“He descended into hell. On the third day He rose again from the dead.” — Apostles’ Creed
One of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring truths of the Christian faith is proclaimed in the Apostles’ Creed: that after His death on the Cross, Our Lord Jesus Christ descended into hell. This event, known in sacred tradition as the Harrowing of Hell, is not merely a curious footnote to the Passion; it is a profound revelation of divine mercy and victorious love—a hidden yet glorious part of the Paschal Mystery.
But what does it mean that Christ descended into “hell”? And what happened in that descent?
What Is the “Hell” into Which Christ Descended?
In the traditional Catholic understanding, rooted in Scripture and the Fathers, the word “hell” (inferi in Latin, hades in Greek, sheol in Hebrew) did not refer exclusively to the place of the damned. Rather, it signified the realm of the dead—a state where all souls went after death before the Redemption was accomplished.
This realm was divided, traditionally, into several “regions”:
- Hell proper (Gehenna) – the abode of the damned, eternally separated from God.
- Purgatory – a temporary place of purification for those who died in grace but needed to be cleansed of the temporal punishment due to sin.
- The Limbo of the Fathers (Limbus Patrum) – the resting place of the just who had died before Christ, awaiting the Redeemer to open the gates of Heaven.
It was to this third region—the Limbo of the Fathers—that Christ descended after His death.
Why Did Christ Descend to the Limbo of the Fathers?
Before the Redemption, even the righteous could not enter Heaven. The Beatific Vision was closed to man due to original sin. Though they died in friendship with God, the saints of the Old Testament—Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets—waited in hope for the promised Messiah.
Christ’s descent into this realm was not to suffer, nor to offer a second chance to the damned, but to proclaim His victory, fulfill the ancient promises, and liberate the righteous who had long awaited their deliverance.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches:
“He descended as a victorious King, delivering His friends from prison. He did not go as a victim to suffer, but as a Savior to triumph.”
Scriptural Foundations
Though mysterious, the Harrowing of Hell is richly supported by Scripture:
- 1 Peter 3:18–19 – “Being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison…”
- Ephesians 4:9 – “What is it, but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”
- Zechariah 9:11 – “Thou also by the blood of Thy testament hast sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit…”
- Psalm 24:7–10, interpreted by the Fathers as Christ’s triumphant entry into the underworld:
“Lift up your gates, O ye princes… and the King of glory shall enter in.”
The Fathers of the Church on the Harrowing of Hell
The Church Fathers speak with reverent awe of this moment when the light of Christ pierced the darkness of the netherworld:
- St. Irenaeus (2nd century):
“The Lord descended into the regions beneath the earth, preaching His coming and remission of sins to those who believe in Him.”
(Against Heresies, IV.27.2) - St. Ambrose (4th century):
“The Lord descended that He might free the dead from their bonds. He did not suffer Himself to be held by death, but He broke down the gates of hell.” - St. Augustine taught that the descent was part of Christ’s complete solidarity with man—even unto death and the grave—thus showing forth His full dominion over life and death.
- St. Thomas Aquinas explains that Christ descended to the Limbo of the Fathers to shed the light of His glory, and in that very moment, transferred them into Heaven.
(Summa Theologiae, III, q. 52)
The Harrowing as Triumph and Fulfillment
The Harrowing of Hell is Christ’s hidden triumph. Just as He overcame death by rising from the tomb, so too did He shatter the gates of Hades, loosing the bonds that held the just captive.
This is why Holy Saturday, though silent and still, is not a day of defeat, but one of quiet victory. While His body lay in the tomb, His soul went forth as a triumphant King to claim His people.
The ancient homily from Holy Saturday (in the Office of Readings) declares with exultation:
“He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep… He has taken him by the hand and raised him up, saying: Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”
Conclusion: A Mystery of Hope
The Harrowing of Hell teaches us that no darkness is beyond Christ’s reach, no exile too deep, no prison so strong that His mercy cannot enter. It reminds us that God’s justice never forgets His promises, and that even in the silence of the grave, the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard.
He went in search of the first Adam, to bring him home.
And now, risen and glorified, He goes in search of every soul, until the end of time.