Hmmm. Funny how, while it's true that the Church has never defined that any particular person is in Hell, there is solid scriptural evidence for only one man in the NT to be "extremely likely" to be there. That man is Judas Iscariot. Matthew 26:24-25 says: "'The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.' Judas, who betrayed him, said, 'Is it I, Master?' He said to him, 'You have said so.'"
Even if Judas had to spend a bazillion years in Purgatory, it would have been worth it for him to be born regardless, as the eternity of Heaven thereafter would make the stay in Purgatory a worthwhile means to an indescribably wonderful end. The fact that Jesus, knowing such a thing, still says that it would have been "better if he had not been born," certainly makes the prospect of Judas' salvation look inconceivably "remote." His "rehabilitation," in light of the fact that he is singled-out as the sole person explicitly named in the New Testament who is virtually certain to be in Hell, is an excercise in stupidity. I can't believe the Vatican would be so silly as to waste time on such a project. I'm *hoping* this was bobbled by the Times (not too hard to suppose!), or wherever they got it from, and thus it bears little resemblance to fact.
Not only the Scriptures but the Liturgy speak of Judas being in hell. The point is irrefutable. The Scriptures also speak of the damnation of other specific sinners, such as Core and his followers.
Even if Judas had to spend a bazillion years in Purgatory,
Why does this always get brought up? Judas committed several mortal sins, and when given the impulse of grace to repent, instead chose to heap up his sins with fresh new ones by committing suicide. Sinners cannot be forgiven after death. Purgatory is not a place of forgiveness but of penitence and purification.
The notion of Judas in Purgatory is an implicit endorsement of the Apokatastasis.
I can't believe the Vatican would be so silly as to waste time on such a project.
The Vatican is full of modernists who trip over themselves to bow down and kiss the feet of the extreme liberal Jews at B'nai Brith and the ADL and the like. If some wing-nut non-Orthodox Jews are offended at the whole concept of traditional Catholic piety surrounding Judas and start to make a stink over it, undoubtedly there will be some pseudo-Catholics in the Vatican beating the drums for a "study" or "dialogue" to better "understand" his fate, and "apologize" for the Church "misrepresenting" Judas for all these years.