(Editor’s note: Deacon Frank Agnoli presents the 10th in his series of articles on the healing sacraments. He is director of liturgy and of deacon formation for the Davenport Diocese.)
As mentioned in our last column, at the time of death we face a “particular” judgment: our choice for or against God is given its final trajectory, which culminates in the “general” judgment at the resurrection at the end of time.
Traditionally, we have talked about the consequences of judgment in terms of heaven, hell and purgatory — and imagined that these words refer to actual places. Much of what we think we know about heaven and hell (and purgatory) comes from the popular imagination, and not from official Church teaching. In fact, we might be surprised to know that what the Church officially teaches about these matters is actually quite limited!
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