Dr. Karlo Broussard addresses a listener’s concern about discouraging apparitions suggesting few people go to heaven. Karlo clarifies the nature of private revelations and the Church’s stance on the issue, providing insights into the interpretation of Luke 13:23-25.
Transcript:
There have been a lot of apparitions where few people go to heaven. It feels very discouraging. Is this accurate?
Okay, great question. Well, first of all, I don’t know which apparitions Beall is referring to. And to be frank and honest, I am not well-read in mystical experiences of the saints and apparitions. So I can’t even try to guess particularly which ones he’s referring to. But let’s assume that we do have these approved apparitions of some of the saints where they’re communicating this idea that few are saved, many are damned type of thing.
With regard to his question, it feels very discouraging. Is this accurate? Well, this is private revelation. And so far, as we’re dealing with private revelation, Beall, nor anyone else, would be bound to believe it. And so there would be no need for Beall to be discouraged since he doesn’t have to believe it, right? There’s no need for it to cause concern for him because he’s not bound to believe it. So he could simply dismiss it and just stick with public revelation in what Jesus has revealed to us as definitively taught by the Holy Mother Church. Holy Mother Church has never given us any sort of definitive teaching as to the number of the saved and whether it’s many or few. Now, if Beall or anyone else still feels the weight of these mystical apparitions, well, then he can know that it does seem to be consistent with what Jesus says in Luke 1323 through 25. Of course, again, the church has never given us any definitive teaching on what Jesus says here and a precise way to interpret it. But on a face value read of the text, Jesus does seem to affirm that few are saved and more are damned. In Luke 1323 through 25, he says, “And someone said to him, Lord, will those who are saved be few?
And he said to them, Strive to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Now, the question is, will those who are saved that is going to heaven be few? Jesus seems to answer in the affirmative. He seems to be saying that that door or gate through which you enter to enter into eternal life is very difficult and less. And the number of those who enter are less than those who do not enter it. And so Jesus seems to be saying more will be damned as opposed to those who will be saved.
But again, the church gives us no definitive teaching on this issue. And so Catholics are permitted to disagree with one another as to precisely whether Jesus is actually affirming more or damned and fewer or saved or not. So boring any alternative attempted interpretation of how to read this text in a different way than what it seems to be, as far as my journey of knowledge and my current knowledge, Jesus seems to be affirming more or damned. But again, Catholics are permitted to disagree on this precise interpretation of the text because the church has not given us any sort of ordinary or definitive guidance on this.
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