Judgment

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: What Can I Say to a Grieving Widow With No Faith?”

Q: When my brother-in-law died, it was sudden but not unexpected as he was in poor health. My sister called me as I’m her closest relative, just a few blocks away. She was and is devastated. She has been agnostic for most of her life. They were married in the Catholic Church, though he wasn’t Catholic. I’m at a loss on how to console her since she has no faith. Of course, I’m praying for them behind the scenes. Anyway, what happens to him? I’ve read somewhere that at moment of death God will give you the opportunity to finally say yes to him. I’m praying that this is true. Any words of wisdom? Thank you. – G.W.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: I’m sorry to hear about the death of your brother-in-law.

We can’t really guess the state of someone’s soul, including those who didn’t seem to have faith. God alone knows the heart and mind of each person.

Perhaps your brother-in-law was secretly searching for truth and trying to live the best way he knew how. God takes all of that into account and is as merciful as he can be at the particular judgment.

And at the moment of death the Almighty could give a person a special grace to say yes to him. We can always hope.

In the meantime, it would be good to pray for your sister and brother-in-law, and to let your sister know that you are praying for the both of them.

This sudden death might be an occasion for your sister to reconsider some of her own beliefs, or lack of them. At this moment she might even be more open to hearing about our hope in eternal life.

You might try mentioning to her and that the love she had for her husband is a taste of the love that God has for each of us.

Indeed, the love that couples have for each other can give them a sense of something higher than themselves that unites them. This, too, is a taste of the Almighty, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

You might try explaining at an opportune moment why you are praying for her husband. Our prayers for the dead are our sign of faith in a heaven, and they express our hope for the resurrection of all the deceased someday.

Above all, it would be good to just reassure your sister of your love for her. If helpful, you might pass on books that speak about the faith and/or the afterlife. Two suggestions would be Heaven, the Heart’s Deepest Longing and Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven.

I hope some of this helps.

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Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type your question HERE and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

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Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: What Can Non-Catholics Expect After Death?”

Q: I’m not Catholic. What happens to non-Catholics after death? – D.D.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: We all face what is known as a particular judgment at the moment of death.

That is when we face God, who is absolute Truth, and we see our lives in the light of that Truth. We face judgment based on how we lived and on what the state of our soul is at death.

Immediately we learn our fate: either heaven right away, purgatory for a while and then heaven, or hell for eternity.

If we die in a state of mortal (serious) sin, we face the prospect of hell. In this case we get what we choose. If we sin seriously and in effect reject God, then we live with the consequence of that decision for all eternity.

Similarly, if we try to follow God’s ways, we can attain heaven with his grace.

Perhaps non-Catholics, not having enjoyed the benefit of the sacraments in their lifetime, will face a less severe judgment than will Catholics.

For a short video, see https://www.catholic.com/video/what-happens-when-we-die.

To help you pray about these truths, you might find it helpful to what our Retreat Guide called Fire of Mercy.

One thing you count on: All of us will be judged.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

“Ask a Priest: What Can Non-Catholics Expect After Death?” Read More »

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest

“Ask a Priest: Why Condemn Origen Along With His Writings?”

Q: As part of a college course I have recently started reading about Origen, one of the early Christian theologians. I read that he was condemned by the Catholic Church for holding heretical beliefs but that some of his writings were considered canon. How is this? Furthermore, what does it mean to be condemned or “anathematized” by the Church? Is it the same as being excommunicated? Why couldn’t Origen’s writings just be condemned? I understand that we must fight against heresy, but what about being merciful and forgiving toward the person? Do I have to condemn/curse him too? – J.N.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Two words need to be clarified here, namely, “condemned” and “canon.”

The word condemn in this context can easily be misinterpreted. The Church can condemn a work for its faulty ideas, as a way to warn people about its doctrinal mistakes.

The Church might also “anathematize,” or excommunicate, a person for holding on to seriously wrong ideas, since embracing such heresy puts his soul at risk. Excommunication, however, doesn’t mean the Church is sentencing a soul to perdition. The Church cannot do that. God alone is the judge of a soul.

In the case of Origen some of his later ideas weren’t acceptable to the Church and thus were condemned. This doesn’t mean that all of his writings were condemned. In fact, he is still studied as an important early Christian writer.

Pope Benedict XVI is something of a supporter of many of Origen’s (good) ideas. You can see from his general audience talks HERE and also HERE.

The other word is canon. “Canon” is usually applied to the list of books recognized as divinely inspired and include in Scripture. “Canon” in regard to early Christian writings has a looser meaning. These writings aren’t considered inspired in the same sense as biblical texts are, though they might have great value for understanding the mind and practices of the early Church. Some of Origin’s works fulfill those criteria.

By the way, the notions of the condemnation of writings and the excommunication of people are acts of charity, for two reasons.

First, it alerts others that certain writings have serious errors and should not be treated as real doctrine. This is part of the Church’s mission to teach the Gospel — a great act of charity.

Second, it sends a strong signal to a writer, if he is still living, that he needs to dissociate himself from certain faulty ideas, in part for the good of his own soul. This, too, is charity in the deep sense.

To allow someone to stay stuck in grave mistake is not an act of mercy but one of neglect or indifference.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

“Ask a Priest: Why Condemn Origen Along With His Writings?” Read More »

The Tomb and the Pearl | A Regnum Christi Retreat Guide for Easter with Fr. John Bartunek, LC

The Tomb and the Pearl: A Retreat Guide for Easter

This Retreat Guide, “The Tomb and the Pearl,” is designed to help you “go forward towards the light”, as the Holy Father recently put it, so that the glorious Easter Mystery can make a fresh impact on your life.

  • In the First Meditation, you will participate in St. Mary Magdalene’s transforming experience of the empty tomb on that first Easter Sunday.
  • The Second Meditation shows you how to seek your own personal transformation through our Lord’s parable of the pearl of great price.
  • And in the Conference, we will review the “Four Last Things” — death, judgment, heaven, and hell — addressing the false ideas prevalent in secular culture that distort our vision of the afterlife and affect our vision of life here.

Video

Audio

The Tomb and the Pearl: A Retreat Guide for Easter Read More »

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!