Q: Hi! St. Teresa of Ávila said she had merited a place in hell, but I thought she had never committed a mortal sin. Does this mean that Christians can go to hell without ever having committed a mortal sin, or that Christians who die in a state of grace may end up in hell rather than purgatory? I know that Catholics aren’t bound to believe private revelation, but what are those who believe St. Teresa’s vision to make of the Catholic view of salvation? — Emilia
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:
A: Whether St. Teresa ever committed a mortal sin, only she and heaven know.
That said, her mention of meriting a place in hell must be understood in context.
Teresa acknowledged that she had been lukewarm in her life of faith, in a convent known for its leniency and worldliness, until she had a deep conversion.
Looking back, she realized that that lukewarmness, left unchecked, would have led her eventually to a life of ruin … and eternal loss.
She is definitely not saying that Christians who die in a state of grace (no mortal sin) can somehow end up in hell.
She does, however, recognize the danger of “little” sins and how they can snowball and eventually lead to the loss of a soul. A good reminder for all of us.
