What is the Catholic teaching on the state of the dead?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church's teaching is that every individual is judged at the moment of death, this is called the particular judgment, and they are deemed worthy of heaven, or they have condemned themselves to hell. If they are worthy of heaven, but still have the detris of forgiven sin on their soul, then they go to purgatory for a period in which to be completely cleansed, and then enter heaven. The dead in purgatory can pray for us, but not for themselves. All time of meriting is over upon death, so whatever spiritual state you are in upon death is the state you will be in for the rest of eternity.