27 August 2020

The Catechism of the Summa - Tertia Pars - LI. OF THE LAST JUDGMENT

As soon as men rise from the dead will they immediately be in presence of the Sovereign Judge?

Yes (LXXXIX. 5).

Under what form will the Sovereign Judge appear at the moment of judgment?

He will appear under the form of His sacred humanity in all the glory which is due to His union with the Person of the Word (XC. 1, 2).

Will all men see this glory of the Sovereign Judge?

Yes (ibid.).

Will all see Him in the glory of His divine nature?

No, only the elect whose souls enjoy the beatific vision will see this glory (XC. 3).

Will all men who appear be judged?

No, only those who have had the use of reason during this life; but they will be present that they may behold the sovereign justice of the judgments of God and the glory of Jesus Christ (LXXXIX. 5, Obj. 3).

Will all men who have had the use of reason be judged?

They will all be judged as regards the separation which will take place between the good and the bad. The good will be placed on the right hand of the Judge to hear His sentence of benediction; and the bad on His left hand to receive His sentence of malediction. But the good will not be judged in the sense that their bad acts, if any, will be judged before all heaven and earth; in this sense only the lost will be judged (LXXXIX. 6, 7).

Will this convincing of sin in the face of all bring confusion to the lost?

Yes, it will be inexpressible torture for them, because behind every sin, especially mortal sin, there is hidden pride; and on the day of judgment they will be forced to confess all before the Sovereign Judge, who will leave nothing hidden.

Will all the evil done by the lost during life be brought to light before all present?

Yes, whatever evil it be it will be brought to light: all that was committed in their individual and private life, or in the family or in the society (LXXXVII. 1, 2, 3).

In what way will this manifestation of an entire life take place?

In the same way as in the particular judgment when by a light the whole of one's life is instantaneously present, so in the general judgment all consciences will be laid bare to the gaze of all instantaneously (ibid.).

Will the consciences of the just and all their life also be made manifest to all?

Yes, but this will be a triumph for their humility in life (LXXXIX. 6).

Will all the sins one has committed during life, but for which penance has been done, be also made manifest?

Yes, but this will be to the glory of the just by reason of their penance (LXXXVII. 2, Obj. 3).

Will there be certain of the just who will also assist at the last judgment in the capacity of judges?

Yes; all those who after the example of the Apostles left all to give themselves up entirely to God, and whose life has been in some sort a proclamation of the Gospel in its perfection (LXXXIX. 1, 2).

Will the angels also be judges on the last day?

No, because those who help Jesus Christ to judge must resemble Him; but it is as man that the Son of God will exercise the function of Sovereign Judge (LXXXIX. 7).

Will the angels be judged on the last day?

No, except that the good angels who have helped in the actions of the just, and the bad angels in the actions of the wicked, will receive an increase of happiness or of punishment respectively (LXXXIX. 3).

What will be the ending of the last judgment?

To those on His right Jesus Christ will say: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the Kingdom prepared for you from the constitution of the world." To those on His left He will say: "Depart from Me, ye accursed, into hell fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels."

Next - The Catechism of the Summa - Tertia Pars - LII. OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

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