Christopher Hitchens RIP

What do you mean Rest in Peace? What the heck? He called Mother Teresa a "Fanatic Albanian Dwarf!" How could he possibly be in purgatory?(and thus ultimately bound for Heaven after being purified) Are Catholics universalists believing no one goes to hell? No, absolutely not. We certainly believe in hell and that it will indeed be populated by Catholics,Protestants,Jews, Muslims, atheists etc, but we know not to speculate on the eternal destiny of an individual's soul. We are told to pray for them, because in the moment of death, there is an opportunity, perhaps for that individual to repent and reach out to God. Often the Catholic doctrines of purgatory and baptism are derided because of the Lord's invitation for the thief on the cross to join Him in paradise that day. But it also opens the possibility that others could have an end-of-life thief on the cross experience themselves. Only God knows.
Catholicism is always hopeful.

One of the prayers we pray regularly at the end of each decade of the rosary is this one: Oh my Jesus, forgives us our sins and save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy. Tonight I'll offer up a decade for Christopher Hitchens.