Brother in law died away from the church

[bobperk]

All the more reason for Catholics to ensure friends and family stay faithful. Someone who is raised Catholic and willingly departs from the Church and does not repent is not in a state of grace upon death. So perhaps there is hope for Purgatory, in which case prayers and masses will be blessings for his soul.

As difficult as it may be to hear, @Aulef is correct. We do not do ourselves, our family, or our friends any favors by trying to wish someone into heaven after they die. We must guide then during their time on earth.

That all being said, I will pray for your brother in law.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Have Masses said for him and pray for his life partner.

You don’t know what was in his heart and soul. But God does.

 

[TK421]

My brother in law just died very suddenly and unexpectedly. He was raised Catholic but “came out” in high school and embraced the practise of neo-Shamanism with his “husband”. He recently identified as a “Pagan” although expressed belief in angels. He was a kind and talented person and those who knew him described him as loving and of gentle spirit. I am having a hard time reconciling that he may not be in heaven. Any thoughts???

Jesus wants your brother to be in Heaven more than you do. Pray for the repose of his soul and have a Mass said for him. If your brother wants to be with God, then that is where he will be.

I am sorry for your lose.

Peace.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

All the more reason for Catholics to ensure friends and family stay faithful.

We cannot “ensure” that our loved ones do anything. Adults make their own choices.
All we can do is try to set a good example, encourage the loved one, and pray for the person while they are both alive and after their death.

We do not do ourselves, our family, or our friends any favors by trying to wish someone into heaven after they die.

We don’t do ourselves, our family, or our friends any favors by acting like we know for sure some deceased person is probably in Hell either. We have Chritsian Hope and we pray for the person. We have absolutely no way of knowing what was in their heart at the point of death and we know God is both just and merciful.

 

[upant]

I am having a hard time reconciling that he may not be in heaven. Any thoughts???

We do not know and have to entrust our fears to a loving God.

prayer is good for us as well as those we pray for.

pray for your brother in law and leave the issue in God’s hands…

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Happy birthday upant!

 

[upant]

… thanks

 

[SeriousQuestion]

You should always offer prayers for the dead. Try to pray for their conversion while they are alive too.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The content you wrote is that he believed in the supernatural .
The catholic belief is he is in either purgatory. Or ? The place he fits into

No, the Catholic belief is that we have absolutely no idea where the man’s soul is, and we have hope that he is in Heaven and we pray for his soul in case it needs any extra prayers to get there.

We do not look at somebody and say “oh, he believed in the supernatural (or had a same sex partner or anything else) in life so therefore he is in either purgatory or ? the other place” any more than we say, “oh, that person went to Mass every day and prayed all the time so therefore he is in Heaven”.

We have no way of knowing for sure.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Yes you believe what you wrote.
We… Meaning you .

I stated the correct Catholic teaching. It’s not a matter of my personal belief.
Even if the man was the biggest sinner on earth, he could have repented in his last second of life.
God has great mercy.

I also flagged your post as being both wrong teaching and inappropriate.

 

[lilypadrees]

Actually, the Bible is very clear on the matter.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Catholics aren’t sola scriptura. The Catholic teaching is that we do not know for sure if any particular person is in heaven or hell, except in the case of canonized saints whom the Church has officially declared are in heaven.

 

[OmnesBonum]

First of all, remember not to think of salvation (the basic meaning of which is actually “health” or “wholeness” or “wellbeing”) too legalistically. When someone is not saved, it means they are deprived or lacking in the full happiness and well-being of oneness with God. Different influences or choices can affect this, however since everyone’s will is for good, which is the essence of our Lord himself, I believe that all will be healed in some way, although we must pray for them and offer the holy sacrifice of the mass often. Sin will hurt someone since that is why it is sin, it is warned about for our own good, so we would not allow ourselves to be deprived of good by it. However, that does not mean it cannot be healed. I suggest that you read the Showings of Divine Love by the anchoress Julian of Norwich (pray for her cannonization!) which will help explain all of life. Here are some more verses to meditate on:

Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: because love is strong as death: zeal is hard as hell. Its glow is fiery, and a flame of the LORD. Many waters (a symbol of hell) can not quench charity, neither shall floods overwhelm it: if a man shall give all the belongings of his house for love, as nothing he shall despise it. (Canticles 8:6-7)

And they found under the coats of the slain some of the donaries of the idols, that were in Jamnia, from which the law forbiddeth the Jews: therefore it was made plain to all, that for that cause they were slain. And so turning to prayers, they besought our Lord, that the same offence, which was committed, might be forgiven. It is therefore a holy, and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (2 Macchabees 12:40, 42a, 46)

And the woman (of Thecua) said: Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God, and why hath the King spoken this word, that he would sin, and not bring back his banished one? We do all die, and as waters that return not, we fall down on the earth: neither will God have a soul to perish, but calleth back, meaning that he perish not altogether that is cast off. (2 Kings [2 Samuel] 14:13-14) > continued in next post

 

[OmnesBonum]

For what is it to me to judge of them that are without? Do not you judge of them that are within? for them that are without, God will judge. (1 Corinthians 5:12)

For to this purpose we labor and are reviled, because we hope in the living God which is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful. Command these things and teach. (1 Timothy 4:10-11)

For in the third showing when I saw that God doeth all that is done, I saw no sin, and then saw I that all is well. But when God showed me for sin, then said he, All shall be well. …

And then shall it verily be made known to us His meaning in these sweet words where He saith, All shall be well, and thou shalt see thyself that all manner thing shall be well. And then shall the bliss of our Mother in Christ be new to begin in the joys of our God, which new beginning shall last without end, new beginnend (old present participle, meaning beginning anew). Thus I understood that all His blissed children which be come out of Him by kind shall be bought again into Him by grace. (Julian of Norwich) - “by kind” means being of his family by nature, or all people that he has created, as St Paul says we are of his kind on Mars Hill.