Father Mike Schmitz stated that the existence of hell demonstrates God's goodness by allowing individuals to receive what they have chosen. Hell is defined as existence apart from God, which God grants in justice if that is what a person has chosen through their life's decisions. Schmitz refuted the theory that God reveals himself in full glory at death, making it impossible to choose anything but Him, calling the theory 'bologna sandwich'. God tolerates evil choices to preserve human free will, emphasizing the importance of individual choices. The comments were made during Schmitz's talk at the SEEK 2026 conference attended by about 26,000 people.
2 months ago
Father Mike Schmitz delivered a talk titled “...And at the Hour of Our Death” at the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio.1 2
The conference, organized by FOCUS, drew 26,000 attendees across Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth through January 5.1 2
Schmitz described hell as existence apart from God, given freely at life's end based on one's choices.1 2
He emphasized that God, in His justice and goodness, honors human freedom by granting what is truly desired, even separation from Him.1 2
God tolerates evil choices to preserve human freedom, affirming that individuals and their decisions matter.1 2
Schmitz argued this respect for free will proves God's goodness, as overriding it would undermine life's purpose.1 2
Schmitz dismissed the idea that God reveals Himself in full glory at death, making hell impossible, calling it "bologna sandwich."1 2
He warned this view portrays God as a tyrant, forcing choice and rendering earthly life meaningless.1 2
Schmitz urged attendees to start choosing heaven now, likening life to the place where the heart grows, as in "The Grinch."1 2
He noted purgatory and heaven begin in daily life, positioning earthly existence as primary, not a backup plan.1 2
Hell is a consequence of human choice, not divine punishment
Hell, as understood in Catholic doctrine, is fundamentally a self-imposed state arising from the free rejection of God's love, rather than a vindictive punishment decreed by a wrathful God. This teaching underscores human freedom's profound role in eternal destiny, emphasizing that damnation results from definitive self-exclusion from divine communion, sealed by unrepentant mortal sin at death. Pope John Paul II articulates this clearly: hell "indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy," quoting the Catechism's description of it as "definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed." Similarly, the Catechism affirms that "to die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice." This perspective reconciles God's infinite mercy with the reality of hell, portraying it not as divine retribution but as the natural consequence of turning away from the only source of true happiness.
Catholic teaching consistently rejects the notion of hell as an arbitrary divine penalty, instead presenting it as the logical outcome of human decisions cultivated in this life. John Paul II explains that eternal damnation "is not a punishment imposed externally by God but a development of premises already set by people in this life," likening it to the "ultimate consequence of sin itself, which turns against the person who committed it." St. Alphonsus Liguori echoes this, asserting that "God has not condemned any one, but that each one is the author of his own chastisement," as sinners "voluntarily obliges [themselves] to pay the penalty thereof" through their actions. The Compendium of the Catechism reinforces this: God "respects our decisions," so "it is the human person who freely excludes himself from communion with God if at the moment of death he persists in mortal sin and refuses the merciful love of God."
This emphasis on choice highlights the gravity of mortal sin, which ruptures communion with God through grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. The Catechism warns that grave sin against God, neighbor, or self prevents love of God, leading to separation unless repented: "He who does not love remains in death." The International Theological Commission further notes that "salvation and damnation each begin on earth in that people by their moral actions open or close themselves to God," respecting human liberty even as God offers grace persistently. Thus, hell is not God's "initiative" but the ratification of the soul's final, obstinate rejection, confirmed at death.
The primary torment of hell is not physical fire—often interpreted symbolically—but eternal separation from God, the essence of beatitude. The Catechism states: "The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs." John Paul II describes this as "the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God," a state of self-chosen isolation. The Ukrainian Catholic Catechism adds that hell's "fire" signifies "an unrepentant person’s inability to accept God’s love," resulting in a soul "outside the order... in which it was created by God," tormented by its own internal discord.
This separation is irrevocable because free will, once fixed in evil at death, becomes immutable, as St. Thomas Aquinas teaches regarding demons and the damned: their choice is "so fixated in evil that it cannot return to willing correctly," due to the absence of cooperating grace post-mortem. The Commission of Lyons (cited in sources) specifies eternal torment for those dying "without repentance... in mortal sin," distinguishing it from other states like limbo.
Far from contradicting divine goodness, hell's existence magnifies it: God desires universal salvation ("all men to be saved," 1 Tim 2:4) yet grants authentic freedom, allowing rejection without coercion. The Church has "never once declared the damnation of a single person as a concrete fact," praying for all, yet insists hell is a "genuine possibility" to spur conversion. Scripture's call—"Enter by the narrow gate"—urges responsibility: "the way is easy, that leads to destruction." Critics like Hans Urs von Balthasar, who speculated on divine solidarity with the damned post-death, diverge from this; traditional teaching, per Aquinas and the Catechism, holds that the damned's malice renders further union impossible, as "there is no fellowship of light with darkness."
Even in hell, God's mercy mitigates suffering by curbing further evil through self-love, eliminating "intelligible evil" while permitting the consequences of choice. This aligns with Wisdom 5:1-13, where the damned regret their folly unfruitfully.
Biblical imagery of "eternal fire" and "Gehenna" targets the unrepentant: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!" reserved for those refusing conversion. Yet, as John Paul II notes, these are symbolic, revealing sin's self-destructive nature. Tradition, from councils to saints, upholds hell's eternity for mortal sinners, not as divine cruelty but chosen isolation. Recent sources like the 1992 Catechism take precedence, synthesizing this without alteration.
In summary, the statement "Hell is a consequence of human choice, not divine punishment" faithfully captures Catholic doctrine: hell stems from freely embraced separation from God, honored by His merciful respect for liberty. This truth calls us to conversion, wielding freedom for eternal life amid God's pursuing love.