The popular beatification of Princess Diana forces an indiscreet theological question: where is she now? In the Christian scheme of things, God judged the most popular woman on earth after her death and sent her soul to heaven, purgatory or hell.
If heaven was her fate, God smiles on her posthumous veneration. Purgatory is where the saved burn off their impurities, so at least a ticket to heaven is guaranteed (and prayers might even speed her deliverance). Hell, however, cannot be ruled out. If Diana died with “grave sins” on her soul-a not unlikely circumstance-she is probably now in hell, beyond hope and prayer, and thus unworthy of the slightest reverence, let alone a funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
Let us consider the three possibilities in more detail. The 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church, the most comprehensive modern compendium of Christian doctrine (bearing the imprimatur of John Paul II), is unequivocal. Although the Church of England differs sharply from the Pope on female ordination, married priests and divorce, its beliefs about matters relating to Diana’s salvation (namely, adultery and fornication) are essentially the same.
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