Those of us still on earth can actively strive for a deeper sense of conversion and detachment from sin, but the souls in purgatory can no longer help themselves in this way and are dependent on our prayers and penances.

It’s important to keep in mind that the concept of “vocation” is ultimately not about sorting ourselves or others into boxes, but rather is about discerning and embracing God’s will for us in our own unique life situation — whether or not that fits tidily into one of the above-mentioned categories.

Purgatory is indeed a state that exists apart from the linear time we experience in our lives on earth, and therefore we cannot truly speak about how long a soul spends in purgatory according to a literal measure of days, months or years.

Generally, there is no clear way to know whether or not someone is still in purgatory.

Besides the rite of major exorcism, the church also has several “minor exorcisms” in her treasury of prayers. A minor exorcism is a prayer for protection against and deliverance from evil spirits which can be prayed by any priest in scenarios other than demonic possession.

A person who willingly abandons their spouse for sinful reasons is probably not a Catholic who takes the faith seriously enough to be swayed by their pastor’s admonishments or to be concerned about the sacramental consequences of their actions.

The goal of the church’s nullity process is to determine whether there was some problem or issue at the time of the wedding that was serious enough and of such a nature so as to prevent a true marriage from ever being contracted in the first place.

A church building is a sacred space that is open to the public by its very nature. The faithful fundamentally have a right to join in the prayer conducted in a church building since it is, in a sense, their spiritual home.

It is possible that excellent marriage preparation could “work against” a couple seeking a declaration of nullity in some circumstances. But most of the time, it probably would not.

When in doubt, bring it up in confession anyway. If a person does bear the guilt of a sin committed in their pre-Catholic life, the priest will be happy to grant absolution.