Pope Innocent III did some good things in life as pope. For instance, he granted Francis of Assisi permission to found his order. There is a story that on the day Pope Innocent III died he appeared to St. Lutgardis in Belgium. St. Lutgardis is considered to have been one of the great mystics of the 13th century. When Pope Innocent appeared to her, he thanked her for her prayers during his lifetime but explained that he was in trouble: He had not gone straight to heaven but was in purgatory, suffering its purifying fire for three specific faults he had committed during his life. He made a desperate plea for help: “Alas! It is terrible; and will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance. In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me!” Then he vanished. With a sense of urgency, St. Lutgardis quickly told her fellow religious sisters what she had seen and prayed for his soul. Was Innocent successfully rescued? What can Creator tell us about this remarkable story?

This is remarkable in a number of respects, for the reality of the circumstances described, all being true and accurately described. Even though he was a pope, Pope Innocent III was not able to transition successfully. This was because in his heart of hearts he was troubled, because of his own transgressions. This is the danger in elevating divine teachings as the be-all and end-all and a requirement, expecting people to match a state of perfection that is impossible, and will lead to such conflicts and doubts and uncertainties that people may have trouble returning to heaven when they pass because they fear divine retribution and condemnation. This is a further irony, that the judgmental nature of Pope Innocent III himself fueled inner fear that it would be turned on him when his time came for the ultimate divine judgment in wanting to return to heaven, and this prevented his full transition. He suffered himself the fate of many, becoming earthbound spirits, because of his own harsh judgmental tone and the effect it had on many following his teachings and those of the church he represented. It was also quite accurate, in terms of the sequence of events and the metaphysical significance, that although he prayed to Mary, what was truly needed was human forgiveness and an outreach from the human side requesting that he be raised up and saved, and hence the divine met him halfway in guiding him to St. Lutgardis to make an appeal for such help, as the best that could be done at that point, given Pope Innocent's own level of fear and self-judgment getting in the way. The act of making the request raised his expectations and state of allowing, such that when St. Lutgardis and her fellow religious sisters prayed for his soul, that loving energy fueled a further divine rescue that was successful in raising his vibration and enabling a successful transition back to heaven. This is why many still today need a human healer to intervene on their behalf and speak for them in order to get effective divine assistance for loved ones who have passed away but might not be in heaven still, it is a very common dilemma for many these days in failing to transition on their own, given the many obstacles, lack of belief in the divine, lack of belief in themselves, accumulated trauma that is unhealed and keeps them in a low state of vibration, perhaps dying in a state of depletion from the ravages of old age, being in a state of pain and suffering from chronic illness, or an emotional decline into intense fear and anxiety, or depression depleting them of hope. There are many reasons for failing to transition on one's own and what is needed is help from the human side. When spirits cannot do that for themselves, another human can make all the difference as their advocate to receive divine grace capable of uplifting them and bridging the gap to save them.