According to Catholicism, when exactly were the souls of those who died before Christ conducted to heaven?
score:2
The souls of those who died before Christ (who were in the Limbo of the Fathers (limbus patrum) or "Bosom of Abraham") were conducted to heaven at Christ's Ascension.
Addressing the question of "Whether Christ's Ascension is the cause of our salvation?," St. Thomas Aquinas writes:
…He took to heaven the souls of the saints delivered from hell, according to Ps. 67:19 (Cf. Eph. 4:8*): "Ascending on high, He led captivity captive," because He took with Him to heaven those who had been held captives by the devil—to heaven, as to a place strange to human nature, captives in deed of a happy taking, since they were acquired by His victory.
*["For the which he saith, Ascending on high, he led captivity captive: he gave gifts to men."]
See also "Does the Catholic Church teach that some who died before Christ are still in Limbo? Why?."
Upvote:2
Catholic doctrine on this subject was stated authoritatively by Pope Benedict XII in his 1336 Apostolic Constitution "Benedictus Deus" [1] [2]:
By this Constitution which is to remain in force for ever, we, with apostolic authority, define the following: [...]
the souls of all the saints who departed from this world before the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ [...]
all these souls, immediately (mox) after death and, in the case of those in need of purification, after the purification mentioned above, since the ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into heaven, already before they take up their bodies again and before the general judgment, have been, are and will be with Christ in heaven, in the heavenly kingdom and paradise, joined to the company of the holy angels. Since the passion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, these souls have seen and see the divine essence with an intuitive vision and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature by way of object of vision; rather the divine essence immediately manifests itself to them, plainly, clearly and openly, and in this vision they enjoy the divine essence.
IMV, the way to make the two different "since" clauses mutually consistent is to hold that "the souls of all the saints who departed from this world before the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ"
were taken to heaven, i.e. the Beatific Vision, by Jesus Himself after his death, i.e. while He was in a state of disembodied soul between his death and resurrection, and
were joined in heaven by the bodily glorified Jesus after his ascension.
More post
- 📝 Did Moses write YHWH or God's full name?
- 📝 How many mistresses did Solomon actually have?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve have children in paradise?
- 📝 Why would cold running water be preferred for baptism?
- 📝 How does the Roman Catholic Church interpret predestination?
- 📝 What are the root causes of the recent clerical sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Do the acts of the flesh reveal false Christians?
- 📝 Is voluntary passibility consistent with an essentially impassible God?
- 📝 Why would Zachariah doubt Angel Gabriel?
- 📝 Where did the translators of the New World translation study the Biblical languages?
- 📝 Why do the later versions of the Book of Mormon contain added phrases that seem to change the nature of Christ?
- 📝 What is the argument against the imposition of clerical celibacy as practiced in the Roman Catholic Church?
- 📝 What is the Biblical definition of "prophecy"?
- 📝 Do we have the right ten commandments?
- 📝 In what sense is Jesus understood to be "the only begotten son of God" in LDS teaching?
- 📝 Paintings of the Holy Family with a young St. Joseph?
- 📝 What is the origin and basis for the Catholic teaching regarding Mary's vow of celibacy prior to her betrothal?
- 📝 What is Thomas Aquinas's "Dec. præc."?
- 📝 A Christian that believe in one God and gives him no image. What kind of Christian is that?
- 📝 What is the earliest mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, did the Temptation(s) of Jesus take place on the same day?
- 📝 What is the origin of the Doctrine of Trinity?
- 📝 What does the LDS Church teach about infallibility?
- 📝 How is the atonement sufficient for salvation according to Calvinists?
- 📝 Who actually were writers of the Gospels?
- 📝 How Many Members of Joseph Smith's Council of Fifty Practiced Plural Marriage?
- 📝 Once a believer, always a believer?
- 📝 When talking about the Trinity, what does "persons" mean?
- 📝 Self-Examination in Reformed Practical Theology
- 📝 What is the Protestant view of the miracle at Fátima?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 According to Catholicism, when exactly were the souls of those who died before Christ conducted to heaven?
- 📝 According to Evangelicals, before the Reformation, who were Christians if “Catholics are not Christians”?
- 📝 According to Trinitarians, when the term Yahweh ('LORD') is used in the OT, who exactly is being referred to?
- 📝 In pre-tribulation pre-millennialism, will those who have died before the millennium return to earth?
- 📝 How could Jesus be born during the reign of Herod, and when Quirinius was governor of Syria, if those periods were not contemporary?
- 📝 According to the young-earth perspective, when were races created?
- 📝 According to Catholics were Adam and Eve aware that they possessed immortal souls before Satan told Eve that she would not die?
- 📝 Catholic Lay Saints Who were Economically Well Off When They Died
- 📝 According to Catholic doctrine, what effect does the Last Judgment have on those who are already in heaven?
- 📝 According to the LDS Church, what is the purpose or result of proxy baptisms for those who have already died?
- 📝 Where and/or when did the tradition that Methuselah died seven days before the Flood (for a period of mourning) originate?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach that some who died before Christ are still in Limbo? Why?
- 📝 If only those who died after Jesus death are among the ones that go to heaven, how do JWs view the ascension of Elijah?
- 📝 Why did Mary need to remain a virgin during pregnancy according to those who deny the perpetual virginity doctrine?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, will those who are alive on the Day of Judgement die physically?
- 📝 How many writings of those who were disciples of the first 12 apostles (plus Paul) are available today?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, does Jesus condemn those who don't believe?
- 📝 Were the friends of Job, who came to him when he was in pain, of another religion?
- 📝 What are Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs on how those who died before Jesus, or before JWs existed, will gain salvation?
- 📝 According to Pentecostals, when were names added to the Book of Life?
- 📝 If according to the Jehovah Witnesses that "there was a time when God was alone," who was with God at John 1:1?
- 📝 Were those who perished in the flood of Noah eternally damned?
- 📝 According to Charismatic Christians, do those who never hear the gospel of Christ go to hell?
- 📝 What is the difference between the two creations of humans, according to those who believe they are in chronological order?
- 📝 Were there indulgences sold for those who had no family when they died?
- 📝 According to Catholics when were names added to The Book of Life?
- 📝 According to Baptist when were names added to The Book of Life?
- 📝 According to Emanuel Swedenborg, who is the man Jesus, born of a woman, who died and then was resurrected?
- 📝 According to Catholicism what happens to young children who die before being baptized?
- 📝 Zechariah 14 and Acts 1 according to those who reject the deity of Christ