Basic Catholic Q and A's

The numbers in parenthese that follow the questions refer to related paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

1. What is death?
2. What is a funeral?
3. What is a cemetery?
4. What is cremation?
5. What is the false belief called "reincarnation"?
6. What awaits a person after death and individual judgment?
7. What does "eternal" mean?
8. What is eternity?
9. What is the particular judgment?
10. What is the beatific vision?
11. Who are the "blessed"?
13. Will we know our family and friends in heaven?
14. Could life in heaven be boring?
15. Will everyone have the same degree of happiness in heaven?
16. What is purgatory?
17. How long will purgatory last?
18. Can we help the souls in purgatory?
19. How long will heaven and hell last?
20. What is hell?
21. Who are the damned?
22. Is God cruel to make hell last forever?
23. What is the pain of loss?
24. What is the pain of sense?
25. Can we help the souls in hell?
26. What is the second coming?
27. What is the general judgment?
28. Will our resurrected bodies be the same then as they are now?
29. What is meant by the "glorified body"?
30. Has the body of any human person been preserved from corruption and taken into heaven?
31. What will happen at the end of the world?
32. When will the end of the world occur?

1. What is death?
Death is the separation of soul and body, when the body of a human being becomes lifeless while the soul continues to live. (1005)

We would prefer to leave our bodies and be at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

2. What is a funeral?
For a Catholic, a funeral is the service for the deceased and the ceremonies connected with the burial of the dead. The central focus of the Catholic funeral liturgy is the funeral Mass. (1680-1690)

What is perishable when it is sown is imperishable when it is raised. A physical body is sown, a spiritual body is raised (1 Cor 15:42, 44).

3. What is a cemetery?
A cemetery is a place for burying the dead. For Catholics the ground or plot of land is to be consecrated or blessed.

4. What is cremation?
Cremation is the reduction of a human body to ashes by fire. The Church earnestly recommends that our ancient custom of burying the dead be observed. Cremation, however, is permitted unless it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to the Christian teaching on the resurrection of the body. (2301)

5. What is the false belief called "reincarnation"?
Reincarnation is the erroneous concept that the souls of the dead return to earth in new forms or bodies. It is also called "transmigration of souls."

And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Eccl 12:7).

6. What awaits a person after death and individual judgment?
After death and individual judgment a person may go to heaven for all eternity, or to purgatory temporarily and then to heaven, or to hell for all eternity. (1022)

Right now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. At present my knowledge is incomplete, but then I will truly understand, as God understands me (1 Cor 13:12).

7. What does "eternal" mean?
"Eternal" means without beginning or end.

8.  What is eternity?
Eternity means no beginning, end or change. We speak of God's eternity, referring to his unending, unchanging Being. We will share in eternal life after death. For the just it will be the "eternal rest" of heaven. (1020, 1023)

I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in me, even if he should die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (Jn 11:25-26).

9. What is the particular judgment?
The particular judgment, also called the individual judgment, is Christ's judgment of a person immediately after death. (1021)

We always bear the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies (2 Cor 4:10).

10. What is the beatific vision?
The beatific vision is the clear and immediate vision and experience of God enjoyed by the angels and saints in heaven. (163, 2548, 2550)

He took me in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God with God's glory. The city had no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, for God's glory illuminated the city and the Lamb was its lamp (Rev 21:10-11, 23).

11. Who are the "blessed"?
The "blessed" are the souls of the dead who are in heaven. The title "blessed" is also given to a person who has been beatified or declared "blessed" by the Church. (1025, 1029)

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev 2:10).

12. Is there any pain, sorrow or sin in heaven?
In heaven there is no pain, sorrow, sin or whatever could cause unhappiness. There cannot even be the threat or fear of these things.

13. Will we know our family and friends in heaven?
Yes, and we will rejoice with them in God.

14. Could life in heaven be boring?
Life in heaven could never be boring because we will always be finding out new and wonderful things about God.

