20 world religions and faith practices 51

Robyn Lebron to contravene However, Catholics are not excommunicated from the church if they get a divorce The Catholic Church realizes that situations arise when a married man and woman can no longer live together, such as in the case of an abusive spouse or harm to the children of this union The Church suggests in such cases that the two live apart, they are however still married in the eyes of the Church It is possible for such a couple to have a divorce in the eyes of civil authorities but not in the eyes of God Only through death is the sacramental marriage dissolved If both spouses remain separated and not marry they may receive all the sacraments of the church If one spouse does remarry then he or she in turn is committing adultery and is not permitted to participate in the sacraments of the church The Church, after an examination of the situation by the competent ecclesiastical tribunal, can declare the nullity of a marriage, i.e., that the marriage never existed In this case the contracting parties are free to marry, provided the natural obligations of a previous union are discharged.13 Death and Afterlife Roman Catholics believe —”‰ƒ–‘”› is a place in which people have to go to purge out their own sins, which the blood of Jesus Christ does not atone for In other words, Christ can grant you eternal life, but you still mus– “pay for your sins.” There are certain sins that people have to take care of themselves in order to be saved All who die in God’s grace and friendship but still imperfect are assured of salvation, but after death, they undergo purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (ƒ–‡…Š‹•paragraph 1030) The Church gives the name purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned (Catechism paragraph 1031) Heaven is the state of everlasting life in which we see God face-to-face, are made like unto Him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness Those who have been purified will be rejoined with their bodies and join Christ and the angels in a celestial paradise “Hell is a state to which the wicked are condemned, and in which they are deprived of the sight of God for all eternity, and are in dreadful torments.”14 ~ ~