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It is of faith and is expressed in the Apostles' Creed according to
the Ordo Romanus,[2257] that Christ descended into hell, and
it is afterward declared that His soul descended there,[2258]
but He did not abolish hell.[2259]
This mystery is expressed in St. Peter's sermon on Pentecost
Day, in which he quotes the words of the Psalmist as referring to
Christ, namely, "Thou wilt not leave My soul in
hell,"[2260] and he says: "The prophet... foreseeing
this, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, for neither was He left
in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption."[2261]
St. Paul also says of Christ: "Ascending on high, He led
captivity captive; He gave gifts to men. Now that He ascended,
what is it, but because He also descended into the lower parts of the
earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the
heavens, that He might fill all things."[2262]
Did Christ's soul really and substantially descend into hell and not
merely effectively; and then was this descent fitting; and what hell
was this, and whom did He deliver? St. Thomas gives and
exemplifies the answers of tradition.[2263]
First Article:
Christ's soul really and substantially descended into hell and not
merely effectively. The Apostles' Creed says: "He descended into
hell,"[2264] which obviously and naturally means a real and
substantial descent. Similarly St. Paul says: "He also descended
first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same
also that ascended above all the heavens, that He might fill all
things,"[2265] Likewise St. Peter says, quoting the
Psalmist: "Because Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, nor
suffer Thy holy one to see corruption."[2266] The Fathers
thus understood this text, especially St. Ignatius, St. Gregory
Nazianzen, and St. Augustine.[2267]
St. Thomas explains that Christ's soul did not descend into hell by
that kind of motion whereby bodies are moved, but as the angels are
moved. And Christ's separated soul was not inoperative in hell, for
it operated as the instrument of the divine nature, expelling exterior
darkness and illuminating this place.
Second Article: It Was Fitting For Christ To Descend Into
Hell
There are three reasons for this.
1) Because man by sin had incurred not only death of the body, but
also descent into hell. Therefore it was fitting for Christ to die
and descend into hell, so that He might deliver us from the necessity
of permanent death (because we shall rise again) and from descent into
hell. In this sense Christ is said to have power over death and in
dying to have conquered it, according to the prophet, who says: "O
death, I will be thy death."[2268]
2) It was fitting for the devil to be overthrown by Christ's
passion, so that He should deliver the captives detained in
hell.[2269]
3) As He showed forth His power on earth by living and dying, so
also it was fitting for Him to manifest it in hell, by visiting it and
enlightening it; and so at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
not only of them that are in heaven, but likewise of them that are in
hell.[2270]
Third Article:
Christ did not actually descend into the hell of the lost; because,
as the Fathers teach, He descended into hell to console and liberate
those who were detained there. But nobody is consoled and liberated in
the hell of the lost, as will at once be stated. Moreover, the hell
of the lost is not a fitting place for Christ. Therefore He
descended into the hell of the lost only effectively, arguing with them
and convincing them of their infidelity and malice; and this He did by
speaking to them or manifesting His will by signs, because local
distance is no impediment for spirits.[2271]
Fourth Article:
Christ's soul remained in hell, namely, in the limbo of the holy
fathers, until the moment of His resurrection. Hence the Church in
the blessing of the paschal candle, sings: "This is the night
wherein Christ ascended victorious from hell."[2272] Such is
the opinion of St. Irenaeus, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and
Tertullian.
Fifth Article:
Christ, descending into hell, delivered the holy fathers. He
delivered them from the penalty of original sin, namely, from the
penalty whereby they were excluded from the life of glory, of whom the
prophet says: "Thou also, by the blood of Thy testament, hast sent
forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water,"[2273]
And St. Paul says: "Despoiling the principalities and
powers,"[2274] namely, the infernal ones, by taking away the
just, He brought them from this place of darkness to heaven, that
is, to the beatific vision. Such is the opinion of the Fathers,
especially St. Augustine[2275] and St. Gregory the
Great[2276] and St. Jerome.[2277]
Thus Christ's descent into hell was the cause of exceeding joy to
those souls already purified, such as the souls of Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, the prophets, as also many just and holy women of the
Old Testament.
Thus we clearly see that the whole of the Old Testament was not an
immediate preparation for eternal life, but for the coming of the
Redeemer, who after having suffered and died, had to open the gates
of heaven, so that we might enter into eternal life. The first and
most abundant fruits of the sacrifice on the cross are also made
manifest. Then, too, the fathers of the Old Testament fully
understood that the passion of Jesus was the source of all graces, and
that without it they could neither have been justified nor have merited
an increase of grace, nor obtained eternal life. Therefore they were
most sincerely thankful to the Savior whose coming they awaited for
many centuries, who is called "the desire of the eternal hills, the
joy of the angels, the King of patriarchs, the Crown of all the
saints, ."[2278]
By the mystery of the holy Incarnation, by the labors of Jesus, by
His agony and passion, by His infirmities, and by His death they
were liberated. In all these things they saw the most perfect
fulfillment of what had been announced and the truth that the mystery of
the redemptive Incarnation far transcends all figures, all sacrifices
of the Old Law, all prophecies. Christ's descent into hell truly
meant for them, "it is consummated."[2279] All these things
proclaim the glory of the cross.
Sixth Article:
Christ did not deliver any of the lost by His descent into hell;
because, since Christ's descent into hell operated in virtue of His
passion, He liberated only those whom He found united to His passion
by means of faith that is actuated by charity. But the lost did not
believe in Christ's passion and they were not finally united with
Christ by charity, and after death there is no possibility of
conversion, because the lost are confirmed in evil, as the just are in
good.
Seventh Article:
For the same reason, the children who died in original sin were not
liberated by Christ. Baptism is administered to men in this life,
wherein man can be changed from sin to grace. But Christ's descent
into hell was granted to the souls after this life, when they are no
longer capable of this aforesaid change.
Eighth Article
Christ did not deliver all the souls in purgatory by His descent into
hell. For Christ's passion did not have greater power then than
now. But now it does not free all souls in purgatory, but only those
that are sufficiently cleansed, or to whom Christ's passion is
applied by the Sacrifice of the Mass. Christ's descent into hell
was not satisfactory; it operated, however, in virtue of the
Passion; thus He did not free all those who, when still living
united with their bodies, had merited by their faith and devotion
toward Christ's death, that by His descent there, they should be
freed from the temporal punishment of purgatory, as St. Thomas
says.[2280]
Some theologians, however, said that Christ's descent, although it
did not of itself free all souls from purgatory, there was then granted
to them the favor of a quasi-plenary indulgence, which is a probable
opinion. Yet the commentators of St. Thomas follow his view, and
furthermore say that the souls in purgatory that were not then
liberated, were consoled and also rejoiced at the thought of the glory
they will at once receive after their purgation.
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