Worried about the end? Worried that Pope Francis has abolished the places where souls were supposed to go after death: hell, purgatory, heaven?

Let the dead bury their dead.

Does Francis believe in universal salvation?

Sandro Magister seems to think so, and picks up on what Francis omits in his homilies to prove it.  'They' are all out 'to test him' and sift his homilies for heresy and error.  Magister also seems to think Eugenio Scalfari of 'la Repubblica' is an accurate source for what the Holy Father actually believes, claiming Francis has changed Catholic teaching on the 'end things' - eliminating purgatory and hell, suggesting the damned will simply cease to exist.  Why would anyone believe the Pope said that or even thinks that?

Yet people do.  Magister sifts through recent homilies and papal addresses to find evidence.  He believes since the Holy Father leaves off references to judgment and punishment in a homily, instead emphasizing the mercy of God, he somehow denies the existence of hell.  It's quite a stretch, really.  Especially for a Pope most noted for his many references to the Devil and the dangers posed by the diabolical.  He calls gender theory diabolical, as well as same sex marriage.  He cautions Catholics to frequent the sacraments - to examine their consciences and to go to confession.  He urges priests to be available for confession.  For someone supposedly not believing in hell, why bother?  So you see, it's fake news, detraction bordering on calumny.

At best, it is a misrepresentation of what the Pope may have actually said, taking into consideration Scalfari is an atheist and spins things in the manner he perceives them. As for Francis leaving out parts of the Gospel in his homilies - we all know they are still there - so his emphasis seems to me to be upon mercy until our dying breath, confidence and love - and hope. So?  For me it echoes the intimations of St. Therese who once said 'little children cannot be damned.'  She wasn't contradicting Catholic teaching, since she already understood the disposition of a 'little child' who surrenders with complete trust and love to the merciful love of God.

I don't believe what Magister is trying to convince us of. The Pope believes in the last things, as I pointed out earlier, if he did not, why would he always warn us against the devil?   Anyway - I'm not an expert, to be sure.  Yet I'm well aware both Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul experienced similar criticism and suspicion when they spoke of purgatory and limbo of not being a place as we think of things, but rather a 'state of being', or something like that.  While still a Cardinal, Benedict even speculated that limbo was "only a theological concept" and "never a defined truth of faith."

The Holy Father seems to have a very deep understanding of the passion, the sufferings of Christ and him crucified - which is really the image of the Father's love, the very love of God. At the moment of death Christ surrendered himself into the Fathers hands.  At his very last breath - justice and peace kissed, mercy and truth embraced.

Therefore, as the Holy Father stated, "judgment is not to be feared, because “at the end of our history there is the merciful Jesus,” and therefore “everything will be saved. Everything."  How can that be?  Again, I think of Therese who said: 'We can never have too much confidence in the Good God, He is so mighty, so merciful. As we hope in Him so shall we receive.'  Little Therese understood the happiness of the blessed and rejoiced even in God's justice, explaining to Mother Agnes of Jesus:

St. Therese of Lisieux "expected as much from God's justice as she did from his mercy. 'How nice it is to think that God is just!' she said. 'It means he takes our weakness into account and knows full well how frail we are by nature.'" - Mother Agnes of Jesus

I like to think this is the same vision Pope Francis has, and he shares it with his patroness.  I think of Julian of Norwich who said, "All will be well".  We know the saints in heaven rejoice in God's justice, even though they have knowledge of the souls of the damned, even knowing loved ones may be among them.  Mercy and truth have embraced.  God is love, all the blessed are steeped in charity, united in this love, adoring all of God's perfections and rejoicing - in Everything - even his Justice.

Why would anyone assume the Holy Father is denying the Justice of God when he exhorts us to plunge ourselves with confidence into the Mercy of God?  It seems to me those who know theology and Catholic doctrine, the learned and wise, surely understand this better than I do.

"Even if I had committed all possible crimes, I would still have the same confidence; I would feel that this multitude of offenses would be like a drop of water thrown into the flaming furnace of God's love." - St. Therese

I am equally convinced the Holy Father speaks in the same sense as Our Lady when she declared, "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

Of course I could be wrong.  I don't know what the Holy Father thinks, but I certainly would never interpret what he says as contrary to faith or morals or contradicting doctrine.

"On the way to perdition?"

What?