Death, Purgatory, and Non-Catholics

[DLedoux]

Will non catholics who are christian enter purgatory. Purgatory is place where God shows his mercy, right? My family is mostly protestant and non denominational. Though my grandma is mormon, but she got tricked into the mormon faith due to her being old and senile. Basically my whole family loves Jesus and I wouldn’t want them to go to hell because they were not catholic. In my own opinion all it comes down to is that we love and worship jesus, right? God wouldn’t send them to hell just for loving him in a different way, right? If God truly love them then there wouldn’t be a big issue I hope. Please answer this question for I am deeply confused.

God Bless!!!

 

[Ann_Stanton]

Purgatory is a way of becoming more perfect in order to be in heaven. God is just. I have a considerable number of relatives that were non-Catholics and even anti-Catholics. I have prayed for them and continue to pray that they will eventually enter heaven. Several persons on this forum have encouraged me to hope that my relatives will one day be in Heaven.

 

[CelticWarlord]

Dr. David Anders has frequently said that those who enter heaven or purgatory prior, are those who are friends with God. I’ll go a step further and say they may not even know they are friends with God. Billy Graham told a wonderful story years ago of a visit to his wife’s home in China where her parents were missionaries. He met an old man, a beggar on the street, to whom he handed some money and, with an interpreter shared the gospel. The old man grew very emotional and said, “I have loved this Jesus all my life, but I had never known his name before today.”

 

[joeybaggz]

I think it was Pope St. John Paul II who taught that all those who know the gospel and do their best to follow its teachings, even if not in communion with Rome, can and will be saved. The CC does not teach that only Catholics will achieve heaven, it is for all.
As to purgatory, you really have to have a better definition of purgatory. I personally, and many other BTW, believe that Purgatory is a condition of Heaven, and not a separate place. (though I admit it could be) Purgatory could be a temporary state of heaven where Jesus “washes the feet of those who are saved” so that they will enter heaven in a pure state.
Purgatory is not some kind of cosmic concentration camp, with thumb screws, the rack and a host of medieval tortures. It is Christ purifying the saved of any vestige of the taint of sin that remains.
Shalom

 

[joeybaggz]

Basically my whole family loves Jesus and I wouldn’t want them to go to hell because they were not catholic. In my own opinion all it comes down to is that we love and worship jesus, right?

DLedoux, please understand that in the CC sense of damnation, one must die in the state of unrepented mortal sin. A mortal sin is something that is grave matter (murder, theft, blasphemy, etc. etc.). It is committed with a full understanding of the fact that commission of that act separates one completely with God, severs the relationship willfully and intentionally, and is done with a full, clear, rational understanding of the consequences of the act. There are those who say that for someone who holds Christ as the standard, who, as you put it, “loves” Jesus, a mortal sin is the hardest thing to do on the face of the earth. I might not agree totally with that, but from the way you describe your family, I really don’t see them committing mortal sin after mortal sin and permanently turning away from God.

Heck, I am open to the possibility that Judas, is at home with his Savior in His Father’s kingdom.
Shalom.