Several months ago, I came across a conversation on X (formerly Twitter) that caused me to think about the horrors of hell in an entirely different way. Rather than shudder at the torture imposed upon damned souls by demons and other accursed creatures, I had to stop and consider the torture that damned souls impose upon themselves.

“There’s not a single grateful thought in hell,” said Father Brian O’Brien, echoing a statement attributed to noted exorcist Father Chad Ripperger.

Hell is eternal separation from God, as all Christians know, and most people think of hell as wallowing in an endless bath of fire surrounded by warring demons tormenting physical bodies that can no longer die. But, as Fr. Ripperger perceived, hell is also a permanent mental state that prohibits thoughts of God and the goodness of His creation, including our fellow man.