Vatican Denies Report That Says Pope Francis Said Hell Doesn’t Exist

The Vatican has reacted to a comment credited to Pope Francis in which he’s quoted as saying that hell doesn’t exist. On Thursday the Holy See stated that a reported by the Italian journalist should not be considered an accurate depiction of Francis’ words, but the author’s own “reconstruction.”

The communique released on March 29 states that the meeting between Pope Francis and the Italian journalist, Eugenio Scalfari was a private one for Easter and that no interview was granted.

“What is reported by the author in today’s article is the result of his reconstruction, in which the literal words pronounced by the Pope are not quoted. No quotation of the aforementioned article must therefore be considered as a faithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father.”

Scalfari has reported that the Pope said “There is no hell where the souls of sinners suffer in eternity”.

“after death, the souls of people who repent are pardoned by God and join in his contemplation, “but those who do not repent, and therefore cannot be pardoned, disappear.”

“Hell does not exist – what exists is the disappearance of sinful souls,”

The Vatican spokespersons have dismissed the texts of Scalfari as unofficial.

In 2014, Fr. Federico Lombardi, past papal spokesperson, told CNA that “if there are no words published by the Holy See press office and not officially confirmed, the writer takes full responsibility for what he has written.”

Recall that Pope Francis has previously spoken about the existence of hell in public speeches, including at a prayer vigil in March 2014.

There, he gave an address in which he said that members of the mafia should change their lives, “while there is still time, so that you do not end up in hell. That is what awaits you if you continue on this path.”