Ryan:

In the Particular Judgment that takes place immediately after death, our immortal souls are judged as to our eternal destiny — heaven or hell. Afterwards, souls who died in a state of grace either enter heaven or go through purgatory before entering heaven. Souls that are condemned go to hell. Souls of either destination await the General Judgement conducted at the end of the world.

At the General (Final) Judgment our bodies will be reunited with our souls and a final judgment made. After this final judgement the people who are saved will all enter heaven body and soul (purgatory is closed). The people who are condemned will enter hell body and soul.

Now the question is what is the purpose of the General Judgment?

The 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia explains:

The Roman Catechism thus explains why, besides the particular judgment of each individual, a general one should also be passed on the assembled world: "The first reason is founded on the circumstances that most augment the rewards or aggravate the punishments of the dead. Those who depart this life sometimes leave behind them children who imitate the conduct of their parents, descendants, followers; and others who adhere to and advocate the example, the language, the conduct of those on whom they depend, and whose example they follow; and as the good or bad influence or example, affecting as it does the conduct of many, is to terminate only with this world; justice demands that, in order to form a proper estimate of the good or bad actions of all, a general judgment should take place. . . . Finally, it was important to prove, that in prosperity and adversity, which are sometimes the promiscuous lot of the good and of the bad, everything is ordered by an all-wise, all-just, and all-ruling Providence: it was therefore necessary not only that rewards and punishments should await us in the next life but that they should be awarded by a public and general judgment."

As the article states, our lives have influence others for good or bad. This needs to be evaluated in order to determine what rewards or punishments people receive.

Thus, the Particular Judgment determines our eternal destiny. For the saved, the General Judgement determines the quality of life lived on earth to ascertain the proper rewards due.

For the damn, the General Judgment determines the quality and nature of their crimes to determine punishments to be mete out in hell. Dante represents this in his "rings (levels) of hell".

This distribution of awards and punishments is public to show the glory of God in his mercy and love, even to those who are damned.

Hell is actually an act of love on God's part. His mercy also extends to those who reject him.

1) God respects everyone's free will. He will not force anyone into his heavenly mansion. God's love is infinate. He loves us so much that he gave us free will so we could choose to love Him. Love much be chosen, it cannot be forced. Hell is the destiny of those who choose against God. It is our choice.

2) To the saved the vision of God is an infinite grace and blessing. If those in hell were able to see God directly the pain and torment would be infathomable. Thus, God has created hell to shield the condemned from the direct vision of God. This does not mean hell is without torment, rather it means that God in his mercy will not subject the damned to the infinate torture of his vision.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary