What is purgatory

CCC 1030

III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory

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. 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.

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.

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." 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. The Church also commends almsgiving,
indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:

John Chrysostom (Homilies on First Corinthians 41:5 [A.D. 392]).

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.

Purgatory is a gift of God’s mercy - Fr Mike Schmitz

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What we understand is that there are really three components of the

doctrine:

1. Purification after death exists

2. It involves some kind of pain
3. The purification can be assisted by the prayers and offerings by the living to God

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“After his departure out of the body, he gains knowledge of the difference between virtue and
vice and finds that he is not able to partake of divinity until he has been purged of the filthy
contagion in his soul by the purifying fire” - St. Gregory of Nyssa on his Sermon on the dead
(A.D. 382).

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St. Augustine
Temporal punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by some after death.” - City of God
21:13

That there should be some fire even after this life is not incredible, and it can be inquired into
and either be discovered or left hidden whether some of the faithful may be saved, some more
slowly and some more quickly in the greater or lesser degree in which they loved the good
things that perish, through a certain purgatorial fire”
(Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Charity 18:69)

Cleanse me in this life, and make me such, that I may after that stand in no need of the
cleansing fire, for those "who are to be saved, yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15) ... For
all that, though we should be saved by fire, yet will that fire be more grievous than
anything that man can suffer in this life whatsoever. (Exposition on Psalm 38, 2 [date
unknown; 396~420)
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Objections faced

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Is Purgatory a Catholic “Invention”?

There are plenty of objectors to purgatory who claim that Purgatory is a

Catholic invention.

Now, of the research I have done purgatory was made Catholic doctrine by
the Second Council of Lyon in the 1200’s. However some objecting figures
ascribe the doctrine back to Pope Gregory the Great, who reigned from
A.D. 590 to 604.

But this claim does not add up when we know St Monica requested for her
son St. Augustine to remember her soul in his masses before she died and
this was in the 4th century.

Further earlier accounts of prayer offerings are that of graffiti in catacombs,

where Christians during the persecutions of the first three centuries
recorded prayers for the dead.

Some of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, like the
Acts of Paul and Thecla and the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity -which
both were written during the 2nd century- refer to Christian practice of
praying for the dead. These prayers would only have been offered if
Christians believed in purgatory, even if they did not use the name for it.

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Acts of Paul and Thecla

For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: ‘Mother, you
shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she may pray
concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the righteous’”
(Acts of Paul and Thecla [A.D. 160]).

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“[T]hat very night, this was shown to me in a vision: I [Perpetua] saw

Dinocrates going out from a gloomy place, where also there were several
others, and he was parched and very thirsty, with a filthy countenance and
pallid color, and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This
Dinocrates had been my brother after the flesh, seven years of age, who died
miserably with disease. . . . For him I had made my prayer, and between him
and me there was a large interval, so that neither of us could approach to the
other . . . and [I] knew that my brother was in suffering. But I trusted that my
prayer would bring help to his suffering. . . . I made my prayer for my brother
day and night, groaning and weeping that he might be granted to me. Then,
on the day on which we remained in fetters, this was shown to me: I saw that
the place which I had formerly observed to be in gloom was now bright; and
Dinocrates, with a clean body well clad, was finding refreshment. . . . [And] he
went away from the water to play joyously, after the manner of children, and I
awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from the place of
punishment” (The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity 2:3–4 [A.D. 202]).
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Praying for the dead

2 Maccabees 12:41-46
So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge, who reveals the things
that are hidden; 42 and they turned to supplication, praying that the sin that had been
committed might be wholly blotted out. The noble Judas 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. 43 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. 44 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. 45 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.

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Further earlier writings that give evidence to praying for the dead and a
purifying process before entering Heaven.

- Epitaph of Abercius A.D. 190

- Tertullian (The Crown 3:3 A.D. 211)
- Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures 23:5:9 - A.D. 350)
- John Chrysostom (Homilies on Philippians 3:9-10 A.D. 402)
- Augustine (Sermons 159:1 A.d. 411), (ibid., 172:2), (City of God 21:13 A.D.
419), (Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Charity 18:69 [A.D. 421]), (ibid.,
29:109).

NOTE:
Praying for the dead is not a made up concept by Catholics, in fact even orthadox jews
have something called the Mourner’s Kaddish which is a prayer specifically for the
purification of a deceased loved one.
It was not until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that anyone denied this
doctrine.
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Why tradition matters.

We just mentioned a lot of tradition and some scripture but for the most
part tradition from the earliest centuries by Christians and those who
oppose the idea of purgatory may be that of Protestants who believe a
strict “Sola Scriptura” (solely scripture) without regard for tradition but
that in itself is easily debunked because

St. Paul says in in 2nd Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brethren, stand firm
and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth
or by letter”

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Purgatory in scripture

1 Corinthians 3:10

According to the commission of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I
laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care
how he builds upon it. 11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble— 13 each man’s work will
become manifest; for the Day[b] will disclose it, because it will be revealed with
fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work
which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15
If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be
saved, but only through fire.

The loss and suffering here cannot refer to hell since we cannot be saved in hell;
and heaven can’t be meant, since there is no suffering in heaven.
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The word purgatory is not in the bible

The words Trinity and Incarnation aren’t in Scripture either, yet those doctrines
are clearly taught in it

Latin: purgatorium; from purgare, “to purge”

Definition of purge: To rid of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling.

Purgatorium (Latin) to English = cleanser

Cleansing/purifying

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Christ died for our sins, purgatory means the

redemption is incomplete

It is absolutely correct that Christ accomplished all of our salvation for us on

the cross.

- Scripture reveals to us that redemption is applied to us over the course

of time
- Sanctification involves suffering (Romans 5:3-5)
- Purgatory is the final stage of sanctification that some of us need to
undergo in order to enter Heaven.

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 Forgiveness after death

Matthew 12:32
“And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever
speaks against the holy spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to
come.” - Jesus

suggesting that one can be freed after death of the consequences of one’s
sins

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Why do we need purgatory?

Revelations 21:27
“Nothing unclean shall enter Heaven”

Our souls need to be purged of the uncleanliness in order that we may be fit
for heaven.

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How long is someone in purgatory

Luke 12:59
“I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper”

In Matthew 5:26 and Luke 12:59 Christ is condemning sin and speaks of liberation only
after expiation. “Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last
penny.” Now we know that no last penny needs to be paid in Heaven and from Hell
there is no liberation at all; hence the reference must apply to something else in which
we have called “purgatory” considering the factors we discussed.