The dead see us. What does the church teach

The dead see us. What does the church teach, my dears? One of the most

Frequent questions that arise in the heart of man after the death of a

loved one are the following. Do the dead see us? Do they hear us when

We pray? Do they know what is happening in our lives? It is not a simple question. It is a need

of the soul. Our church does not answer with fantasies, but with the word of Christ

and the Holy Fathers. First of all, we must know something basic. Death

is not the end of life. It is a separation of soul and body. The soul

continues to live with full consciousness. Christ himself shows this in the parable

of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man, after his death, sees Lazarus.

He remembers his relatives on earth. He speaks and worries about them. Therefore, he has memory

and awareness, and interest. Souls are not inactive. St. John the

Christ clearly says, "The souls of the deceased know what is happening in the

world by God's permission." That is, God allows them to know much

of what is happening to the living, and he adds that they are especially happy when they see prayers and memorials being made for them. That is why the church

insists so much on praying for the dead. It is not formal. It is

real help. St. Macarius the Egyptian says that after death, the soul

acquires a clearer spiritual sense. It understands spiritual things

better than when it was in the body. It sees the truth more clearly. St.

Gregory the Dialog mentions many cases in which God allowed souls

to appear to living people. But always for spiritual good, for

correction. For consolation, never for curiosity. Now let us look at some

incidents narrated by spiritual fathers. A woman who had lost

Her husband was immersed in grief. One night while praying, she felt a strong peace

and as if someone was standing next to her. And in her heart she heard, "I am."

Well, do not cry. Pray for me. From then on, she found the strength to continue

her life. Another man saw in his dream his mother telling him, 

"My child, return to God." He woke up shocked and changed his attitude towards life.

He began to go to church and confess. "Spiritualists say that

Many times God allows such experiences to awaken a person.

There are also cases of people who, shortly before they die, say they see

loved ones calling them in peace. Many doctors have

recorded this. The church sees it as a preparation of the soul for the other life.

However, discernment is needed. Not every sensation or every dream is from the soul.

Many are also from the evil one. The church does not call us to seek

experiences. It calls us to pray. Because prayer is the real

communication with the sleeping. Saint John of Damascus says that

Love is not cut off by death. The relationship continues spiritually. That is why the church says that memory is eternal. Not as a remembrance, but as a living presence

before God. So to answer clearly, yes, the dead live. Yes, they have

a conscience. Yes, they know much of what happens when God allows it, and 

above all, they feel our prayer. But everything happens spiritually, not like in the

movies. That is why it should not scare us. On the contrary, it should fill us

with hope. Because it means that death is not the end. It is a passage. A passage

to eternal life. But our church does not stop here. It gives us other

testimonies to better understand the life of the soul after

death. Saint Simeon, the new theologian, teaches that the souls of the righteous

are in a state of light and joy and are aware of what is happening on earth

when God allows it. He says characteristically that souls rejoice

when they see the repentance and salvation of the people they love. This

shows us that they are not indifferent. They participate spiritually in our lives.

Saint Theophanes the Ecclesian states that after death the soul passes into another

form of existence, but does not lose its consciousness. On the contrary, it often

perceives reality more clearly than before, and Saint Nicodemus the

Athonite, speaking about the state of souls, emphasizes that the prayer of the

Church is a great comfort and help for them. That is why the church prays unceasingly for the departed. I will mention one more

incident narrated by spiritual fathers. A man had lost

his brother and never prayed for him. One night, he saw him in his sleep, 

sad, saying to him, "My brother, you forgot to pray for me. Don't

leave me without help." He woke up shocked and from then on began

to pray and remember every day. And as he himself said, he felt

great peace in his heart. Another incident. An elderly woman

prayed every day for her husband, who had passed away. One night

she saw him in her sleep, bright and happy, saying to her, "Thank you very much for

your prayers. They help me a lot. "Spiritual fathers explain that God often

allows such experiences to strengthen people's faith and hope. All this shows us one basic thing. Death does not separate

love. It transforms it. The relationship continues in Christ. That is why

The church calls us not to sadness without hope. But in sorrow with faith. And as

the apostle of the nations, Paul, says, "We do not want us to be ignorant about those 

who have fallen asleep or to grieve as we grieve, having hope. That is, not to

grieve like those who have no hope because we have the resurrection

And this is the great truth of our life. We will all live again. We will all be

resurrected. That is why we will meet again. Therefore, 

my brothers, let us keep alive the prayer for our deceased. Let us

Remember them. Let us love them. Because love does not die. It lives eternally in

