EWTN Catholic Q&A

saved
Question from Olaf on 11-21-2012:

Father,

In Hans Urs von Balthasar book, "Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved? With a Short Discourse on Hell" he defends his reason for saying yes we can hope it. He is considered to be among the most lastingly significant catholic theologians of the twentieth century. So my question is how can we deny the possibility that all who want to be saved will not be saved? Are you not in fact putting limitations on our Omnipotent GOD !!!

Also how does the Church explain the BIG difference in the two creation accounts in Genesis ?

OMJLB

Answer by Fr. John Echert on 11-21-2012:

To want something is not sufficient to gain something, including and especially eternal life. In fact, many give little thought to their eternal life, and live instead for worldly pleasures and possessions. Considering that 75 percent of baptized Catholics do not attend church, they are not even in the running. Nothing in Scripture supports the view that most are saved, and quite the opposite. Our Lord warned over and over again about the danger and fires of hell. And He knows better than Balthasar.

Thanks, Olaf