Results for: Purgatory

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James received his education in the Catholic seminary. He is a Master Catechist, teaches an adult Catechism class and the RCIA.

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In Religion & Spirituality

What is purgatory?

Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify), in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life i…n God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. Purgatory is basically like a jail, except its not forever. Also adding on to religious belief Dante gives an interesting look through his 18th century poem Inferno. -- Purgatory is a condition or place in which the souls of those dying penitent are purified from venial sins, or undergo the temporal punishment that, after the guilt of mortal sin has been remitted, still remains to be endured by the sinner. Purgatory is a place you can go to when you die. You go there to repent your sins. If you have truly made no sin at all then you will go straight to heaven. (Almost everyone will enter purgatory. It is not forever, but it takes a very long time to leave purgatory, in some cases.) The more prayers you get when your in purgatory, the less time you spend in purgatory...... It is a state that some souls are in after the soul separates from the body after death. Souls that go to purgatory are guaranteed of their salvation, but they are purified so they are nice and ready when the go to heaven to meet God! Catholic AnswerThere seems to be a lot of confusion about purgatory. First of all, it may not be a place at all, just that state of being purged, and we really don't know a lot about it for sure - like if there is "time" as we understand it all, although we think there must be time involved as time is a measure of change. However, we do know that we can only merit when we are here on earth, and that at the instant we die we are subjected to the particular judgment in which we must stand, trembling and in fear, before the Almighty God and be judged. At that instant, He either acknowledges that we have condemned ourselves to hell, or died in His grace and will enter Heaven. However, nothing imperfect may enter heaven and if there is still detris from sin - although NO mortal sin, even one mortal (serious sin) will mean that we have condemned ourselves to hell, of our own free will, for all eternity. Thus if we have no mortal sin on our soul, purgatory is the word that describes how God cleans our soul of any remaining imperfections so that we will be able to enter heaven. It is the most comforting, loving action of God who wants all to be saved, without this Graciousness on His part, very few would ever enter heaven, but God loves us so much - more than we can comprehend, that He is willing to complete our perfection in us, if we are at least trying when we die. However, the souls in purgatory can do nothing to help themselves, once we have died, our time to merit anything is over, we can only suffer the extreme torments of having our souls purified, and knowing that we have extended our separation from God by our own fault. Those on earth can help us by their good deeds and prayers, please see the books and links below. (MORE)

Dick Harfield

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In Travel & Places

Where is purgatory?

A:In addition to accepting the states of heaven and hell, Catholicism envisages a third state before being admitted to heaven, although most Protestant denominations reject th… (MORE)

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In Catholicism

What is Dante's purgatory about?

Dante's second edition of his trip through out Hell. Among new arrivals, torture and more. It's actually spelled "Purgatorio" but in new English "Purgatory". He's actually EXI… (MORE)

Casey2191

126 Contributions

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In Catholicism

How do you get out of purgatory?

Purgatory is a place/process of purification before someone enters heaven, since nothing unclean shall enter heaven (Rev. 21:27). Everyone in purgatory will make it to heaven.… (MORE)

James Hough

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James received his education in the Catholic seminary. He is a Master Catechist, teaches an adult Catechism class and the RCIA.

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In Catholicism

Who thought of Purgatory?

