Is JP in purgatory now? If he is, and he is made a saint, does that usher him into heaven immediately? When exactly does that happen? Can departed Catholics in purgatory hear your prayers?
I have been a non-Catholic all my life and Im sure the answers will generate more questions. I do not understand how Catholics think about these things at all ...
Only God knows where JPII is right now. The man was truly holy, and I do not doubt he is in heaven. As for him becoming a saint, that has no bearing on God’s judgement of him. It is an earthly recognition of a man who exemplified a good life.
None of us know if the dead hear our prayers whereever they are. It is through what Catholics believe as the Mystery of Faith that prayers are heard. The Mystery of Faith fills the gap between what we as humans understand as scientific facts and the spiritual existence.
The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. Being a Catholic requires faith to explain those things that cannot be rationally explained.
Hope this helps.
1) No, JPII is not in purgatory. He is in heaven
2) The actions of the Church, or beatification, does not usher an individual into heaven. That is God’s job. The Church is making a formal announcement of the revelation that JPII is in heaven. When did JPII move from purgatory to heaven? The answer to that question is not known.
3) People in purgatory cannot hear your prayers, but you can offer prayers for people in purgatory.
This has nothing to do with Catholic "mysticism" at all, but with an ecclesiastical procedure that allows Catholics to remember this man yearly, to ask his intercession, and to praise and emulate his example. But if you want to know more about Catholic mysticism proper, you can start here.
Is JP in purgatory now? If he is, and he is made a saint, does that usher him into heaven immediately?
A beatification is a declaration that a person is among the just. Those in Purgatory are among the just so in principle, it makes no difference if he has been admitted to the Beatific Vision ("heaven") or not. However, it can be argued that we pray for a soul in purgatory, and ask the prayerful intercession of someone who has been beatified or canonized, so the implication is that the person in question is in fact, beholding God in heaven.
The declaration of canonization or beatification doesn't "promote" the person in heaven, but in a sense, promotes the person "on earth," in the eyes of the faithful. There are thousands of saints in heaven, most of whom have not been canonized nor do they need to be in order to enjoy the Lord's presence.
When exactly does that happen?
We can't directly know until "after the fact." The proof lies on the miracle brought about by the candidate's intercession.
Can departed Catholics in purgatory hear your prayers?
Good question. My personal, private opinion is a qualified "yes", provided that we pray *for* them, not *to* them.
I have been a non-Catholic all my life and Im sure the answers will generate more questions. I do not understand how Catholics think about these things at all ...
I'll attempt to answer all the questions you may have, or send you to those who know more when I can't.
Yours in Christ,
-Theo
There are no answers to your questions, just speculation...I never got any straight answers about it in my former Cathloic life either.. Sainthood is like the Catholic Hall of Fame...full of the great players in Catholic history...just a recognition of their contributions to the faith...magritte
I see that several other FReepers have answered them, so I need not jump in. (Although I'm the President of the Department of Redundancy Department President.) But if you have any other questions, please launch them my way if you wish: maybe I can help.