ABSTRACT
The most startling Roman Catholic view on death, which is the view shared by Christians generally, is that God experienced death. This chapter considers how Roman Catholics, from a biblical perspective, understand the death of Jesus Christ. A biblical picture is simply fundamental to anything else that can be said about death from a believer’s point of view. It would be impossible to summarize the various exegetical and theological studies within the Catholic community concerning the death of Jesus Christ. Concerning the death of Jesus Christ there are two temptations that must be resolutely resisted if one is to appreciate the biblical portrait. Contrary to many popular depictions of it as well as the connotation of the word itself, the “medieval” Christian world was heterogeneous, though it had its exaggerations. For the counselor working with Catholic people who either have experienced the death of a loved one or who are dealing with an impending death, some suggestions are offered.
