The Singular Journey

Christian tradition asserts that life is given to a person only once, and this fact imbues every moment with special value. At the heart of this teaching lies the understanding of suffering not as an endless cycle, but as a significant component of the trials a person undergoes on the path to salvation and purification from sin. The rejection of the idea of multiple existences is based precisely on this principle: repeating life cycles would disrupt the integrity and uniqueness of earthly experience, transforming suffering into an ordinary and endless phenomenon.

At the core of this view is the belief that every trial, pain, and suffering carries a profound meaning predestined by the divine plan. Life is seen as a unique event in which hardships and suffering are not random but necessary stages that lead to spiritual rebirth and communion with God. In this context, any repetition of human experience would only multiply the suffering, depriving it of the redemptive purpose inherent in one singular earthly trial.

Thus, the idea of the uniqueness of the life journey becomes the cornerstone of the Christian worldview. The rejection of a recurring life underscores the singularity of every moment and the importance of the trials through which a person achieves spiritual perfection. This perspective elevates suffering to an essential experience, enabling each individual to find the path to God and attain true salvation.

Why does the Pope not allow the idea of multiple lives if it means the possibility of recurring suffering for people and animals?
The Pope rejects the idea of multiple lives because it contradicts the Christian understanding of human existence as a unique event in which suffering serves as both punishment for sin and a trial leading to salvation. According to the doctrine, life is granted to a person only once, and it is through this unique earthly life that one undergoes the process of redemption and communion with God; a repetition of the life cycle could mean that a person would repeatedly endure inevitable suffering, contradicting the concept of the finality of earthly trials and the perfection of salvific grace.

This view is reflected in the description: "Suffering is the fundamental fact of human existence. The fate of every life in this world, having achieved individuation, is suffering. With agony a person is born; with agony he dies…" (source: 1249_6241.txt). Here it is emphasized that suffering is an integral part of the one life each person must accept to achieve redemption. It is additionally noted that "Suffering in the human race began with the appearance of moral evil and arose as a consequence of sin entering our lives…" (source: 279_1392.txt), indicating that suffering has a specific, historically conditioned origin and a role in the divine plan of salvation, rather than being an endless cycle of recurring lives.

Thus, the rejection of the idea of multiple lives is driven by the desire to preserve the concept of a unique, single earthly life in which every instance of suffering has purpose and meaning in the process of purification and drawing closer to God, rather than becoming an endless repetition of torment.

Supporting citation(s):
"Suffering is the fundamental fact of human existence. The fate of every life in this world, having achieved individuation, is suffering. A person is born with agony, dies with agony, suffering accompanies the two most significant events of human life. Disease, perhaps the greatest evil, constantly lurks around every person." (source: 1249_6241.txt)

"Suffering in the human race began with the appearance of moral evil and emerged as a consequence of sin entering our lives. This is evidenced by the opening pages of the Bible: 'I will greatly increase your pain in your childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children' — words addressed to Eve after the Fall; 'Cursed is the ground for your sake; you shall eat its produce in sorrow all the days of your life' — words spoken to Adam." (source: 279_1392.txt)