find frightful descriptions of Hell in religious books that tell of the
horrible sights, awful sounds, disgusting stenches, and excruciating
pains the lost souls endure. Now, all these descriptions are given
rather to make people think of the torments of Hell than as an accurate
account of them. No matter how terrible the description may be, it is
never as bad as the reality. We know that the damned are continually
tormented in all their senses, but just in what way we do not know. We
know that there is fire in Hell, but it is entirely different from our
fire; it neither gives light nor consumes what it burns, and it causes
greater pain than the fire of earth, for it affects both body and soul.
We know that the damned will never see God and there will never be an
end to their torments. Now, all this is contained in the following: Hell
is the absence of everything good and the presence of everything evil,
and it will last forever. Now, a priest coming out to preach on Hell
would not say to the people: "Hell is the absence of everything good and
the presence of everything evil, and it will last forever," and then
step down from the altar and say no more. He must give a fuller
explanation to those who are unable to think for themselves. He must
point out some of the evils present in Hell and some of the good things
absent, and thus teach the people how to meditate on these dreadful
truths. If, then, you bear in mind that there is nothing good in Hell
and it will last forever, and often think of these two points, you will
have a holy fear of the woeful place and a deep sorrow for your sins
which expose you to the danger of suffering its torments.

It should be enough, therefore, for you to remember: there is nothing
good in Hell, and it will last forever. Think of anything good you
please and it cannot be found in Hell. Is light good? Yes. Then it is
not in Hell. Is hope good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. Is true
friendship good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. There the damned hate one
another. There the poor sufferers curse forever those who led them into
sin. Hence, persons should try to bring back to a good life everyone
they may have led into sin or scandalized by bad example.

414 Q. What is Purgatory?
A. Purgatory is the state in which those suffer for a time who die
guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment
due to their sins.

"Punishment"--that is, temporal punishment, already explained