Gaude, Maria Virgo, cunctas hæreses sola interemisti in universo mundo!
The Church proclaims the resurrection of the body, and there is no such thing as a "spiritual body". It is impossible to sustain out of Scripture the view according to which newly disembodied souls entered immediately into their final, but incorporeal, bliss or torment.
Serious Protestant theologians do not hold it, although that does leave them with only the original Protestant position that until the General Resurrection, souls were effectively as dead as their bodies. But Catholics cannot hold it, since the Assumption is the standing contradiction of it.
My dear David. I hope that you are well.
ReplyDeleteThe Church does indeed proclaim the resurrection of the body - on the Last Day. Meanwhile (like poor Lazarus in Luke 16) angels accompany us at death to be with other disembodied faithful (like Abraham). Yet being disembodied does not mean life lacks very much. Consider the angels. They were created never to have bodies, yet their lives are at least as fulfilling as ours. After death we will simply be like the angels, until such time as God chooses to re-unite us with our bodies (John 5.28-29). To be disembodies is not to be fully human, but it is not to be 'dead' as you put it. Several others among the faithful already have their bodies in Heaven (Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, and - if you like - the Blessed Virgin Mary). It is a mystery how they interact with the other faithful departed who await their bodies at the general resurrection.