"believe in the possibility of a change of situation for the souls of the dead through the prayers of the living and the offering of the Divine Liturgy, and many Orthodox, especially among ascetics, hope and pray for a general apocatastasis. A similar belief in at least the possibility of a final salvation for all is held by Mormonism. Judaism also believes in the possibility of after-death purification and may even use the word ""purgatory"" to present its understanding of the meaning of Gehenna. However, the concept of soul ""purification"" may be explicitly denied in these other faith traditions. Hell"
"eternal life on earth. The orthodox Christian belief about the intermediate state between death and the Last Judgment is immortality of the soul followed immediately after death of the body by particular judgment. In Catholicism some souls temporarily stay in Purgatory to be purified for Heaven (as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030–32). Eastern Orthodoxy, Methodism, Anglicanism, and Mormonism use different terminology, but generally teach that the soul waits in the Abode of the Dead, specifically Hades or the Spirit World, until the resurrection of the dead, the saved resting in light and the damned suffering in"
"is most likely not an actual physical location or place, but is a state wherein ""those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ who removes from them the remnants of imperfection."" In 2011, John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, spoke of Saint Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510) and how, despite the view in her time that the purification of souls (purgatory) was pictured as a location in space, the saint saw purgatory as a purifying inner fire, such as she experienced in her profound sorrow for sins committed, when compared with"
"the human are judged, just as a branch of a vine is judged by its fruits. Catholics also believe in Purgatory, but as a place that is pre-Judgment Day, a purifying locale for those preparing for The Day of Judgment. If souls are purifed before Judgment Day they are released where they join the Saints who are spirits without bodies, enjoying an intellectual vision of The Father who is without body, known as The Beautific Vision. There the Saints await The Day of Judgment knowing they will be resurrected to receive their bodies and will be judged pure by The"
"those who die in a state of grace, but still carry venial sin go to a place called Purgatory where they undergo purification to enter Heaven. Despite popular opinion, Limbo, which was elaborated upon by theologians beginning in the Middle Ages, was never recognized as a dogma of the Catholic Church, yet, at times, it has been a very popular theological theory within the Church. Limbo is a theory that unbaptized but innocent souls, such as those of infants, virtuous individuals who lived before Jesus Christ was born on earth, or those that die before baptism exist in neither Heaven"
"those who believe."" As well, the Epistle to the Colossians receives attention, with Colossians 1:17-20 reading: The Roman Catholic Church has called ""soul mortality"" a serious heresy: The idea that the spirit continues as a conscious, active, and independent agent after mortal death is an important teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Concerning the post-death, pre-judgment place of human spirits, LDS scripture states that ""the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life"" (Alma 40:11). They are then assigned to a state of paradise"
"Purgatory In Catholic theology, purgatory (, via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is an intermediate state after physical death in which some of those ultimately destined for heaven must first ""undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,"" holding that ""certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come."" And that entrance into Heaven requires the ""remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven,"" for which indulgences may be given which remove ""either part or all of the temporal"
"death. In Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace, i.e., without any mortal sin separating them from God, but are still imperfectly purified from the effects of sin, undergo purification through the intermediate state of purgatory to achieve the holiness necessary for entrance into God's presence. Those who have attained this goal are called ""saints"" (Latin ""sanctus"", ""holy""). Some Christian groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists, hold to mortalism, the belief that the human soul is not naturally immortal, and is unconscious during the intermediate state between bodily death and resurrection. These Christians also hold to Annihilationism, the belief"
