find their basis? In Sacred Scripture? In Tradition? Or is their reasonableness sufficient?

Having said that, can it be said that the punishments of hell are proportional to the gravity of the actions committed? This question arose in me because, looking at the atrocities committed in Ukraine these days, I think that in this case too, there is a difference in responsibility between those who order them and those who carry them out by knowingly and voluntarily adhering to the superior’s decision.

Warm thoughts and prayers for you and you service.

Marino

Priest’s answer

Dear Marino,

1. There is a foundation in Sacred Scripture for saying that the degree of glory in heaven differs from one another.

St. Paul writes: “The brightness of the sun is one kind, the brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars another. For star differs from star in brightness. So also is the resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor 15:41-42).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor 5:10).

2. Jesus, moreover, had already said: “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct” (Mt 16:27).

The Gospel parable of the talents, which in the new translation of the Italian Episcopal Conference are called gold coins, relates that one was given authority over ten cities (Lk 19:17) and another over five (Lk 19:19), indicating a difference in retribution.

Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (Jn 14:2), according to the interpretation of the Holy Fathers, also mean that there are various participations in his blessedness.

3. At this point St. Thomas writes: “The question arises here whether one person can be happier than another. It seems not. For happiness is the end; and what is perfect, complete, does not have degrees; therefore, there cannot be different degrees of happiness”

Here is his answer: “That a thing can be perfect in two ways: absolutely and in a qualified sense. The absolute perfection of happiness is found only in God, for only he knows and loves himself to the extent that he is knowable and lovable (since he knows and loves infinitely his own infinite truth and goodness). From this point of view, the supreme good itself, which is the object and cause of happiness, can not be greater or less. This is because there is only one supreme good. But in a qualified sense, that is, considering certain conditions of time, of nature and of grace, one person can be happier than another depending on the possession of this good and the capacity of each. The greater the capacity a person has for this good, the more he shares in it, I mean he participates in it more the better disposed and prepared he is to enjoy it. Now one is disposed for this good in two ways. Happiness consists in two things. The first is the vision of God; and one is disposed for this by purity. And so the more one has a heart which is raised above earthly matters, the more he will see God, and the more perfectly. Second, happiness consists in the delight of enjoying, and one is disposed for this by love. Thus, one who has a more burning love for God will find more delight in the enjoyment of God. We read about the first in Matthew: blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matt 5:8)” (Mt 5:8) (Commentary on the Gospel of St. John 14:2).

4. On the greater or lesser severity of punishments, we have as our foundation the word of the Lord: “That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:47-48).

St. John Chrysostom comments: “Not all things are judged equally, but greater knowledge becomes the reason for greater punishment; therefore, the priest who commits the same sins with his people will be punished much more severely.”

Someone might ask: how can someone who does not know the Lord’s law be unjustly punished? The answer is this: here we are speaking of culpable ignorance, not blameless ignorance; culpable, because, although he could have, he did not want to know it, so that his laziness became the cause of his ignorance.

5. Saint Basil comments on the same words as follows: “Here we are not speaking of the number of punishments, but of their diversity: in fact, one can be worthy of an inextinguishable flame that is more languid or more intense; or of a worm that does not die with a more or less strong bite.”

6. There is therefore no doubt about the differentiation of punishments.

Sacred Scripture says that each person will be repaid according to their deeds.

St. Thomas: “The gravity of the sin corresponds to the severity of the punishment according to its intensity.  For the punishment should not exceed the fault: “According to the measure of the sin shall the measure also of the stripes be.

Further, of two mortal sins one is greater than the other. and therefore one should receive a greater punishment than the other. But no punishment is greater than eternal punishment, since it is infinite” (Supplement to the Summa Theologica, 99, 1, ad 2).

7. Based on the concrete example you gave, both those who command the atrocities and those who carry them out are responsible.

However, without in any way excusing the atrocities mentioned, it must be remembered that there is always the possibility of repentance.

And however great human crimes may be, God’s mercy is even greater and can penetrate the heart of the greatest criminal, leading him to repentance, conversion, and atonement.

Thank you for your patience in awaiting my response.

I wish you all the best, bless you, and remember you in my prayers.

Father Angelo

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