What is the Communion of Saints?

The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union of all members of the Church — those on earth (the Church Militant), those in purgatory (the Church Suffering), and those in heaven (the Church Triumphant). This doctrine teaches that all baptized Christians, whether living or dead, are connected through Christ and can benefit one another through prayer, good works, and merit. Those on earth can pray for the souls in purgatory, helping to speed their purification. The saints in heaven can intercede with God on behalf of those on earth and in purgatory. This is why Catholics ask saints to 'pray for us' — the saints are not dead but alive in Christ (Luke 20:38: 'He is not God of the dead, but of the living'). The Communion of Saints is professed in the Apostles' Creed and reflects the belief that death does not sever the bonds of Christian love and fellowship.