"the prison of the Leviathans (essentially God's prototypes, locked into purgatory since they were too dangerous). The TV series ""Wynonna Earp"" takes place in a town called Purgatory. Wynonna Earp, the great-great-granddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp fights revenants and other supernatural. Purgatory In Catholic theology, purgatory (, via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is an intermediate state after physical death in which some of those ultimately destined for heaven must first ""undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,"" holding that ""certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in"
"of Purgatory, which is held by Catholicism. The soul's experience of either of these states is only a ""foretaste""—being experienced only by the soul—until the Final Judgment, when the soul and body will be reunited. The Eastern Orthodox believe that the state of the soul in Hades can be affected by the love and prayers of the righteous up until the Last Judgment. For this reason the Church offers a special prayer for the dead on the third day, ninth day, fortieth day, and the one-year anniversary after the death of an Orthodox Christian. There are also several days throughout"
"death. All Soul's Day, established in the 10th century, turned popular attention to the condition of departed souls. The idea of Purgatory as a physical place (like heaven and hell) was ""born"" in the late 11th century. Medieval theologians concluded that the purgatorial punishments consisted of material fire. The Western formulation of purgatory proved to be a sticking point in the Great Schism between East and West. The Catholic Church believes that the living can help those whose purification from their sins is not yet completed not only by praying for them but also by gaining indulgences for them as"
"of sinning (see Pope Benedict XII and beatific vision), i.e., they will necessarily remain in God. The ""Catechism of the Catholic Church"" states (emphasis added): The 13th-century, Dominican theologian Thomas Aquinas taught that souls in Purgatory cannot sin (""Summa Theologica"", Second Part of the Second Part, Question 83, Article 11, Reply to Objection 3), let alone the saints in heaven. This is the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, although there are different opinions on the reasons for the impossibility to sin. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary was, by a special grace of God, without"
"the idea of purgatory as a physical place with time is not part of the Church's doctrine. According to Catholic belief, death is immediately followed by the judgment in which the soul's eternal destiny is specified. Some are eternally united with God in Heaven, envisioned as a paradise of unending bliss, where Theosis is completed and one experiences the beatific vision. Conversely, others reach Hell, which is chiefly a state of eternal, irreversible separation from God often envisioned as an abode of unending torment, often characterised as a fire that may be considered metaphorical. In addition to accepting the states"
"day. The idea of Purgatory as a physical place was ""born"" in the late 11th century. Medieval Catholic theologians concluded that the purgatorial punishments consisted of material fire. The Catholic Church believes that the living can help those whose purification from their sins is not yet completed not only by praying for them but also by gaining indulgences for them as an act of intercession. All Souls' Day commemorates the souls in purgatory. The Late Middle Ages saw the growth of considerable abuses, such as the unrestricted sale of indulgences by professional ""pardoners"" to release the donors' departed loved ones"
"or Hell proper. Therefore, these souls neither merit the beatific vision, nor are subjected to any punishment, because they are not guilty of any personal sin although they have not received baptism, so still bear original sin. So they are generally seen as existing in a state of natural, but not supernatural, happiness, until the end of time. In other Christian denominations it has been described as an intermediate place or state of confinement in oblivion and neglect. The notion of purgatory is associated particularly with the Catholic Church. In the Catholic Church, all those who die in God's grace"
"Devachan Devachan (compound word; Sanskrit 'deva', gods, and the Tibetan word 'chan' Wylie: 'can', possessing, having, subject to) is the ""dwelling of the gods"" according to the original teachings of Theosophy as formulated by H.P. Blavatsky. ""Devachan"" is regarded as the place where most souls go after death where desires are gratified, corresponding to the Christian belief in Heaven. However, Devachan is a temporary, intermediate state of being before the soul's eventual rebirth into the physical world. C.W. Leadbeater located the ""Devachan"" on the mental plane many miles far above the surface of Earth. While those souls at the zeroth"
"since the Christ was crucified and died on Friday. The Catholic Church teaches that the purification of the souls in Purgatory can be hastened by the actions of the faithful on earth. Its teaching is based also on the practice of prayer for the dead mentioned as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42–46. In the West there is ample evidence of the custom of praying for the dead in the inscriptions of the catacombs, with their constant prayers for the peace of the souls of the departed and in the early liturgies, which commonly contain commemorations of the dead. Tertullian,"