The concept of Purification after death has been with us a very long time. (Although, use of the term 'Purgatorium' or 'Purgatory' for this after death state of purification w…asn't until the 1100's AD) The idea of God purifying souls before entrance into Heaven started in Judaism. One example of a text that confirms this opinion is printed here, "But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. "For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them." Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-6 NRSV (italics added) Another Jewish text of the same period, records an instance of Praying for the souls of the dead. "The noble Judas (Maccabeus) exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened as the result of the sin of those who had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin." 2 Maccabees 12:42-44 NRSV (italics added). This passage is used by the Church of Rome to support the doctrines of Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead. (although a much different concept then the Roman doctrine) In the Christian New Testament, there are a couple different passages quoted by different people to support Purgatory and like doctrines. Paul of Tarsus, in his second letter to Timothy, asks, "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain; when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me ---may the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know very well how much service he rendered in Ephesus." 2 Timothy 1:16-18 NRSV. This passage is disputed because although Onesiphorus is referred to in past tense (suggesting that he in fact is dead,) it says "to the household of Onesiphorus", not directly him (but it does show a great deal of care for a dead man none the less.) The most oft quoted New Testament passage thought to be about Purgatory is as follows, "According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NRSV (italics added) See wikipedia for a History of Purgatory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_purgatory One common misconception about Purgatory is that is "a Roman Catholic heresy." Eastern Orthodox Churches believe in a type of Purgatory, (that is a 'type of purification after death') The Anglican Theologian who started the Methodist movement, John Wesley believed in an intermediate state between death and the final judgment and in the possibility of "continuing to grow in holiness there" and even wrote a prayer for the dead, although Methodism does not officially affirm his belief. Another Protestant who supported a purification after death, was famous 20th century theologian, C.S. Lewis (who is quoted in his Letters to Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer, Chapter 20; Below) "Of course I pray for the dead. The action is so spontaneous, so all but inevitable, that only the most compulsive theological case against it would deter me. And I hardly know how the rest of my prayers would survive if those for the dead were forbidden. At our age, the majority of those we love best are dead. What sort of intercourse with God could I have if what I love best were unmentionable to him? I believe in Purgatory. Mind you, the Reformers had good reasons for throwing doubt on the 'Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory' as that Romish doctrine had then become..... The right view returns magnificently in Newman's DREAM. There, if I remember it rightly, the saved soul, at the very foot of the throne, begs to be taken away and cleansed. It cannot bear for a moment longer 'With its darkness to affront that light'. Religion has claimed Purgatory. Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'? Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first.' 'It may hurt, you know' - 'Even so, sir.' I assume that the process of purification will normally involve suffering. Partly from tradition; partly because most real good that has been done me in this life has involved it. But I don't think the suffering is the purpose of the purgation. I can well believe that people neither much worse nor much better than I will suffer less than I or more. . . . The treatment given will be the one required, whether it hurts little or much. My favourite image on this matter comes from the dentist's chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn and I am 'coming round',' a voice will say, 'Rinse your mouth out with this.' This will be Purgatory. The rinsing may take longer than I can now imagine. The taste of this may be more fiery and astringent than my present sensibility could endure. But . . . it will [not] be disgusting and unhallowed." -C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer, Ch. 20, ¶7-10. (Sorry for the length, but I needed to put the quotation in context. I hope this answer is satisfactory.) See also links below: Roman Catholic Answer: Purgatory, well, I guess you could say that God thought of it. It is mentioned in several books of the Bible, and, of course, the Church has always taught it. (MORE)

William Howe

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The purpose of life is to have a life with purpose.

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In Catholicism

Is purgatory true?

Purgatory and the idea that goes along with it, that we can earn our own salvation is not only not found in the Bible, but is contrary to clear Bible teaching. Hebrews … (MORE)

James Hough

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James received his education in the Catholic seminary. He is a Master Catechist, teaches an adult Catechism class and the RCIA.

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In Catholicism

What happens in Purgatory?

Catholic Answer There are no sins in purgatory, purgatory is just the purifying that God accomplishes in us after we die. It may be a place or a condition, we don't… know. But the primary thing that happens there is in the name: we are purified. It is like the antechamber to heaven. All possibility for merit or sinning is gone after we have died, we have already been judged. The purifying is painful, and that pain is due to the removal of the effects left in us by sin - not by sin. To have reached purgatory one is guaranteed of heaven as one's sins have already been forgiven. An analogy might be helpful, if you hit a softball through a neighbor's window and break the window. You go over, knock on the door, and tell what you have done (confession), then you ask pardon and your neighbor forgives you (absolution). THEN you have to pay to fix the window, which is still broken (penance). The broken window is a result of your sin, not your sin per se. All sins affects the whole body of Christ, and some of this is obvious - stealing, adultery, murder, lying, slander, detraction: even if we are sorry, and forgiven, we still have to make restitution. from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994 1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. (Cf. Council of Florence (1439): Denzinger-Schonmetzer, Enchiridion Symbolorum, defniitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (1965) 1304; Council of Trent (1563) DS 1820; (1547); 1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000: . The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: (Cf. 1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7.):As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy ‘Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (St. Gregory the Great, Dail. 4, 39; J.P. Migne, ed, Patrologia Latrina (Paris: 1841-1855) 77, 396; cf. Mt 12:31) 1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Macc 12:46) From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. (Cf. Council of Lyons II (1274): DS 856) the church also commend almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that the offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them. (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. In 1 Cor. 41, 5: PG 61, 361; cf Job 1:5 / (MORE)

MacKenzie Crum

517 Contributions

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In Dating

What is a relationship of purgatory?

A Purgatory relationship is as it says in the urban dictionary says the dead zone that one enters in between relationships, when it is too late to resume a past relationsh… (MORE)

David B

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In Comparative Religions and Denominations

Is there a purgatory?

While Purgatory was officially defined by the Council of Florence (1439) and officially defended by the Council of Trent in the late sixteenth century, nowhere is Purgatory of… (MORE)

Tumbleweeds .

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Expert on ancient and European history

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In History, Politics & Society

What is meant by purgatory?

It's the place where according to (now outdated) Roman Catholic belief, many if not most souls of the deceased went to be purged of sin before they could enter Heaven.