Heaven is not a location in the cosmos, but a place within God

by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2010, said: "Heaven is not a location in the cosmos, but a place within God where those who believe in him will enjoy his love forever" and, “With the term ‘heaven’, we want to affirm that God – the God who made himself close to us – does not abandon us even in and beyond death, but he has a place for us and gives us eternity; we want to affirm that within God there is a place for us.”

I almost missed it. It is a very significant statement the Holy Father made. People wonder where heaven is located and so they point to the sky. Apparently not. The Holy Father said, God’s love is what defeats the power of death and brings eternal life “and it is this love that we call ‘heaven’.” So Heaven is not a location but a state of being. Very mysterious!

The Catholic Encyclopedia says thus, "There is a heaven, i.e., God will bestow happiness and the richest gifts on all those who depart this life free from original sin and personal mortal sin, and who are, consequently, in the state of justice and friendship with God."† 

Of course until we are in heaven we cannot prove who is right. It is a matter of Faith, we acknowledge in the Nicene Creed that we believe in a heaven, and, St. Augustine exclaimed: "Thou hast made us for Thyself (O God) and our heart is troubled till it rests in Thee."

When we sin we displease God, and when we sin much, with full consent and without hesitation, we will need first to confess our sins before we can once again enter upon this "State of Grace" - so don't worry where Heaven is, just be sure that we are able to go to Heaven when the time comes.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
May 11, 2021

† http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07170a.htm#II