Hell is very real. It is also a real concern for sinners like me. The concern is that we will send ourselves to Hell.
You see, Jesus wants all of us in Heaven because each and every human being is a precious, beloved child of God. You are a good example.
He has given you your life here on Earth as your opportunity to accept His love and grow in your love of Him. In preparation for your birth, Jesus did everything He could, even allowing nails to be driven through His body, to convince you of His love for you.
You are free to accept or refuse His love. Some of us love Jesus enthusiastically. Some of us are only willing to have a lukewarm relationship with Jesus. Some of us reject Him entirely and thus choose to go to Hell. God can only love each human being as actively as each of us allows.
You decide your relationship with Jesus by how you live your life. Jesus will try and try and try to share a mutual love with you. When you die you will make your definitive choice to be with Jesus forever, or not. Jesus will accept your choice. If you force Him to do so, Jesus will give up on you ever accepting His love and RELUCTANTLY let you go to Hell. What we call judgment is actually the moment when Jesus gives up on saving those who refuse to accept His love and love Him in return.
Some talk about the eternal torments of Hell. Yes, like a drug addict who wishes to be free, but cannot bring himself to give up the drugs; those in Hell know they have separated themselves from their greatest source of joy, yet are unable to break free from their addictions and therefore keep themselves apart from God, apart from the one who loves them most.
God knows eternal torment. Unlike our grief when a loved one dies, where we are comforted by the thought that we will see them again someday. If God did lose you to Hell, there would be no hope. Jesus loves you with all His heart, with all His soul, and with all His strength. Yet, if you do choose Hell, He will never be able to talk to you; never hold you; never comfort you; never actively love you. Losing you to Hell would cause an eternal torment of grieving in God’s heart.
OR, you can give Jesus great joy by allowing Him to love you. A joy ONLY YOU can give to Jesus. The choice is yours. You have before you the choice between life and death, the blessing and the curse. Jesus urges you to choose life.
You can see official Roman Catholic teachings on sin here