Priest visits hell, purgatory, heaven
“THE following is not a story coming out of the rumor mill,” the author Fr. Jose Maniyangat says. “And please. share with others so that they will know.”
Fr. Maniyangat was born on July 16, 1949, in Kerala, India, ordained priest on January 1, 1975, and is now the pastor of St. Mary’s Mother of Mercy Catholic Church in MacClenny, Florida.
** * Here is his personal testimony: “On Sunday, April 14, 1985, the Feast of the Divine Mercy, I was going to celebrate Mass at a mission church in northern Kerala, and I had a fatal accident. I was riding a motorcycle when I was hit head-on by a jeep driven by a man who was intoxicated. I was rushed to a hospital about 35 miles away.
** * “On the way, my soul came out from my body and I experienced death. Immediately, I met my Guardian Angel. I saw my body and the people who were carrying me to the hospital. I heard them crying and praying for me. At this time my angel told me: “I am going to take you to Heaven, the Lord wants to meet you and talk with you.” He also said that, on the way, he wanted to show me Hell and Purgatory.”
** * HELL.“It was an awful sight! I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, worms crawling, people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons. The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to unrepented mortal sins.
** * “Then, I understood that there were seven degrees of suffering or levels according to the number and kinds of mortal sins committed in their earthly lives. The souls looked very ugly, cruel, and horrific. It was a fearful experience. ** * “The sins that convicted them were mainly abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, hatefulness, unforgiveness, and sacrilege. The angel told me that if they had repented, they would have avoided Hell and gone instead to Purgatory.
* * * “Some people who repented from these sins might be purified on earth through their sufferings. This way they can avoid Purgatory and go straight to heaven. I was surprised when I saw in Hell even priests and bishops, some of whom I never expected to see. Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teachings and bad example.”
* * * PURGATORY. “After the visit to Hell, my Guardian Angel escorted me to Purgatory. Here too, there are seven degrees of suffering and unquenchable fire. But it is far less intense than Hell and there was neither quarreling nor fighting. The main suffering of these souls is their separation from God.
* * * “Some of those who are in Purgatory committed numerous mortal sins, but they were reconciled with God before their death. Even though these souls are suffering, they enjoy peace and the knowledge that one day they will see God face to face.
* * * “I had a chance to communicate with the souls in Purgatory. They asked me and others to pray for them so they can go to Heaven quickly. When we pray for these souls, we will receive their gratitude through their prayers once they enter Heaven. “ * * * (To be continued in my next column on Thursday, July 20)
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