Paragraph 1: Christ Descended into Hell

Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part One › Section Two › Chapter Two › Article 5 · Paragraph 1 (§§632–637)

Paragraphs · 6

The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.

§632 — The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was "raised from the dead" presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection.vatican.va
§633 — Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.vatican.va
§634 — "The gospel was preached even to the dead." The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread…vatican.va
§635 — Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."vatican.va

§636 — By the expression "He descended into hell", the Apostles' Creed confesses that Jesus did really die and through his death for us conquered death and the devil "who has the power of death" (Heb 2:14).vatican.va
§637 — In his human soul united to his divine person, the dead Christ went down to the realm of the dead. He opened heaven's gates for the just who had gone before him.vatican.va