Catholic teaching

• Nicene Creed: 'He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end'
• There are two types of judgement after death: particular judgement and general judgement
• Particular judgement refers to the judgement that takes place straight after death and determines the eternal fate of the individual
• General judgement will take place at the second coming of Christ and is upon humanity as a whole
• Those who are free from sin are directly immediately to the eternal joys of God's presence in heaven
• Those who knowingly and deliberately reject God's love and mercy and those who have committed mortal sin and have not repented of it and sought God's forgiveness are directly to hell, which is the state of eternal separation from God
• Those whose venial sins have not be remitted are directly to purgatory, where they will be prepared for heaven
• Mortal sins= very serious sins, e.g. murder, that will result in eternal separation from God if those who commit them do not seek God's forgiveness
• Venial sins= less serious sins that do not lead to eternal separation from God
• Purgatory= mainly Catholic idea of an intermediate state after death in which those destined for heaven are purified of venial sin to make them fit for heaven