Some claim that certain passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, such as paragraphs 1821 and 1058, seem to support the thesis that it’s possible to believe that humans will not end up in hell.
For example, paragraph 1821 reads,
We can . . . hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere “to the end” and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God’s eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In hope, the Church prays for “all men to be saved.” She longs to be united with Christ, her Bridegroom, in the glory of heaven.
In a similar manner, paragraph 1058 states,
The Church prays that no one should be lost: “Lord, let me never be parted from you.” If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4), and that for him “all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
Since the Church exhorts to pray that everyone perseveres unto the end and that no one enter hell, it follows that we can reasonably hope for all to be saved.
First, I think the context of paragraph 1821 reveals that the prayer that all men will be saved is meant for men who are still alive on earth. Right before its statement about the Church’s prayer that all men be saved, it speaks of the necessity to persevere to the end and the good works accomplished with Christ’s grace. Persevering unto the end and accomplishing good works through grace can only refer to man’s life on earth. Therefore, the prayer that all men be saved most likely refers to all men who are still alive on earth, striving to persevere and accomplish good works by grace. This doesn’t bear on all the departed souls prior to this current day, who may very well be in hell.
Second, paragraph 1058 is a part of the “In Brief” section and seems to be a summary of paragraph 1037, which speaks of the Church’s prayer to implore God’s mercy that none should perish, but come to repentance. The Catechism states,
God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end. In the Eucharistic liturgy and in the daily prayers of her faithful, the Church implores the mercy of God, who does not want “any to perish, but all to come to repentance”:621 (162; 1014, 1821; 678–679).
Father, accept this offering
from your whole family.
Grant us your peace in this life,
save us from final damnation,
and count us among those you have chosen.
Like in paragraph 1821, the prayer that none should be lost comes immediately after a statement that has to do with men still journeying on earth. The paragraph says that only someone who willfully turns away from God and persists in this until the end goes to hell. It’s after this that we have the statement about the Church imploring God’s mercy that none should perish. The implication is that there is always hope for someone in this life to repent from his mortal sin. And insofar as there is hope for repentance, the Church prays, “Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.”
Again, hope for repentance for those who can repent has no bearing on hope for those who no longer can repent, like the damned.
In conclusion, by showing that these paragraphs do not prove the hope for universal salvation, we have not thereby proven the hope for universal salvation to be false. There are other lines of support that many offer. But at least we know that this line of support can be rejected.