i know a lot of catholics who think they will be married to their spouses WHILE IN HEAVEN. just wanted to know if that thinking came from the church itself or from misguided catholics.

-- Rina (hellorina@aol.com), January 11, 2005

Answers

They are misguided. The Church has never said such a thing and I have never heard a Catholic say it.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), January 11, 2005.

i think i must happen to know a lot of misguided catholics. what a shame.

-- rina (hellorina@aol.com), January 11, 2005.

The Church's teaching on this matter is clearly evident in the marital vows. The vows are not eternal, and their termination point is clearly indicated at the time the vows are made - "until death do us part". A valid marriage endures until the death of one of the spouses. Then the vows have been completely fulfilled, and the marriage is ended. Otherwise a surviving spouse could not remarry.

This is also plainly stated in Scripture ...

They asked Him ...

"In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her. But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven". (Matthew 22:28-30)

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), January 12, 2005.

In heaven, everything is present to us at once. All knowledge and all awareness of God's creation, including our actions, are present to us in the beatific vision. Even our mistakes and hardships, which in God's eyes, have grace, are lifted up with us.

So it is wrong to say that we will not be with our loved ones in heaven. We are no longer married to our spouses or are father to our children, but we are there with them in a state more glorious than we could have ever experienced on earth.

So yes, we may go to heaven and be with our wives, but it will be nothing like we can ever imagine, and more glorious than we can ever experience on earth.

-- brian (Brian@brian.com), January 14, 2005.

Each one will be judged on a case by case basis. Some of us will require more of the mercy of God to attain heaven then others, and this difference will extend to each person in a marriage, and in a family.

Sean

-- Sean Cleary (seanearlyaug@hotmail.com), January 20, 2005.