pur·ga·to·ry
(Definitions from Oxford languages)
/ˈpərɡəˌtôrē/
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noun
ARCHAIC
(Definitions from Oxford languages)
/ˈpərɡəˌtôrē/
Learn to pronounce
noun
- (in Roman Catholic doctrine) a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven.
"all her sins were forgiven and she would not need to go to Purgatory"
ARCHAIC
- having the quality of cleansing or purifying.
"infernal punishments are purgatory and medicinal"
PURGATORY:
~ CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS ~
Purgatory (Latin, "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 in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.
("Purgatory." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.)
It stands to reason that God is just. It is also evident that many of us depart from this life not altogether saints and yet not altogether sinners. Moreover some, who have been notoriously wicked repent at the last moment, and God has declared that He will not reject the penitent sinner. Such a penitent, although assured of God's forgiveness, must nevertheless atone for his lifelong transgressions.
Unless there is a place beyond where atonement can be made, the deathbed penitent would entirely escape chastisement for sin. It is true that Christ forgave the sins of the thief on the cross, and also remitted the chastisement of them. He may do that with every sinner if He so wills. But that is not His ordinary way, as we know from Scripture.
God forgave David his sin but chastised him dreadfully nevertheless. So, too, He punished Moses and others after He had pronounced forgiveness of their sins. We have, therefore, the fact that God is just and merciful, and also the fact that not all of us depart this life holy enough for companionship with God, and yet not wicked enough for perpetual banishment from His presence.
Scripture declares that nothing defiled can enter heaven. They, therefore, who have lesser sins on their souls, or who have repented but not received chastisement in this life for their wickedness, must be made worthy of entrance into the all-holy presence of God in some place beyond this life. That is what is meant by Purgatory.
St. Paul also states that some will be saved yet so as by fire:
"10 According to the grace 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, straw--
13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day 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 as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are."
(1 Corinthians 3:10-17, RSV)
So here we see that there are three places referred to at the time of God’s judgment of them:
Heaven (v. 14),
Purgatory (v. 15), and
Hell (v. 17).
• Those who are perfectly righteous go right to heaven (v. 14).
• Those whose works are sinful, but are still within God’s grace, go to purgatory (v. 15) as they are saved only as through fire.
• Those who destroy God’s temple are destroyed by God and will be eternally punished by God (v. 17). This clearly alludes to purgatory in v. 15. (11)
The Scripture says that nothing unclean shall enter Heaven: "But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27, RSV)
The word “unclean” used in the above passage comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption.
"To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence.
Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin.
On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain."
(§1472, CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH)
"But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother, you will be liable to the council; and if you say ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the Gehenna of fire." (Matthew 5:22)
Note that of the three transgressions described by Christ only the third is punishable by damnation (Gehenna being a frequent appellative for hell) and yet the first transgression, being “angry with a brother” is “liable to judgment”.
The word used here for “judgment” is the Greek term krisei which is, in every instance of use in the Gospels, the domain of God alone. Thus, Christ is indicating a negative form of divine judgment to which one is subject which is not punished by hell but in another form, without prejudice to the final justification of the sinner. (12)
"Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny. " (Luke 12:58-59; see also Matthew 5:25-26)
The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Peter 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zechariah 3.1; Revelation 12:10), and God is the judge.
If we have not adequately dealt with Satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.
Scripture demonstrates that souls in heaven are perfected:
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22-23, RSV)
The spirits of just men do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. We should note that those in heaven are already perfect and those in hell cannot be made perfect. Hence we can conclude that these spirits are in purgatory.
Scripture on God's loving discipline:
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?...For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness."
(Hebrews 12:6-11, RSV)
Scripture passage indicating the forgiveness in the age to come:
"And whoever says 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." (Matthew 12:32, RSV)
Scripture indicates the preaching of the Gospel to the dead "spirits in prison":
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey....For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God."
(1 Peter 3:18-19, 4:6, RSV)
Sacred Scripture indicates the atonement for the dead (in Deuterocanon):
"He also took up a collection...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, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:43-45, RSV)
St. Paul's prayer for dead Onesiphorus:
"May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiph'orus, for he often refreshed me;...may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day" (2 Timothy 1:1518, RSV)
Scripture also indicates the intercession for others' non-mortal sins:
"If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal." (1 John 5:14-17, RSV)
~ CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS ~
Purgatory (Latin, "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 in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.