"with The Intranquil Spirit and the Dominant Spirit. Anima Sola Based on Roman Catholic tradition, the Anima Sola or Lonely Soul is an image depicting a soul in purgatory, popular in Latin America, as well as much of Andalusia, Naples and Palermo. While scholars have thus far not provided a history of the Anima Sola (or ""Ánimas del purgatorio"" in Spanish), the practice of praying for the souls in Purgatory extends at least as far back as the Council of Trent in which the following was determined: ""Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred"
"according to the church's teaching, will bring an end to human history and mark the beginning of both a new and better heaven and earth ruled by God in righteousness. Depending on the judgement rendered following death, it is believed that a soul may enter one of three states of afterlife: While the Catholic Church teaches that it alone possesses the full means of salvation, it also acknowledges that the Holy Spirit can make use of Christian communities separated from itself to ""impel towards Catholic unity"" and ""tend and lead toward the Catholic Church"", and thus bring people to salvation,"
"but still imperfectly purified, undergo ""purification"" so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven, a final purification to which it gives the name ""purgatory"". Roman Catholic theologians had given the name ""limbo"" to a theory on the possible fate of infants who die without baptism. The just who died before Jesus Christ are also spoken of as having been in limbo until he had won salvation for them. In Islamic eschatology, Barzakh () is the intermediate state in which the soul of the deceased is transferred across the boundaries of the mortal realm into a"
"Aerial toll house Aerial toll houses refers to a teaching held by some Eastern Orthodox saints and Eastern Orthodox Christians about the immediate state of the soul after death. It holds that ""following a person's death the soul leaves the body, and is escorted to God by angels. During this journey the soul passes through an aerial realm, which is inhabited by wicked spirits (Ephesians 6:12). The soul encounters these demons at various points referred to as ""toll-houses"" where the demons then attempt to accuse it of sin and, if possible, drag the soul into hell."" In some forms, the"
"caring for the dead and praying for them and to the belief, found also in Judaism, which is considered the precursor of Christianity, that prayer for the dead contributed to their afterlife purification. The same practice appears in other traditions, such as the medieval Chinese Buddhist practice of making offerings on behalf of the dead, who are said to suffer numerous trials. Roman Catholic belief in after-life purification is based on the practice of praying for the dead, which is mentioned in 2 Maccabees 12:42-44, which the Roman Catholic Church has declared to be part of Sacred Scripture, and which,"
"appeals to God, the Anima Sola represents souls in purgatory who require the assistance both of the living and the divine to ameliorate their sufferings in the afterlife. The Anima Sola is common throughout much of the Catholic world, though is perhaps strongest in Naples, where it is referred to as ""the cult of the souls in Purgatory."" In Latin America, one source reports, the Anima Sola is ""a belief still deeply rooted in the mass of the campesinos. The devotion dates from the first colonizers, who probably brought the image in which the soul is represented as a woman"
"underworld (Hades) as a place where the righteous dead, awaiting in the bosom of Abraham their resurrection, rejoice at their future prospect, while the unrighteous are tormented at the sight of the ""lake of unquenchable fire"" into which they are destined to be cast. Gregory of Nyssa discusses the long-before believed possibility of purification of souls after death. Pope Gregory I repeats the concept, articulated over a century earlier by Gregory of Nyssa that the saved suffer purification after death, in connection with which he wrote of ""purgatorial flames"". The noun ""purgatorium"" (Latin: place of cleansing) is used for the"
"with saints are also regarded as holy, through their participation in the earthly works of those saints. God himself bears witness to this holiness of saints' relics through the many miracles connected with them that have been reported throughout history since Biblical times, often including healing from disease and injury. Orthodox Christians believe that when a person dies the soul is temporarily separated from the body. Though it may linger for a short period on Earth, it is ultimately escorted either to paradise (Abraham's bosom) or the darkness of Hades, following the Temporary Judgment. Orthodox do not accept the doctrine"
