The
communion of saints (in
Latin,
communio sanctorum), when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the
Christian Church, living and the dead, those on earth, in
heaven, and, for those who believe in
purgatory, those also who are in that state of purification. They are all part of a single "
mystical body", with
Christ as the head, in which each member contributes to the good of all and shares in the welfare of all.