Churches Militant, Penitent, and Triumphant

These divisions are often discussed in the context of the doctrine of the communion of saints; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.

'grieving')[8] emphasizes the nature of souls' experience in Purgatory; they are suffering the temporal consequences of their sins to redemptive effect.

The term triumphant (Latin: triumphans) means "exulting, rejoicing exceedingly", taken from a figurative usage of triumphus, originally designating the Roman triumph.

[9] Those who constitute the Church Triumphant rejoice eternally in the glory of God, to whom they are united in the beatific vision.

However, the teaching these terms represent is precisely restated, quoting Lumen gentium: The three states of the Church.

"[11] As such, within Lutheranism, "That is called the Church militant, which in this life is still fighting, under the banner of Christ, against Satan, the world, and the flesh.

[13] In the same fashion, it defines the Church Triumphant as existing "in heaven, and consist[ing] of those who have washed their robes and made them immaculate and pure in the blood of the Lamb.

Its members are in constant conflict with the world, the flesh, and the powers of evil (Rom.

They have exchanged the sword for a palm of victory (Rev 7:9) and the cross for a crown (2 Tim.

The two states account of the church was adapted by Anatoly Lunacharsky to distinguish between a socialistic culture of the future (Ecclesia triumphans) and proletarian culture of the proletariat struggling in the present against capitalism (Ecclesia militans).