"devils were once people on earth. The ""Spiritual Combat"", a written work by Lorenzo Scupoli, states that four assaults are attempted by the ""evil one"" at the hour of death. The Catholic conception of the afterlife teaches that after the body dies, the soul is judged, the righteous and free of sin enter Heaven. However, those who die in unrepented mortal sin go to hell. In the 1990s, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defined hell not as punishment imposed on the sinner but rather as the sinner's self-exclusion from God. Unlike other Christian groups, the Catholic Church teaches that"
"Since Augustine, Christians have believed that the souls of those who die either rest peacefully, in the case of Christians, or are afflicted, in the case of the damned, after death until the resurrection. Augustine distinguishes between the purifying fire that saves and eternal consuming fire for the unrepentant, and speaks of the pain that purgatorial fire causes as more severe than anything a man can suffer in this life. The Venerable Bede and Saint Boniface both report visions of an afterlife with a four-way division, including pleasant and punishing abodes near heaven and hell to hold souls until judgment"
"in them, that by which they are in God's image described as 'soul' signifies the ""spiritual principle"" in man"". All souls living and dead will be judged by Jesus Christ when he comes back to earth. The Catholic Church teaches that the existence of each individual soul is dependent wholly upon God: ""The doctrine of the faith affirms that the spiritual and immortal soul is created immediately by God."" Protestants generally believe in the soul's existence, but fall into two major camps about what this means in terms of an afterlife. Some, following Calvin, believe in the immortality of the"
"This is attainable while living, just as justification and sanctification are attainable while living. Glorification is the Protestant alternative to Purgatory, as it is ""the means by which the elect receive perfection before entering into the kingdom of Heaven."" According to the theologies of most major Protestant groups, Purgatory is a doctrine of the Catholic Church, a holding place for those whose lives were dominated by venial sins but not guilty of mortal sins. On the other hand, to Protestants, glorification is a continuous, flowing process, whereby believers in Jesus the Christ, who have either died or who are raptured"
"the righteous and the wicked"" (see The Sheep and the Goats). Moreover, in ""the final judgment every one of our thoughts, words, and deeds will be known and judged"" and individuals will be justified on the basis of their faith in Jesus, although ""our works will not escape God's examination."" Belief in the Last Judgment (often linked with the General judgment) is held firmly in Catholicism. Immediately upon death each soul undergoes the particular judgment, and depending upon the state of the person's soul, goes to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. A soul in Purgatory will always reach Heaven, but those"
"Christians who die still imperfectly purified must, according to Catholic teaching, pass through a state of purification known as purgatory before entering heaven. Pope Benedict XVI gave this explanation of what is meant by heaven: According to Pope John Paul II, ""The New Testament amplifies the idea of heaven in relation to the mystery of Christ. To show that the Redeemer's sacrifice acquires perfect and definitive value, the Letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus ""passed through the heavens"" (Heb 4:14), and ""entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself"""
"to redeem those still in darkness—a spirit prison or ""hell"" where the spirits of the dead remain until judgment. It is divided into two parts: Spirit Prison and Paradise. Together these are also known as the Spirit World (also Abraham's Bosom; see Luke 16:19–25). They believe that Christ visited spirit prison (1 Peter 3:18–20) and opened the gate for those who repent to cross over to Paradise. This is similar to the Harrowing of Hell doctrine of some mainstream Christian faiths. Both Spirit Prison and Paradise are temporary according to Latter-day Saint beliefs. After the resurrection, spirits are assigned ""permanently"""
"that the soul can exist consciously apart from the body. For example, the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches that the intermediate state is an unconscious sleep; this teaching is informally known as ""soul sleep"". In Christian belief, both the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected at the last judgment. The righteous will receive incorruptible, immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15), while the unrighteous will be sent to the ""Lake of Fire"" or ""Gehenna"". Traditionally, Christians have believed that hell will be a place of eternal physical and psychological punishment. In the last two centuries, annihilationism and universalism have become more popular."