The Roman Catholic Church teaches that after death there is a state of Purgatory. This is a place where some people who have sinned are purified in a cleansing fire, after which they are accepted into Heaven.
All who die in Godâs grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation: but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven.
â Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church para 1030, 1992
Most Christian Churches do not accept the idea of Purgatory, believing instead that once judgement happens, people will either be in Heaven or Hell for all eternity.
I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
â Apostles' Creed
There is no clear explanation of how this belief will come into practice. Some Christians say that at the end of time, everybody will be raised up in a physical state on a new Earth. Others feel that this simply refers to the idea that the whole person will be present in Heaven.