“Beyond the general knowledge that heaven and hell an indeed “places,” but not places in this world, in our space-tim system—we need not be curious. These “places” are so different from our earthly notions of “place” that we shall become hopelessly confused if we attempt to piece together a “geography” of them. Some Lives of Saints indicate clearly that “heaven” is above “paradise”; others indicate that there are at least “three heavens”—but it is not for us to define the “boundaries” of these places or to try to distinguish their characterize. Such descriptions are given to us, in God’s Providence, in order to inspire us to struggle to reach them by a Christian life and death—but not in order to apply to them worldly categories of logic and knowledge which do not fit them. St. John Chryso tom rightly recalls us to our proper concern in studying about heaven and hell: “You ask where hell is; but why should you know it? You must know that hell exists, not where it is hidden…. In my opinion, it is somewhere outside this whole world…. Let us attempt to find out not where it is, but how to escape it.” (Homilies on Romans, 31:3—4).

– The ‘Soul After Death’