The souls in purgatory are called “holy” because they can sin no more and are guaranteed to enter heaven eventually they are called “poor” because they cannot help themselves in their current state and can do nothing to lessen its pain or duration. Gerard van den Aardweg, Ph.D., Hungry Souls encounter with God right after death has wounded it with an intense pining for Him, whom it has for a fleeting moment recognized as the ultimate fulfillment of all its longings, wishes, and hopes, of its craving for happiness…having seen Him, the torment of being far from Him surpasses any feeling of being banished from the beloved things one knew on earth. The pain of these souls-which is usually described as a cleansing fire-seems to have one source: It seems, then, that most people who die in a state of grace do not go directly to heaven, but rather undergo a period of purification that accords with the precise state of their souls. Teresa of Avila, who saw an astonishing number of visions of deceased souls, said: “mong all souls I have seen, there are only three who totally escaped purgatory.”
Their souls are not ready to see God face-to-face or to embrace perfect union with Him. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect… Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030-1031Īccording to the writings and visions of countless saints and theologians, most people who die in a state of grace are not yet fully purified. The Catechism provides a simple definition of purgatory:Īll who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
0 kommentar(er)
