When someone dies as a result of suicide, it is a tragedy that can devastate a family and community. In such times, people often look to the Church for consolation and guidance, and rightly so. When we consider death, judgement, hell, and heaven, though, we must be careful. The truth here is nuanced. “If someone commits suicide, will they still go to heaven” is a question that does not have, for us here and now, a yes or no answer.
Before I address suicide directly, it may help to recall what happens to us after we die. As the
Catechism explains, “death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ” (1021). At death, our choice for or against God is fixed. We see this in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.
After we die, we immediately face what is called our “particular judgment.” At that moment, we are individually judged by Jesus and rewarded with “either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately—or immediate and everlasting damnation” (CCC 1022). We must be perfect to enter heaven, free of even the tiniest of sins. “Nothing unclean shall enter it,” says the Book of Revelation (21:27). But if we are perfect when we die, we will immediately enter the joys of heaven.
If, on the other hand, we die with imperfections on our soul, such as the guilt of venial sins, we must be purified of them before entering heaven. That happens in the state called “purgatory,” wherein our flaws are “purged” in an unpleasant, but hopeful process that always leads to heaven. In fact, our prayers can hasten the process of purification for these souls. That is why we pray for the dead at every Mass and ask priests to offer Masses for the deceased.
If, however, one dies having committed a mortal sin without repenting of it, usually via the sacrament of reconciliation, they will find themselves justly condemned to hell. The very phrase “mortal sin” reminds us that this type of sin is deadly serious. For a sin to be “mortal,” three conditions must be met: first, the sin must be a grave, or serious, matter; second, the sin must be committed with knowledge of its seriousness; and, finally, the sin must be committed freely.
Let us apply these criteria to the sin of suicide. As the
Catechism puts it, “We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of” (2280). To take a life is a very serious matter. It certainly satisfies the first condition for a mortal sin. In most every case, the second condition is also met. People instinctively know they ought to preserve, not end, their lives. The third condition, however, is not so clear. If someone acts to end their life, how freely did they act? Only God usually knows, and He considers all the circumstances when assigning guilt. If a person’s judgment was impaired by depression or drugs, for example, God would understand there was some lack of freedom to the choice made, that the sin in that case may not have been mortal, that the person may not deserve damnation for it. Again, from the
Catechism: “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to Him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives” (2282-3).
St. John Vianney, the famous parish priest of Ars, France, once encountered a woman who was very troubled. Her irreligious husband had died after jumping from a bridge. She worried he was in hell. When he encountered her near his church, Fr. Vianney had no way of knowing about this unfortunate situation, except by a special grace from God. He whispered into her ear the words “he is saved!” The woman was taken aback, so Fr. Vianney repeated himself, saying “I tell you he is saved! He is in purgatory, and you must pray for him. Between the parapet of the bridge and the water he had time to make an act of contrition.” The woman was greatly comforted by this revelation. We can find comfort in it, as well.
If someone commits suicide, will they still go to heaven? It depends upon the individual, and only God knows the answer. But, one thing is certain: there is always hope that the answer is yes. So, we pray for them. Should they be in purgatory, may their journey to heaven be swift.
Fr. Signalness is pastor of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Stanley and St. Ann in Berthhold. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with the “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.