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How does Roman Catholic teaching describe hell as separation from God?

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Fresco The Last Judgment by Michelangelo covers the west wall of the Sistine Chapel, depicting Christ at the center surrounded by angels and human figures in dramatic poses. — eschatology The Second Coming as depicted in “The Last Judgment,” fresco by Michelangelo, 1536-41, on the west wall of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Palace, Vatican City.

In Roman Catholic teaching, hell is understood primarily as the state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed heaven. Rather than being a place created by God for the purpose of torture, hell is the dwelling place of those who, through their own free will, irrevocably reject God’s love and mercy.1

This state of alienation is considered the ultimate consequence of a person’s persistent refusal to accept the path of reconciliation and grace during their life on Earth. The suffering experienced in hell is described as both spiritual and physical:1
* Spiritual: The primary punishment is the eternal deprivation of the presence of God, which is the source of all joy and life.21
* Physical: While modern theological reflection often interprets the imagery of "eternal fire" metaphorically, it remains a central concept in Christian tradition to signify the intensity of this loss and the profound suffering of the soul.21

Ultimately, this separation is a permanent expression of an individual's ill-used freedom, reflecting the moral order of the universe where one's choices in life determine their eternal relationship with the Creator.1