Turning from heathenism we address our question to that informed one-fourth of the world’s population known as Christendom. We say, “Christendom, What is your answer to the question?” The reply is, “We are divided in our opinion, more than two-thirds of us holding the Catholic and nearly one-third the general Protestant view.” Let us hear the Catholic view (Greek and Roman) first then, because age, as well as numbers, suggests such precedence.

“Catholic friends, Give us, please, the results of your labors and studies, the conclusions of your ablest thinkers and theologians, in respect to the revelation which you claim to have from God on this subject: Where are the dead? We will hear you thoughtfully, patiently, unbiasedly.” Our Catholic friends respond: “Our teachings are very explicit along the lines of your question. We have canvassed the subject from every standpoint in the light of divine revelation. Our conclusion and teaching are that when anyone dies, he goes to one of three places: first, the saintly, of whom we claim there are but a few, go immediately to the presence of God, to heaven. These are referred to by our Lord, saying, “Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

Those who faithfully bear the cross are the “little flock,” the “elect.” Respecting these Jesus says, “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth to life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14) These saintly do not include our clergy, not even our bishops, cardinals and popes; for you will find that when any of these die, it is a custom of the church that masses be said for the repose of their souls. We would not say masses for any we believe to be in heaven, because there surely is repose for every soul; neither would we say masses for them if we believed them to be in eternal hell, for masses could not avail them there. We might remark, however, that we do not teach that many go to the eternal hell. It is our teaching that only incorrigible heretics — persons who have had a full knowledge of Catholic doctrines and who have willfully and deliberately opposed them — these alone meet the awful, hopeless fate.