"That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell"

Thomas Aquinas presents a striking theological assertion: the blessed in heaven derive greater joy and gratitude from witnessing the punishments suffered by the damned in hell. At first glance, such a view may seem harsh or even vindictive, but within Aquinas’s medieval Christian framework, it highlights two interconnected themes: the justice of God and the nature of beatitude.

Aquinas conceives of heavenly bliss not merely as the enjoyment of God’s presence, but also as rooted in a perfect understanding of divine justice. The saints, entirely conformed to God's will, are said to rejoice in all that God decrees, including the righteous punishment of the wicked. Their delight is not rooted in cruelty or malice, but in seeing perfect justice enacted. For Aquinas, the sight of the damned suffering is a vivid confirmation of God's ultimate order: the separation of good and evil, the vindication of virtue, and the just consequence of sin. Such knowledge, then, invites the saints to greater thanksgiving for their own salvation and the unearned grace they received.

Moreover, this vision serves to magnify the saints' appreciation of their own blessedness. By contrasting their glory with the misery of the damned, the saints perceive more deeply the depths of God’s mercy toward them. The intense contrast sharpens their awareness of what they have been saved from, intensifying their gratitude and praise. The concept relies on the difference between temporal human emotions, such as pity or vengeance, and the purified, sanctified desires of redeemed souls, whose only pleasure is in the goodness and justice of God.

Aquinas’s assertion ultimately reflects a broader theological attempt to uphold God's justice as not just tolerable, but wonderful to behold. Though controversial to modern sensibilities, this view illustrates the medieval emphasis on order, justice, and the all-surpassing joy found in divine harmony, even if that includes the recognition of eternal loss.