The Theology of What happens after we die?
Symbolon Session 10: The Last Things: What Happens After We Die?
What does the Church really teach about death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell? It's time to separate the myths from the reality.
The last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell.
The Particular Judgment: At the moment of death, every person receives his eternal reward or retribution in his soul. If he dies in the state of grace, in friendship with Christ, he receives entrance into heaven (either immediately or through purification). If he dies out of friendship with Christ, never accepting Christ’s loving mercy, he remains separated from Jesus in eternal damnation (CCC 1051).
Hell: We cannot be united with God unless we chose to love him. If we gravely sin against God, against our neighbor, or against ourselves and fail to repent and accept God’s mercy, we will remain separated from him forever by our own free choice. This definitive self exclusion from unity with God is called hell (CCC 1033).
Heaven: Those who die in friendship with God and are perfectly purified will see God as he is, face-to-face in heaven. Heaven is the perfect communion of life and love with the Trinity and all the angels and saints. This perfect communion with God is the fulfillment of every human desire and the state of complete happiness (CCC 1023-1029).
Purgatory: There are some who die in friendship with God, and their souls are assured
of heaven, but they first must undergo a purification before entering full communion with
God in heaven (CCC 1030-1032).
Prayers for the Dead: Catholics pray for the dead so that their loving intercession might contribute to the souls’ purification and hasten their union with God in heaven (CCC 1032).
The Last Judgment. At the end of time, Christ will come again in glory, our bodies will
be resurrected, and all humanity will face the Last Judgment, in which the truth of each
man’s relationship with God will be made known and the consequences of each person’s actions will be revealed (CCC 1038-39).
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