15. Will everyone have the same degree of happiness in heaven?
In heaven everyone will be perfectly happy according to their capacity for happiness. This capacity will be greater for those who loved God more unselfishly on earth.

16. What is purgatory?
Purgatory is a condition of purification after death in which good souls who are imperfectly prepared for heaven are cleansed from the effects of their sins before they enter heaven. (1030-1032)

But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come (Mt 12:32).

17. How long will purgatory last?
After the general judgment, there will no longer be a need for purification, since God's kingdom will have arrived in its fullness. (1031)

Then I saw a new heavens and a new earth-the first heavens and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more (Rev 21:1).

18. Can we help the souls in purgatory?
We can help the souls in purgatory with our prayers, especially through the Mass, and by penance, acts of charity and gaining indulgences for them. (1032)

Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin (2 Mc 12:45).

19. How long will heaven and hell last?
Heaven and hell will last forever. (1029, 1035)

There will no longer be night, and they will have no need for a lamp's light or for the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine upon them and they will reign forever and ever (Rev 22:5).

20. What is hell?
Hell is everlasting suffering and separation from God. (1033)

Get away from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels... (Mt 25:41).

21. Who are the damned?
The damned are those who suffer everlasting punishment in hell because of their free and unrepented choice of mortal sin. (1034)

He is being patient with you because he does not want anyone to be destroyed-he wants everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief (2 Pt 3:9-10).

22. Is God cruel to make hell last forever?
God is not cruel, but just, to make hell last forever. The persons who will spend eternity in hell will have chosen to remain apart from God by the way they spent their earthly lives.

23. What is the pain of loss?
The pain of loss is one of the sufferings of those in hell or purgatory. It is awareness of being separated from our good and loving God. (1035)

24. What is the pain of sense?
The pain of sense refers to the other sufferings of hell or purgatory, a torment that is, or feels like, physical pain. (1034)

And whoever says, "You fool!" shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna (Mt 5:22).

25. Can we help the souls in hell?
We cannot help the souls in hell, because their state is eternally and justly settled. (1033)

26. What is the second coming?
The second coming refers to Christ's return in glory at the end of the world, when he will reward the just and punish those who have persisted in doing evil. All the people who ever lived will be assembled for the general judgment, and the whole universe will be transformed as the kingdom of God is established. (1038-1041)

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will pay each according to their work (Mt 16:27). (See also Mt 26:64; Acts 1:11)

27. What is the general judgment?
The general or universal judgment, also known as the last judgment, will happen at the end of the world when God will make known everyone's eternal destiny in the presence of all humanity. (678-679, 1038-1041)

Because the hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice, and they will come out, those who did good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who wrought evil to the resurrection of judgment (Jn 5:28-29).

28. Will our resurrected bodies be the same then as they are now?
Our resurrected bodies will be ours, but transformed. The bodies of the just will be in a glorified state, which means that they will no longer have physical needs and will be endowed with qualities that they did not possess in their mortal existence. (990)

The dead will be raised imperishable and we will be transformed. For this corruptible body must be clothed in incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed in immortality (1 Cor 15:52-53).

29. What is meant by the "glorified body"?
The glorified body is the body of one who has been raised from death to eternal life on the last day. No longer subject to suffering and death, our bodies will be transformed in glory. (999-1000)

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever (Dn 12:3).

30. Has the body of any human person been preserved from corruption and taken into heaven?
By a special privilege, the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been preserved from corruption and taken into heaven. On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Mary's Assumption a dogma of faith. This feast is celebrated on August 15. (966, 974)

31. What will happen at the end of the world?
At the end of the world the bodies of all people will rise from the earth to be reunited to their souls forever. The bodies of the just will share in the souls' glory; the bodies of the damned will share the punishment. (1042)

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (Dn 12:2).

32. When will the end of the world occur?
We do not know when the world will end.

But as for that day and hour, no one knows-not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Mt 24:36).

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