Christ. Next week, on Friday, we will talk about something that

Many ask, but few know. What exactly happens at the moment

a person dies? What is the path of the soul after death, and what are the

tolls that the soul passes through according to the tradition of the church? A

very serious matter

The Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory

The Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory: Why It Is Theologically Erroneous In Roman Catholic theology, there exists the doctrine of Purgatory (Purgatorium): an intermediate state after death in which souls are “purified” through punitive suffering before entering Paradise. The Orthodox Church rejects this doctrine not out of hostility, but because it has no foundation either in Holy Scripture or in the Patristic Tradition, and because it distorts fundamental truths concerning salvation. ⸻ 1. Purgatory Does Not Exist in Holy Scripture There is no clear reference in the New Testament to a “place of purifying punishment.” The main passage cited by Catholics (2 Maccabees 12:45) does not belong to the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament, nor was it ever used dogmatically by the ancient Church. Christ speaks plainly: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46) He makes no mention of a third, intermediate state of punitive “purification.” ⸻ 2. It Turns Salvation into a Legal Transaction Purgatory is based on the logic that: • guilt is forgiven, • but a remaining “penalty” must still be paid. This introduces a legalistic concept of salvation that is foreign to the Orthodox experience. In Orthodoxy: Christ does not pay penalties — He heals the human person. Salvation is not a judicial settlement, but the restoration of the relationship with God. ⸻ 3. It Distorts the Meaning of Repentance In Purgatory, purification takes place after death through suffering. In Orthodox Tradition: • purification occurs here and now, through repentance, confession, ascetic struggle, and Holy Communion. After death: “It is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) There is no second “pedagogical punishment.” ⸻ 4. It Creates Fear Instead of Hope Purgatory cultivates: • fear of future suffering, • anxiety over expiation, • and historically even led to the commercialization of indulgences. The Orthodox Church, by contrast, speaks of: • hope in the mercy of God, • prayer for the departed, • and trust in His loving-kindness — not in mechanisms of punishment. ⸻ 5. The Fathers of the Church Did Not Teach Purgatory None of the great Fathers of the Church: • St. John Chrysostom • St. Basil the Great • St. Gregory the Theologian ever spoke of a place of punitive purification. They speak of: • the toll houses (as a spiritual struggle), • a temporary state of awaiting judgment, • prayer on behalf of the departed, but not of an institutionalized post-mortem purgatorial fire. ⸻ ❖ Conclusion Purgatory: • is not biblical, • is not patristic, • is not therapeutic, • and distorts the evangelical message of salvation. The Orthodox Church accepts repentance — it places it in its proper context: in this life, where the human person is called to be healed, to love, and to be united with Christ.

Πουργατόριο και «Άγιοι» εκτός Εκκλησίας – Η Ορθόδοξη απάντηση

Στον καθολικό χώρο συχνά προβάλλεται η ιδέα ότι κάποιοι «άγιοι» είχαν μεταθανάτιες εμπειρίες και αποκάλυψαν την ύπαρξη του Πουργατορίου. Αυτές οι αφηγήσεις, όμως, δεν αποτελούν μέρος της Αποστολικής και Πατερικής Παραδόσεως της Εκκλησίας.

Το Πουργατόριο δεν ανήκει στην Ορθόδοξη Πίστη

Η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία διδάσκει ξεκάθαρα ότι:

• δεν υπάρχει Πουργατόριο ως ενδιάμεσος τόπος ή κατάσταση καθαρμού ποινών,
• δεν υπάρχει «εξόφληση» αμαρτιών μετά θάνατον,
• δεν υπάρχει νομική αντίληψη σωτηρίας.

Οι Άγιοι Πατέρες μιλούν για:

• προγεύσεις Παραδείσου ή Κολάσεως,
• αναμονή της Τελικής Κρίσεως,
• προσευχή υπέρ των κεκοιμημένων ως επίκληση του ελέους του Θεού.

Μεταθανάτιες εμπειρίες και διάκριση πνευμάτων

Η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία δεν θεμελιώνει δόγματα σε ιδιωτικά οράματα ή εμπειρίες.

Οι Πατέρες τονίζουν τη διάκριση πνευμάτων, διότι ακόμη και ο διάβολος μπορεί να παρουσιάζεται ως «φως».

Όταν μια εμπειρία οδηγεί σε διδασκαλία ξένη προς την Εκκλησία, δεν αποδεικνύει την αλήθεια, αλλά αποκαλύπτει πνευματική πλάνη.

Υπάρχουν Άγιοι εκτός Ορθοδοξίας;

Η αγιότητα δεν είναι ατομικό κατόρθωμα αλλά εκκλησιαστικό γεγονός.

Η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία αναγνωρίζει Αγίους μόνο εντός του Σώματος του Χριστού, δηλαδή εντός της Εκκλησίας.

Δεν αποφαίνεται για τη σωτηρία προσώπων εκτός αυτής, αλλά δεν αναγνωρίζει αγιότητα εκτός της Ορθόδοξης Πίστης.

Συμπέρασμα

• Το Πουργατόριο δεν υπάρχει στην Ορθόδοξη Παράδοση.
• Τα οράματα δεν θεμελιώνουν δόγματα.
• Η αγιότητα είναι καρπός της Εκκλησίας.
• Η Ορθοδοξία στέκεται στην Αλήθεια χωρίς σχολαστικές κατασκευές.

🇬🇧 ENGLISH

Purgatory and “Saints” outside the Church – The Orthodox Response

In Roman Catholicism, it is often claimed that certain “saints” had post-mortem experiences and revealed the existence of Purgatory. However, such claims do not belong to the Apostolic and Patristic Tradition of the Church.

Purgatory is not part of Orthodox Faith

The Orthodox Church clearly teaches that:

• Purgatory does not exist as an intermediate state of penal purification,
• there is no legal “payment” for sins after death,
• salvation is not understood in juridical terms.

The Holy Fathers speak of:

• a foretaste of Paradise or Hell,
• the awaiting of the Final Judgment,
• prayer for the departed as an appeal to God’s mercy, not as a payment of punishment.

Post-mortem experiences and discernment

Orthodoxy does not establish dogma based on private visions or experiences.

The Fathers emphasize spiritual discernment, since even the devil can appear as an angel of light.

When an experience leads to teachings foreign to the Church, it does not confirm truth, but reveals spiritual deception.

Are there saints outside Orthodoxy?

Holiness is not an individual achievement but an ecclesial reality.

The Orthodox Church recognizes saints only within the Body of Christ, the Church itself.

While it does not judge the eternal fate of individuals outside her bounds, it does not recognize sanctity outside Orthodox faith and life.

Conclusion

• Purgatory does not exist in Orthodox Tradition.
• Visions do not define doctrine.
• Holiness is a fruit of the Church.
• Orthodoxy stands on Truth through Tradition, not scholastic constructions.