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Letters concerning the Establishment of the Holy Synod (1723)

Eastern Patriarchs, tr. King, 1865

18. Article 18

We believe that the souls of those who have died are either in happiness or in woe, according to what each one has done, and, being separated from their bodies, they depart immediately either into happiness, or sorrow and anguish, it being acknowledged that neither the (state of) enjoyment nor condemnation is complete. For after the general resurrection, when the soul shall be united to the body, with which it conducted either well or ill, each one will receive the completion either of enjoyment or of condemnation. But as to those destroyed by deadly crimes, who departed (this life) not in despair, but repentant, though they brought forth no fruit whatever of repentance, (that is, the pouring out of tears, falling on the knees in vigils of prayers, suffering, comforting the poor, and for a time showing by works their love to God and their neighbors,) the souls of these depart to hell, and suffer the pain on account of the sins they had committed; but they are conscious of their release from that place; and that they will be freed by supreme goodness, through the intercession of priests, and good. works, which the relatives of each perform on account of those far away. But in a special manner does the bloodless sacrifice avail much, which each one privately performs for deceased relatives, and which the Catholic and Apostolic Church publicly and daily performs for all. This also, is indeed understood, that we do not know the time of their release, but that there is a release of such from pain, and before the general resurrection and judgment we know and believe, but when, we know not.