Dear Pope: Are there any saints in Hell?

Tony Wilson
Jul 21, 2017 · 4 min read

I wrote this letter ten years ago. It was a different time with a different Pope. It was eventually published in The Sleepers Almanac 4 (2008).

The Pope never replied.

April 16th, 2007
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIth
The Vatican
VATICAN CITY
ROME, ITALY

Dear Your Holiness,

Saints in hell

I have only written previously to one Pope, your predecessor John Paul II, who responded to my question, ‘Is there a God’ with a pithy two paragraph letter about faith, love and the ultimate sacrifice made by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I still have the letter.

I’m writing to you with a more specific question. I’ve noted in recent weeks that you are moving forward with the beatification of John Paul II, having authenticated his intercession in the miracle cure of French Nun Sister Marie Simon-Pierre of Parkinson’s disease. I’m completely in favour of this decision, because this does seem to me to be a genuine miracle even if it could be argued that the more selfless move from the late Pope would have been to intercede in some diseases with which he is less personally involved, like say, my psoriasis. This is a joke by the way. There are certainly other afflictions much more worthy of papal intercession than my damned psoriasis! My kerataconus for example! (another joke!).

Also this week, you have stressed to an audience in Rome that Hell really does exist, despite being largely overlooked in today’s society. Again, I thought your point was both timely and well made, because sometimes in the hurly burly of buying ingredients for a seafood pappadelle or remembering to empty the bags on the vacuum cleaner, or complaining to the bank about fees, one can forget about eternal damnation, and how hot and uncomfortable it must end up being.

My question combines the two things you have been talking about this week. It is simply: Are there any saints in hell? What I mean is, has there ever been a situation where the church has authenticated miracles, gone through the process of beatification, and then canonisation, whilst not being aware that the would-be saint has done something truly terrible, perhaps in his private life. But God, being all-knowing would judge that person to be hell-worthy, and would quite correctly condemn him for his sin(s). Basically, I’m talking about a blue on the part of the Church. A time when you think you’ve got a good’un, but God and Jesus and St Peter know that he is a rotten apple.

I should stress that I’m not thinking about John Paul II here. I doubt anyone who is as generous, kind, and diligent at answering mail as the late Pope could be bound for anywhere but Paradise. I’m thinking more of some of those Middle Ages saints — churchmen who might have grovelled their way into the papal good books at the time of the Inquisition, but who history might regard as bloodthirsty executioners. ‘Though shalt not kill’ is, after all, a tricky one, and God is surely super strict when He comes across a transgressor.

It’s true that I’ve just finished reading The Name of the Rose, and my head is full of evil inquisitors, but is it not possible that politically savvy Cardinals, who played a key role in the deaths of thousands of so called infidels, were beatified and canonised here on Earth while simultaneously they were yoked up and cutting ruts through fields of fire for all eternity in Hell?

I shouldn’t name names, but these are some of the Saints that I’ve had questions marks over, and wonder whether they might not actually be in hell:

St Bruno the Carthusian (died 1101)

St Gleb of Russia (died 1015)

St Isadore the Farmer from Spain (died 1130)

St Celestine V of Italy (Pope at a very bloody time died 1296)

And surely there is still a question mark out over St Charles the Good of Flanders (died 1127)? He seems very keen to say that he was good. Maybe too keen.

I’d appreciate your thoughts on this question of saints in hell. At the moment, when I search ‘saints in hell’ on wikipedia, most of the references refer to the Judas Priest song of the same name. This hasn’t proved to be of much help.

Sincerely,

Tony Wilson

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Written by

Author, broadcaster, speaker, speech enthusiast. I started the speeches website @Speakola_, and wrote THE COW TRIPPED OVER THE MOON and PLAYERS.

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