8.79. Isn’t it okay to hope that everyone is saved, since God is all-loving and wants no one to perish?
The Catholic Church teaches that God desires the salvation of all men, but also that many are lost. Christ Himself solemnly warned that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14) and that the way to salvation is narrow, and “few there are that find it” (Matt. 7:14).
But Vatican II and the modern hierarchy have introduced and spread the heresy of universalism—not always by direct denial of Hell, but by presuming the salvation of almost everyone, canonizing nearly every soul at death, and dismissing sin, conversion, and true repentance.
Below is a doctrinal comparison showing the contrast between true Catholic teaching and the false hope of modern universalism.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Doctrine | Vatican II / Modern Universalism | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvation | Only those who die in sanctifying grace are saved | Implied that most, if not all, are saved regardless of grace | This undermines the entire Gospel and need for the Church |
| Scriptural Warnings | “Few are chosen”; Hell is eternal; judgment is real (Matt. 7:13–14) | Reinterpreted symbolically or ignored altogether | Rejects the clear and repeated teaching of Christ |
| Funeral Theology | Prayers for the dead, fear of judgment, Purgatory | Assumption of Heaven for all; “celebration of life” | Universalism removes spiritual urgency and accountability |
| Evangelization | To convert souls and save them from eternal loss | Seen as optional or unnecessary; replaced with dialogue | If all are saved, evangelization is cruel or redundant |
| Heresy Status | Universalism condemned (e.g., Council of Constantinople II, Denz. 211) | Promoted as “reasonable hope” (e.g., Balthasar, Francis, Vatican officials) | Heretics like Origen were anathematized for this error |
| Fear of God | “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1:7) | Fear dismissed as unhealthy, negative, or outdated | Without fear, no beginning of repentance or sanctity |
| Justice of God | God rewards the just and punishes the wicked eternally | Justice is downplayed; mercy presented as unconditional | Mercy without justice is not mercy—it is deceit |
| Modern Influence | Rooted in Scripture, Fathers, and pre-Vatican II Magisterium | Inspired by Modernist theologians (e.g., von Balthasar, Rahner) | Modernism = synthesis of all heresies (St. Pius X, *Pascendi*) |
| Fruits | Contrition, vigilance, confession, missionary zeal | Presumption, moral apathy, doctrinal collapse | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
Universalism is a heresy. It contradicts Our Lord, the Apostles, the Fathers, the Councils, and the constant teaching of the Church. Vatican II and its theologians have spread this heresy in the form of “reasonable hope”, but in doing so, they have emptied the Gospel of its urgency, justice, and truth.
Souls are not saved by vague optimism—they are saved by faith, grace, repentance, and sacramental life in the true Church.
As Pope Benedict XV declared:
“It is vain to hope for salvation from Him whom one continues to offend.”
The hope that everyone is saved is not hope—it is blasphemous presumption, and it is leading souls to Hell.