“Most people depart into eternity with sins, not having managed, due to an unexpected death or illness or infirmity, to purify themselves of those sins; thus they are found to be guilty before the Judgment of God…The departed who did not purify themselves from sins can no longer offer up prayers—they cannot help their own situation. All their hope is placed only on those who are yet living on Earth.”
(Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov in pravoslavie.ru)