Does EO Believe/Teach About Purgatory?

[StRestlessHeart333]

If yes, how similar or different is it from the RCC? If no, does EOC teach only about Heaven and Hell?

Thank you

 

[ArmyMatt]

we do not teach that there is a third "place" for souls. there is a purging, but it is the fire of the presence of God, and not a created fire or some temporal place.

 

[buzuxi02]

No purgatory, but since I see your Chaldean what does your church teach on the matter and is it different from the Assyrian Church of the east?

 

[StRestlessHeart333]

No purgatory, but since I see your Chaldean what does your church teach on the matter and is it different from the Assyrian Church of the east?

The Chaldean Church teaches the same thing the Roman Catholic Church says about purgatory.

I have no clue what the Assyrian Church teaches.

 

[StRestlessHeart333]

we do not teach that there is a third "place" for souls. there is a purging, but it is the fire of the presence of God, and not a created fire or some temporal place.

So you do believe in some sorta purgatory?

 

[buzuxi02]

There is no purgatory. Nobody recieves the fullness of their reward or suffering till the second coming. There is no temporal fire, only a foretaste of what is to come. Whatever foregiveness of faults that may take place after death through the prayers of the Church should not be relied upon as a guarantee, and this forgiveness is not predicated upon any temporal punishments.

 

[RobNJ]

So you do believe in some sorta purgatory?

Nope, as far as I know, Rome came up with that one, post schism.

 

[InnerPhyre]

We are hesitant to make dogmatic statements about exactly what happens after we die, but we definitely do not believe in a place where we receive temporal punishment for our sins before moving onto heaven. One thing we do say about heaven is that we continually grow closer to God forever, always improving, learning how to love more perfectly. Since God is infinite and uncontainable, the process of becoming more like Him never ends. It is not a static reality. So you could call that a purging, I suppose, but it wouldn't be the same thing that Catholics believe about Purgatory.

 

[StRestlessHeart333]

Thank you all for your replies. I am learning a lot. If you don't mind I have more questions.

What does your church teach about what happens after death? I mean before the second coming.
And do you pray for the people who have gone before us? Offer Masses and such?

Thanks again for your responses.

 

[Soma Seer]

...As far as I know, Rome came up with that one, post schism.

I don't know exactly when the idea of purgatory became RC dogma, but...

According to the authors of Catholicism for Dummies, the RCC teaches the idea of purgatory due to 2 Maccabees (12:43-46). The thinking is that souls who're prayed for must be in a place other than heaven or hell. If they're in hell, no prayers would help them; if they're in heaven, they haven't need of prayers.

I'm just paraphrasing what the authors wrote; please, don't debate me on this issue. :o


SS

 

[InnerPhyre]

Thank you all for your replies. I am learning a lot. If you don't mind I have more questions.

What does your church teach about what happens after death? I mean before the second coming.
And do you pray for the people who have gone before us? Offer Masses and such?

Thanks again for your responses.

We do not offer liturgies for the departed, but we do pray for them. We pray especially for the 40 days after death and each year on the anniversary of their repose. We have a service called a Panikhida for them, which you can see here:

Panikhida Part1 - Prayers for the Departed - YouTube

 

[ArmyMatt]

What does your church teach about what happens after death? I mean before the second coming.

all souls come face to face with Christ. for those that struggled for Truth, His presence will be illumination and joy. for those who struggled against Him, His presence will be a fire consuming the unworthy.

And do you pray for the people who have gone before us? Offer Masses and such?

we pray for them because God is outside of time, so no prayer is ever offered too late. if I pray for my grandmother who died in 2008, even that prayer now is applied to the economy of her salvation, since God saw the prayer and acted before I even prayed it.

we also pray for them because at the moment of death, the soul is at its most vulnerable, so they need prayers. and last but not least, we pray for them out of love for them.

 

[buzuxi02]

I don't know exactly when the idea of purgatory became RC dogma, but...

According to the authors of Catholicism for Dummies, the RCC teaches the idea of purgatory due to 2 Maccabees (12:43-46). The thinking is that souls who're prayed for must be in a place other than heaven or hell. If they're in hell, no prayers would help them; if they're in heaven, they haven't need of prayers.

I'm just paraphrasing what the authors wrote; please, don't debate me on this issue. :o


SS

If this is what that book taught and reflects accurate rc teaching, then we EO differ even more.

First the prayers for the dead can benefit all. In the writings of the Fathers stories abound how our prayers bring relief even if temporary to men whose hope of salvation is minimal.

Secondly it is recognized that the holier the person the more prayers he recieves. This is because prayers for the dead is an act of love. The pious man would be loved more than an evil man. Thus the church community through the love of his pious family and friends bring his name in the memorials of the church, while the impious man is forgotten.

Thirdly those in purgatory theoretically would require no prayers either. As there salvation is guaranteed. The prayers for those in purgatory only shortens the durations of punishment. We reject the concept that punishment is required to purge sins, foregiveness is not predicated on extracting pain in an exchange for cleansing.

 

[Trying_to_be_Orthodox]

If yes, how similar or different is it from the RCC? If no, does EOC teach only about Heaven and Hell?

Thank you

I was told about existence of place which looks like very relatively purgatory. But better to do not bet on it in our life. We make after-death destiny here, in this world.

 

[RKO]

We do not offer liturgies for the departed, but we do pray for them. We pray especially for the 40 days after death and each year on the anniversary of their repose. We have a service called a Panikhida for them, which you can see here:

Panikhida Part1 - Prayers for the Departed - YouTube

My Lord, Such other-worldly beauty. I'll never understand why we Catholics felt the need to make our Mass borderline ugly.

 

[InnerPhyre]

I'll never understand why we Catholics felt the need to make our Mass borderline ugly.

Nor I, my friend. Nor I. The Latin Church has a staggeringly beautiful liturgical tradition that has been disdained and destroyed over the past century and though I can understand why people want the mass in English (we celebrate in the vernacular) I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would prefer the Gather hymnal and the overall cheesiness of the new mass to the transcendent beauty of the Gregorian mass.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Nor I, my friend. Nor I. The Latin Church has a staggeringly beautiful liturgical tradition that has been disdained and destroyed over the past century and though I can understand why people want the mass in English (we celebrate in the vernacular) I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would prefer the Gather hymnal and the overall cheesiness of the new mass to the transcendent beauty of the Gregorian mass.

I remember the change when I was Anglican, when a priest who was off the boat from England started doing some of the more traditional services (especially around Easter), and I wondered why we had not done those from the beginning. and that was nowhere near the beauty of the more traditional Roman Catholic rites.

 

[RKO]

I remember the change when I was Anglican, when a priest who was off the boat from England started doing some of the more traditional services (especially around Easter), and I wondered why we had not done those from the beginning. and that was nowhere near the beauty of the more traditional Roman Catholic rites.

At this very moment, I am agreeing with you and listening to a Mass by Palestrina. Ah, those were the days...

 

[ArmyMatt]

At this very moment, I am agreeing with you and listening to a Mass by Palestrina. Ah, those were the days...

hahaha, but on a serious note to tie in with the OP, I think one thing that Orthodoxy has, that has tragically been lost in other denominations, is the eschatology behind the services.

 

[RileyG]

I find what Orthodox believe what happens after death is extremely fascinating. (I will not mention toll houses, because I realize they see death as a mystery and it's not accepted by all).

You don't offer Liturgies for the dead? Do you pray for the departed during the liturgy? Do you dedicate your Eucharist or office for them? I'm a little bit confused now...

Does the Divine Liturgy help both the living AND departed? Same with the Eucharist?

(I have a western mindset, so I probably sound...redundant)