Spiritual Exercises of the Curia: The second death

The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the fourth in his series of reflections for the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia. You can read a summary of the reflection, entitled 'The second death', below.

By Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap

The Bible describes human history as a tension between the promise of eternal life and the reality of death. Israel, with its loyalty and disloyalty, incarnates this struggle, constantly searching for the promised land. Saint Paul speaks of humanity as dying, but alive (2 Cor 6:9), giving expression to the paradox of existence.

The Prophet Ezechiel describes this condition with his vision of the valley of dry bones (Ez 37): Israel appears as an open-air cemetery, without life or hope. God orders the prophet to speak to the bones, which then re-assemble themselves and clothe themselves again in flesh, but remain without life until the Spirit blows on them.

The Prophet's vision does not just describe the Israelites’ return from exile, but it reflects the human condition: often, we exist without really living. The dry bones symbolise the “first death”, interior death, which is manifested in fear, apathy and the loss of hope. This is what happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned: their body was alive, but separated from God.

Only God’s Spirit can give us authentic life once more. However, there is also a “second death”, often understood to mean eternal damnation, but which can also be seen as biological death. Those who have already overcome the first death – fear, egoism, and the illusion of control – can face the second without terror. Saint Francis of Assisi makes this point in the Canticle of Brother Sun, praising those who embrace death in God.

Revelation affirms that “the victor shall not be harmed by the second death” (Rev 2:11): whoever lives in faith and hope can pass through it without being crushed by it. Ezechiel’s vision teaches us that the resurrection has already begun: God does not wait for us to die to give us eternal life, but offers it to us already in the present, if we welcome his Spirit. The real question is: do we want to remain dry bones, or allow ourselves to be reanimated by true life?

Delivered Tuesday 11th March, 9am.

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