Did Pope Francis say there is no hell? Not quite, the Vatican insists
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Hell hath no fury like a misquoted pope โ especially when it comes to, well, hell.
Three days before Easter, the Vatican tried to tamp downย a firestormย over a comment attributed to Pope Francis that hell “does not exist,” which would mark a historic break with teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican on Thursday rebukedย Eugenio Scalfari, 93, a well-known Italian journalist who is the founder of Italyโsย La Repubblicaย newspaper.
When asked where “bad souls” end up, according toย theย article in Thursdayโsย La Repubblica, Francis reportedly said thatย those who repent can beย forgiven, but those who don’t repent simply “disappear.”
And then came the four words heard ’round the world: “Hell does notย exist,” the article quoted the pope as saying. “The disappearance of sinfulย souls exists.โ
The Vatican issued a statement after the comments spread like wildfire on social media, saying the pope never grantedย the interview and the story was “the resultย of (the reporter’s)ย reconstruction,โ not a โfaithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father.”
Scalfari, an atheist, is known for not using tape recorders or taking notes during interviews.
The pope, meanwhile, had another revelation on Holy Thursday: He suffers from cataracts and will have surgery next year.
Francis disclosed the information after washing the feet of 12 prisoners at a Rome prison, a Holy Thursday ritual.
Francis, who uses hisย prison visits to boost the spirits of the incarcerated, told the inmates they mustย clear their eyes soย they can see and spread hope.
โAt my age, for example, cataracts come and you donโt see reality well,” Francis, 81, said.
Heย urged the inmates to do a daily cleansing of their ownย to buoy their faithย โ a โcataract surgery for the soul.โ