("Purgatory." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.)
It stands to reason that God is just. It is also evident that many of us depart from this life not altogether saints and yet not altogether sinners. Moreover some, who have been notoriously wicked repent at the last moment, and God has declared that He will not reject the penitent sinner. Such a penitent, although assured of God's forgiveness, must nevertheless atone for his lifelong transgressions.
Unless there is a place beyond where atonement can be made, the deathbed penitent would entirely escape chastisement for sin. It is true that Christ forgave the sins of the thief on the cross, and also remitted the chastisement of them. He may do that with every sinner if He so wills. But that is not His ordinary way, as we know from Scripture.
God forgave David his sin but chastised him dreadfully nevertheless. So, too, He punished Moses and others after He had pronounced forgiveness of their sins. We have, therefore, the fact that God is just and merciful, and also the fact that not all of us depart this life holy enough for companionship with God, and yet not wicked enough for perpetual banishment from His presence.
Scripture declares that nothing defiled can enter heaven. They, therefore, who have lesser sins on their souls, or who have repented but not received chastisement in this life for their wickedness, must be made worthy of entrance into the all-holy presence of God in some place beyond this life. That is what is meant by Purgatory.
St. Paul also states that some will be saved yet so as by fire:
"10 According to the grace 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, straw--
13 each man's work will become manifest; for the Day 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 as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
17 If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are."
(1 Corinthians 3:10-17, RSV)
So here we see that there are three places referred to at the time of God’s judgment of them:
Heaven (v. 14),
Purgatory (v. 15), and
Hell (v. 17).
• Those who are perfectly righteous go right to heaven (v. 14).
• Those whose works are sinful, but are still within God’s grace, go to purgatory (v. 15) as they are saved only as through fire.
• Those who destroy God’s temple are destroyed by God and will be eternally punished by God (v. 17). This clearly alludes to purgatory in v. 15. (11)
The Scripture says that nothing unclean shall enter Heaven: "But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27, RSV)
The word “unclean” used in the above passage comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption.
"To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence.
Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin.
On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain."
(§1472, CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH)
"But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother, you will be liable to the council; and if you say ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the Gehenna of fire." (Matthew 5:22)
Note that of the three transgressions described by Christ only the third is punishable by damnation (Gehenna being a frequent appellative for hell) and yet the first transgression, being “angry with a brother” is “liable to judgment”.
The word used here for “judgment” is the Greek term krisei which is, in every instance of use in the Gospels, the domain of God alone. Thus, Christ is indicating a negative form of divine judgment to which one is subject which is not punished by hell but in another form, without prejudice to the final justification of the sinner. (12)
"Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny. " (Luke 12:58-59; see also Matthew 5:25-26)
The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Peter 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zechariah 3.1; Revelation 12:10), and God is the judge.
If we have not adequately dealt with Satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.
Scripture demonstrates that souls in heaven are perfected:
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:22-23, RSV)
The spirits of just men do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. We should note that those in heaven are already perfect and those in hell cannot be made perfect. Hence we can conclude that these spirits are in purgatory.
Scripture on God's loving discipline:
"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?...For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness."
(Hebrews 12:6-11, RSV)
Scripture passage indicating the forgiveness in the age to come:
"And whoever says 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." (Matthew 12:32, RSV)
Scripture indicates the preaching of the Gospel to the dead "spirits in prison":
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey....For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God."
(1 Peter 3:18-19, 4:6, RSV)
Sacred Scripture indicates the atonement for the dead (in Deuterocanon):
"He also took up a collection...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, that they might be delivered from their sin." (2 Maccabees 12:43-45, RSV)
St. Paul's prayer for dead Onesiphorus:
"May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiph'orus, for he often refreshed me;...may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day" (2 Timothy 1:1518, RSV)
Scripture also indicates the intercession for others' non-mortal sins:
"If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal." (1 John 5:14-17, RSV)
