Talk 29: If Only the Saints are Saved, What Happens to the Faithful Who Die Struggling With Sins and Passions?

In the writings of the Holy Fathers we often read statements such as these: “Our sins will prevent us from seeing God,” “Only those who have been purified before death can be saved,” and, “After death, even forgotten sins will be used by the demons to obstruct a soul’s passage to Heaven.” Many who read these types of statements fall into despair, thinking that salvation is impossible. The fact is, most people are neither complete sinners nor complete saints when they die. This raises the question: what happens to the souls of these people?

In this talk Father Kosmas uses the writings of the holy fathers and the Orthodox funeral service to explain what happens to the souls of those who die with minor unconfessed sins, or who have not brought forth fruits of repentance for sins confessed. He emphasises that there is much hope for the salvatio ...