Father Ángel Espinosa de los Monteros , quoting Cardinal Robert Sarah, warns against the danger of spreading the idea of ​​an automatic and universal salvation that nullifies repentance.

There is a modern, subtle, and profoundly numbing temptation that is often repeated in theological circles and well-intentioned gatherings: “At the end of time, our greatest surprise will be to find that hell is empty.” The phrase is beautiful, poetic, and overflows with a supposed universal hope. However, for Father Ángel Espinosa de los Monteros, it is a dangerous mirage.

Echoing a recent and forceful reflection by Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Mexican priest emphatically warns: “Don’t deceive people with the word mercy.” The reason is elementary and dogmatic: God forgives sins, yes, but exclusively under one non-negotiable condition that many today prefer to ignore: repentance.

The idea that divine mercy is a blank check that absolves human beings of their moral responsibility is not just an illusion; it is, in the words of Espinosa de los Monteros himself, “a crime against truth and reality.” To claim that one can behave as one pleases because God forgives everything anyway empties human freedom of meaning and trivializes the pain caused by evil.

During his reflection, the priest addresses the different dimensions of repentance, from profound inner brokenness—like that experienced by those who carry deep wounds or grave guilt—to mere superficial remorse. He reminds us that the Gospel does not shy away from warnings about the course of human decisions and the consequences of selfishness, citing parables such as that of the rich man and Lazarus, which emphasize that revealed truth and the paths to conversion have already been given to humankind.

Although the pious desire for universal salvation always beats in the human horizon —even for the great historical figures of horror—, the ultimate criterion does not depend on our desires or unfounded optimism, but on the justice and truth of a God who knows the recesses of every conscience.

The final message aligns with the most classic spiritual tradition: to banish moral cynicism, not to trivialize sin, and to understand that true mercy and repentance always go hand in hand. It is not about instilling panic, but about restoring the seriousness of moral life: not doing evil, and if evil has been done, repenting and making amends.