If someone dies with no sin (neither mortal nor venial), do they go straight to heaven?

[alebeau]

I was wondering about the Church’s teachings on Purgatory. I believe she teaches that ‘you make reparations’ for the sins on Earth you committed. However, if you go to confession and are forgiven of your sins (truly sorry) and you have no venial sins, would you go straight to heaven, or purgatory?

I want know the Church’s teachings.

God Bless,

–André

 

[passus]

No. Even if you die in a state of grace, there are still presumably temporal punishments to be satisfied in purgatory for the sins committed on earth.

 

[Mumbles140]

Though the analogy doesn’t make sense in a physical sense, this is how I describe it to friends to understand the point…

Imagine a chalkboard that when you write on it, it dents the chalkboard as well. You can use an eraser to clean the chalk off, but even after that, the dents still remain.

We are the chalkboard, and the writing on the chalkboard is our sins. Confession can remove the chalk dust, but something more needs to be done to knock out the dents. These can either be removed through Plenary Indulgences or in Purgatory (often times, both).

Here’s another way to describe it. Confession cleanses the sin from your body, but indulgences and Purgatory will cleanse the sin from your soul.

 

[Mel_Stones]

Sins are forgiven but work still needs to be done because of how we have lived in sin. Our human views, perceptions, and beliefs are influenced by those around us and may not be true. Although we have no culpability for these wrongs (because we knew no better or have been forgiven) our views, perceptions, and beliefs may still need to be changed. If you have an illness (sin) it still affects you whether you know you have it or not. What you don’t know can and does hurt you.

I also think of purgatory this way - what if Hitler is in heaven? If we still have all of our human understandings (those which are not true) we would have a big problem with Hitler in heaven. So we need purged of that which we don’t understand and so are not responsible for but which is not true.

I am not sure this is the official Church teaching but it is basically how my priest explained it to me (not the Hitler part, that’s my example).

 

[Mel_Stones]

If someone dies with no sin (neither mortal nor venial), do they go straight to heaven?

If a child dies very soon after birth and is baptized - yes I think he/she goes straight to heaven because he/she has not lived in sin (that which is taught to us or original sin). Again I don’t know that this is official Church teaching.

 

[Carlan]

No. Even if you die in a state of grace, there are still presumably temporal punishments to be satisfied in purgatory for the sins committed on earth.

not sure about that one Passus, I understand that temporal Punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been paid for by Jesus , catholics believe is a grace from God to help us to become better Christians by purification so as to achieve the holiness needed to enter into the joy of heaven. I’d say there could be some very holy ones amongst us who would go straight up.,:getholy::angel1: Carlan

 

[alebeau]

Thank you all very much. I really appreciate each of your answers. All helped contribute

Though the analogy doesn’t make sense in a physical sense, this is how I describe it to friends to understand the point…

Imagine a chalkboard that when you write on it, it dents the chalkboard as well. You can use an eraser to clean the chalk off, but even after that, the dents still remain.

We are the chalkboard, and the writing on the chalkboard is our sins. Confession can remove the chalk dust, but something more needs to be done to knock out the dents. These can either be removed through Plenary Indulgences or in Purgatory (often times, both).

Here’s another way to describe it. Confession cleanses the sin from your body, but indulgences and Purgatory will cleanse the sin from your soul.

This is a very good example. A++ for thinking of this.

Sins are forgiven but work still needs to be done because of how we have lived in sin. Our human views, perceptions, and beliefs are influenced by those around us and may not be true. Although we have no culpability for these wrongs (because we knew no better or have been forgiven) our views, perceptions, and beliefs may still need to be changed. If you have an illness (sin) it still affects you whether you know you have it or not. What you don’t know can and does hurt you.

I also think of purgatory this way - what if Hitler is in heaven? If we still have all of our human understandings (those which are not true) we would have a big problem with Hitler in heaven. So we need purged of that which we don’t understand and so are not responsible for but which is not true.

I am not sure this is the official Church teaching but it is basically how my priest explained it to me (not the Hitler part, that’s my example).

Purgatory…Purification of the soul… Well explained, Thank you!

not sure about that one Passus, I understand that temporal Punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been paid for by Jesus , catholics believe is a grace from God to help us to become better Christians by purification so as to achieve the holiness needed to enter into the joy of heaven. I’d say there could be some very holy ones amongst us who would go straight up.,:getholy::angel1: Carlan

And Thanks to you carlan…Another good explanation!

All of you did a great job! (Everyone who wrote on this post). I learned something from each of you

Thanks again,

–André