Death and Life after Death posted June 2005
Adapted from OurSundayVisitor 2002 – by Lorene Hanley Duquin
When doctors told a Catholic woman there was nothing they could do to save her life, she asked her friends to stop praying for her recovery. Instead, she suggested they send her the special intentions they would like her to present to God after her death. By the time she died a few months later, she had received more than one thousand prayer requests.
This woman believed that after her death the soul would leave her body and return to God. She knew death was not an end, but a continuation of life in a different form. She understood that she might undergo a time of purification before being completely united with God. She had no doubt that her bonds of love with family and friends would remain intact. This woman held a uniquely Catholic understanding of death and life after death.
“Life is changed, not ended.” – Preface to the Mass of Christian Burial
What Others Believe
Most people recognize death as a cessation of bodily function and the beginning of decay, but there are a variety of belief’s about what happens after death. Atheists and secular humanists believe that death marks the end of a person’s being. They deny the existence of an afterlife.
Most Eastern religions believe that after death a person is reborn as a plant, and animal, or another person. They believe that process of reincarnation continues until a person reaches a state of perfection.
New Age spirituality incorporates an eclectic mix of beliefs in reincarnation and a spirit world in which people who have died can be contacted through human means.
Some people who have undergone near-death experiences describe floating over their body and observing efforts to revive them. Some describe an end to pain and a sense of peace. Others describe entering a tunnel and walking toward a brilliant light.
None of these beliefs or experiences can be verified. We won’t know what death is like until we experience it. Death is a mystery. What people believe about death and life after death is a matter of faith.
Christians base their beliefs about death and life after death on what Jesus taught and experienced in His own life, death, and resurrection. But Christians have different ways of interpreting the Bible, so there is a disagreement on what happens when someone dies.
Catholic beliefs are based on Scripture, but also on Tradition, which includes the writings of the Church Fathers, the example of the early Christians, and the experiences of saints, mystics, and theologians.
What Catholics Believe about Dying
The experience of Jesus on the cross shows us that the process of dying can be painful. But we believe God is with the dying person because of the prayer of Jesus, which began with the sorrowful lament, “my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” but ended with the powerful affirmation that God “has not hid his face from him, but has heard’ (Psalm 22, RSV).
Jesus also showed us that dying is a time to forgive (Luke
“Despite his anguish as he faced death, {Jesus} accepted it in an act of complete and free submission to his Father’s will. The obedience of Jesus has transformed the curse of death into a blessing.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1009
What Catholics Believe about Death
Catholics believe that upon death, the soul separates from the body. No one knows the exact moment or how the separation takes place. Saint Luke tells us that Jesus cried, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit,” then stopped breathing (Luke
We believe that Jesus promised to be with us at the moment of death. “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).
Saint Stephen experienced the fruition of this promise in the moments before his death when he exclaimed, “behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts
Hospice workers claim that it is not unusual for people in the last stages of life to speak to Jesus. One priest recalls visiting a dying woman who opened her eyes and said, Father, you’re here, and Jesus is here, too.
“Go forth, Christian soul, from this world…May you see your Redeemer face to face…” – Prayer of Commendation
What Catholics Believe Happens After Death
After death, a soul undergoes judgment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that “each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith” (No. 1021).
It is a great temptation to think of this judgment in human terms, but Jesus reminds us the God’s ways are not our ways. While hanging on the cross, Jesus proved that it is never too lat to change your life when He told the good thief, “Today you will be with me in
“If the greatest sinner on earth should repent at the moment of death, and draw his last breath in an act of love, neither the many graces he has abused nor the many sins he has committed would stand in his way. Our Lord would receive him into his mercy.” – Saint Therese of Lisieux
Heaven, Hell and Purgatory
Catholics believe heaven is a state of supreme joy that exists when we are in total union with God. Hell is a state of permanent exclusion from God that results when people freely choose to reject God. Most Protestant Christians believe only in heaven or hell, but Catholics also believe in purgatory, an intermediate state of purification for souls, who are not condemned to hell, but are not ready to see God face to face.
From the time of the early Christians, prayers were offered for the dead, so that “they may attain the beatific vision of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1032). The concept of purgatory was upheld by the Church beginning with the Council of Carthage in A.D. 394.
The Scriptural basis for purgatory is found in the story of Judas Maccabeus, who made atonement for the dead. Saint Jon Chrysostom points out that Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice as proof that “our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation.”
Saint Catherine of
“Before we enter into God’s Kingdom, every trace of sin within us must be eliminated; every imperfection in our soul must be corrected. This is exactly what takes place in purgatory. … Those who, after death live in this state of purification are already immersed in the love of Christ, which lifts them out of the residue of imperfection.” – Pope John Paul II
The Communion of Saints
Catholics believe that there is a spiritual union between souls on earth, souls in purgatory and saints in heaven. We call it the Communion of Saints. We believe this spiritual union allows us to maintain our bonds of love. We can pray for one another. We can intercede for one another. On his deathbed, Saint Dominic said, “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.”
Catholic funerals celebrate this spiritual connection. During the Mass of Christian Burial, the Church asks for spiritual assistance for the departed and consolation for the living. The funeral liturgy also reinforces the Catholic belief in the resurrection of the body.
“Belief in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith from its beginnings.” - Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 991.
The Resurrection of the Body
Jesus assured us that the dead will be resurrected (Matthew
Scripture accounts describe Jesus’ Resurrected body as glorified with the ability to pass through locked doors (John
(1 Corinthians 15:43-44).
Because of these beliefs, the Church treats the bodies of the dead with great respect. In the past, cremation was condemned for this reason. Cremation is now permitted as long as it is not done as a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body. The Church encourages us to prepare for death through prayer, repentance, surrender to the will of God, and acceptance of our mortality. “Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”
When Someone You Love Is Dying
- Don’t avoid the person
- Allow the person to talk about death
- Share your own beliefs about death and life after death
- Encourage the person to talk to a priest. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick should be offered to anyone who is seriously ill.
- Touch the person. Holding someone’s hand can be calming and reassuring.
- Allow the person to talk about the past. Don’t stifle expressions of regret. Encourage attempts to forgive or be forgiven.
- If the person experiences visions or voices of Jesus or people who have died, do not contradict or try to explain it away. Your inability to see or hear does not mean that what is happening is not real.
- Don’t hide your emotions, cry with the person. Laugh with the person.
- Recognize that talking is not always necessary. Be still. Be silent.
- Pray for the person.
- Ask the person to pray for you now and after death.
- When it is time to say goodbye, assure the person of your love, your gratitude, and your forgiveness.
“No man enters haven all by himself. We either bring others in with us or we are brought in by others.” – Thomas Merton
For more information on this topic see: www.whatthechurchteaches.com