ROC cleric: Those who die at the front automatically go to heaven is untrue

Priest Pavel Ostrovsky. Photo: pravmir.ru

The rector of St George's Church in Nakhabino, priest Pavel Ostrovsky, refuted the words that those killed at the front automatically go to heaven on his Telegram channel.

"An acquaintance of mine had a relative killed in Makeyevka, and she asks me: "He went straight to heaven, didn't he?". Paradise in Christianity is a place of personal communion between God and a man, not just a sanatorium where you rest in comfort after a dreary day on earth. Accordingly, in paradise will be those who have had this communion with God here, who have sought to love the Lord and lived according to His commandments. It is in this context that Christ speaks of the highest love: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you," he noted.

"Therefore, you can’t claim that all those who die on the battlefield automatically go to as it contradicts the teaching of the Church. Otherwise, for example, the black widow who blew herself up in the underground should also inherit Eternal Bliss because she gave her soul on the battlefield (for terrorists, jihad is a war for Islam). But clearly, this is not the case," the ROC cleric added.

Priest Pavel listed several conditions under which a person can end up in paradise – baptism, communion and a righteous life.

"Certainly, when a person who has not lived a righteous life dies, we pray a lot for him, that the Lord will show mercy. But how it will be in the afterlife, we can say nothing – only hope for the mercy of the Creator. Remembering the words of the Apostle James, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." We should pray for those killed on the battlefield, especially if they have not led a devout Christian life," he concluded.

As reported earlier, the Russian Orthodox Church explained the Patriarch's words about the forgiveness of sins on the battlefield.

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