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Church militant and church triumphant
 
 
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The Catholic Church, or Church Universal, is traditionally divided into:

These terms are often used in the context of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints
Communion of Saints

The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union of all Christians living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven and, in Catholic belief, in purgatory....
; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.

The Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 word militans has a primary meaning of "serving as a soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
, military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
", but it acquired a secondary meaning of "to struggle, to make an effort", which is the intended sense here.






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Museo Di Santa Maria Novella, Cappellone Degli Spagnoli, Affreschi Di Andrea Di Bonaiuto 8
The Catholic Church, or Church Universal, is traditionally divided into:
  • the Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans), comprising Roman Catholics who are living,
  • the Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Triumphans), comprising those who are in Heaven
    Heaven

    Heaven may refer to the physical heavens, the atmosphere or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond. This is the traditional literal meaning of the term in English, however since at least AD 1000, it is typically also used to refer to an afterlife plane of existence in various religions and spirituality philosophy, often descri...
    , and
  • the Church Suffering (Ecclesia Penitens) or Church Expectant (Ecclesia Expectans), comprising those Christians presently in Purgatory
    Purgatory

    Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven....
    . This last term is used mainly in Roman Catholicism.


These terms are often used in the context of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints
Communion of Saints

The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union of all Christians living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven and, in Catholic belief, in purgatory....
; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.

The Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 word militans has a primary meaning of "serving as a soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
, military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
", but it acquired a secondary meaning of "to struggle, to make an effort", which is the intended sense here. Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. However, if this struggle is successful, but not completely so, then after death they temporarily become members of the Church Suffering before ultimately joining the Church Triumphant.

The Catholic Church commemorates the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering on two consecutive days: All Saints Day
All Saints

All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a feast celebrated on November 1 in Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity in honour of all the saints, known and unknown....
 on November 1 (the Church Triumphant), and All Souls Day
All Souls Day

In Western Christianity, All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful afterlife. This day is observed in the Roman Catholic Church, churches of the Anglicanism, Old Catholic Churches, and to some extent among Protestantism....
 on November 2 (the Church Suffering).

See also

  • Communion of Saints
    Communion of Saints

    The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union of all Christians living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven and, in Catholic belief, in purgatory....
  • Ecclesia (Church)


External links and references

  • by Karl Adam
    Karl Adam (theologian)

    Karl Adam was a Germany Roman Catholic theologian of the early 20th century.Adam was born in Bavaria in 1876. He attended the Philosophical and Theological Seminary at Regensburg and was ordained in 1900....
  • by Fr. William G. Most
  • - article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
    Catholic Encyclopedia

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English language encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia Press....


Images
  • "". 1365-68. Fresco
    Fresco

    Fresco is any of several related painting types, done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco which derives from the adjective fresco , which has Latin origins....
     by Andrea da Firenze
    Andrea da Firenze

    Andrea da Firenze can also refer to a Quattrocento painter, see Andrea da Bonaiuto.Andrea da Firenze was an Italy composer and organ of the late Medieval music era....
    . Cappella Spagnuolo, Santa Maria Novella, Florence
    Florence

    Florence is the Capital city of the Italy Regions of Italy of Tuscany and of the provinces of Italy Province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779 ....
    .
  • "". 1510-11. Fresco
    Fresco

    Fresco is any of several related painting types, done on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco which derives from the adjective fresco , which has Latin origins....
     by Raffaello Sanzio. Stanza della Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici
    Palazzí Pontificí

    The Palazzi Pontific? is a building that forms part of the Vatican City in Rome. It has been decorated by many artists including Raffaello and Botticelli....
    , Vatican
    Vatican City

    Vatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City , is a Landlocked country sovereignty city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the Capital of Italy....
    .
  • , depicting the Church Suffering (bottom) being lifted up to heaven and the Church Triumphant (top) through the prayer of the Church Militant (middle)
  • by René de Cramer