Three Churches

Militant[edit]
The term militant (Latin: militans) has a primary meaning of "being a soldier,
performing military service",[4] but it acquired a secondary meaning of "serving,
performing service, laboring",[5] with its root milito coming to mean "soldier of
Christ or God" in Medieval Latin usage.[6] The members of the Church Militant, i.e.
those Christians on earth, are engaged in spiritual warfare against sin in order
that, when they die, they might enter heaven and join the Church Triumphant.
Failing that directly, those who believe in the existence of Purgatory hope to die
in a state of grace and join the Church Penitent, to purify themselves of their
imperfections and, ultimately, join the Church Triumphant.

Penitent[edit]
The term penitent (Latin: poenitens or paenitens means "repenting, being
sorry".[7] Those who constitute the Church Penitent are in Purgatory to satisfy
whatever portion of the temporal punishment due for their sins was not satisfied
before death. They are in a process of purging their imperfections before entering
heaven. It is held that all members of the Church Penitent will eventually join the
Church Triumphant.

The alternate term suffering (Latin: dolens, lit. 'grieving')[8] emphasizes the nature
of souls' experience in Purgatory; they are suffering the temporal consequences
of their sins to redemptive effect. The other
alternative, expectant (Latin: expectans or exspectans), emphasizes that the souls
of Purgatory are awaiting expectantly the beatific vision of heaven.

Triumphant[edit]
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.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (c.1600 - September 29, 1637), was born in Binondo,
Manila, Philippines. His Chinese father taught him Chinese, and his Filipino
mother taught him Tagalog. Both of his parents were Catholic. Lorenzo served at
the convent of Binondo church as an altar boy.

Saint Pedro Calungsod (Latin: Petrus Calungsod, Spanish: Pedro Calúñgsod or

archaically Pedro Calonsor, Italian: Pietro Calungsod; July 21, 1654[3] – April 2,
1672), also known as Peter Calungsod and Pedro Calonsor, was
a Catholic Filipino migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist who, along with the
Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores, suffered religious
persecution and martyrdom in Guam for their missionary work in 1672.[4]

While in Guam, Calungsod preached Christianity to the Chamorro people through

catechism, while baptizing infants, children and adults at the risk and expense of
being persecuted and eventually murdered. Through Calungsod and San Vitores'
missionary efforts, many native Chamorros converted to Roman Catholicism.

Calungsod was formally beatified on March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II.
Calungsod was officially canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Basilica in
Vatican City on October 21, 2012.[5]