Wichita 'miracle' causes Vatican to send investigator

cna ^ | June 24, 2009

[rabidralph]

Believe the Bible, because that’s where I get my information.

[GOPmember]

Fr. Kapaun is in Heaven. Heaven, Heaven, Heaven.

No.   Fr. Kapaun is in Purgatory, Purgatory, Purgatory, Purgatory.

Unless, of course, he is ultimately canonized. In which case, your statement would have been correct all along.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Believe the Bible, because that’s where I get my information.

Catholics know all about the New Testament. After all, we wrote it.

[Tax-chick]

“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living, for all live to Him.”

[Tax-chick]

“A Shepherd in Combat Boots,” by William Maher. Excellent book, not only about Fr. Kapaun, but about the circumstances of the Korean War. Supplements the recent comprehensive history of the Korean War (The Coldest Winter) quite effectively.

[Puddleglum]

What a pleasure it was to read this article and learn about Fr. Kapaun. He was an honorable, pious, and charitable man.

[diamond6]

But if these “dead people” are in heaven, they can pray for us... to Jesus.

[Melian]

Actually, he may be in Purgatory or he may be in Heaven. God judges us each uniquely. Some souls are in Purgatory for a very short time and then brought to Heaven. Some souls will be in Purgatory expiating their sins until the end of time.

Given that this good and heroic man showed the greatest form of love by risking his life for others, and then suffered terribly at the end of his life. I’d put my money on the fact that he’s probably in Heaven by now.

There are lots of souls in Heaven who have not been officially canonized as saints. They are all saints. The canonized ones are just the ones we are sure are in Heaven.

[bdeaner]

Radical egalitarianism would insist that every person’s prayers are as efficacious as any other person’s.

Personally, I don’t believe that. I think Fr. Kapaun’s prayers carry a lot more weight than mine.

Well said!!

[GOPmember]

Actually, he may be in Purgatory or he may be in Heaven.

Right. Which is exactly what I was implying in my post.

It has now become commonplace, after someone has died, for Catholics to proclaim "He's in heaven now". I have heard of priests actually making such comments during funeral Masses. This is post-Vatican II feel-good Protestant thinking, and it is wrong.

The fact is that nobody knows the state of anyone's soul upon their death. Not you, not me, not their priest.   Nobody.

To assume that anyone has immediately entered heaven after their death is to suggest that prayer for the repose of their soul is unnecessary. As a result, many beneficial prayers are left unsaid for those in Purgatory.

[Melian]

Agreed. I was reacting to the statement that he was in Purgatory. We don’t know that either. He could have gone straight to Heaven.

I agree with you that we don’t really know how God judges us after death or how many souls need Purgatory. When I pray for someone who’s died, I always ask God to apply my prayers to that person, but, if that person doesn’t need them, to apply them to someone who has no one to pray for him while he’s in Purgatory. I’m pretty sure most of us will need Purgatory for at least a brief visit!

[GOPmember]

Fair enough. ‘Tis a point of irritation to me when Catholics assume that a soul is automatically in heaven because they were “a good person” during life, or something along those lines.

Then again, I have many points of irritation. ;)