How does a person end up in purgatory instead of heaven?

Answer 1

Catholic Answer

A person does not "end up" in purgatory. Purgatory is only a way station between death and the Beatific Vision in heaven. God, in His infinite mercy, grants to souls who have not completed their purification on earth, this temporary state in which they are purged of the detritus of their sins. Purgatory will end at the end of the world. Everybody in purgatory is assured of their eternal salvation.

The protestants actually believe in something like this, as they believe that the just will enter heaven, but that, as The Bible tells us, nothing unclean will enter heaven. They just don't use this word.

The souls in purgatory are specifically mentioned in the book of Maccabees:

"It is a good and holy thing to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins." (2 Maccabees 12:45; Lumen Gentium 50). There are only two places that you can end up for eternity: heaven or hell, eternal ecstasy with God or eternal pain and suffering in deprivation. The former, heaven, is, as Scripture assures us, only for the perfect; the latter, hell, is for all those who reject God's plan for us, and reject Him - by the way we live. Very few of us die perfect, and only the perfect can enter heaven. Instead of condemning all of those imperfect souls who died in God's grace but still with imperfections on their soul, God purges them so that they may be whole, entire, and perfect to enter heaven. We do not know much about purgatory (the "place" or "state" wherein this purging occurs between death and eternal happiness in heaven, but we know that it is incredibly painful, and that, after we die, we can do nothing to merit for ourselves. Therefore all the imperfect souls who have died in God's grace are helplessly enduring their purgation to enter heaven. The only help that they can receive is from us, from our prayers, and indulgences we earn and apply to them in purgatory. This is covered in the Catechism in two places; in paragraph 958, the Catechism assures us that the dead are part of the Church (Church Suffering, we are the Church Militant {on earth} and the saints in heaven are the Church Triumphant). The Church has prayed for the dead from the earliest time, the Catechism quotes 2 Maccabees, and concludes: “Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.†Because, although the souls in purgatory cannot help themselves, they can pray for us.
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The Final Purification, or Purgatory
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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 1304; Council of Trent (1563): Denzinger 1820; (1547): 1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): Denzinger 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 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, Dial. 4, 29: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca {Paris, 1857-1866} 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 [Juda 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): Denzinger 856) The Church also commends 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 our 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: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca {Paris, 1857-1866} 61, 361; cf. Job 1:5