Joe died suddenly and quickly from a heart attack. He lived alone so no one knew Joe had died until a neighbor found him on the floor in his garage some hours later.
Most people who knew Joe would say he was a good man. But, they would also say that, like many (most?) of us, Joe was not a saint. Still, his good qualities did outweigh his bad ones.
Unfortunately for Joe, he hadn’t been to Confession for six months when he died. Fortunately for Joe, he had not committed any mortal sins since his last Confession. He had, however, committed a number of venial sins. And due to the quickness of his death, Joe did not have time to make a good Act of Contrition.
So where did Joe end up after his particular judgement?
Heaven or Purgatory
There is a school of thought that says “venial sins are always removed in this life through the grace of final perseverance, even without an act of contrition.” So even if Joe did not have time to make a good Act of Contrition, his venial sins may not have been held against him. As such, some Catholics might be inclined to say Joe went straight to Heaven.
But it’s more likely that Joe ended up in purgatory. This is because, venial sins aside, even if he was a “good guy” Joe was not a saint. So even though his sins had been forgiven in Confession, he still needed to “undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (“Catechism of the Catholic Church” 1030-1032).
In other words, even if Joe had gone to Confession an hour before he died, he may still have ended up in purgatory. One reason for this is that our sins wound our souls. Another is that it’s possible that Joe’s contrition for past sins may not have been contrite enough. Or perhaps the reparations Joe offered were not sufficient. Joe just may not have earned enough sanctifying graces throughout his life to “perfect” his soul.
In short, Joe just may not have spent enough time, to quote St Paul (Philippians 2:12), working out his “salvation with fear and trembling.”
For instance, Joe had ‘done someone wrong’ years ago. He confessed the sin and did his penance. Joe also texted an apology to the person, but then he never gave the ‘the wrong,’ or the person wronged, another thought. Was Joe truly sorry for the sin? And what of the person Joe wronged? Was the texted apology a sufficient reparation?
Sin Wounds Our Souls
In Baptism all of our “sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin” (CCC 1263). But after we are Baptized we still have to struggle with “weaknesses of character . . . as well as an inclination to sin that Tradition calls concupiscence” (CCC 1264).
The Catechism also explains that our “. . . nature bears the wound of original sin” (CCC 1707). So sin wounds our nature – the union of our bodies and our souls (CCC 365).
For many (most?) Christians Baptized as infants, this means a lifetime of struggle. And even though we are absolved of our sins through Confession, sins still wound and scar us. Grievous sins may leave somewhat large scars. And if contrition for a sin or sins is imperfect (see CCC 1452/53) the wounds and scars left by those sins may also be rather large. And if the reparation is insufficient, will the scar be erased?
Of course, in 1 John 1:9 we are told that “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” We know God’s forgiveness (His perfect mercy) is immediate, but what about His perfect justice? Just how, and when, does the “cleansing” take place?
Acknowledging our sins is, after all, not the same as being sufficiently contrite for our sins. And if we are only contrite out of fear of hell, to what extent will our souls be cleansed? Similarly, if our reparations for our sins are insufficient, how does this impact our souls?
Purgatory
Revelation 21:27 is clear that “nothing unclean will enter” heaven. So even though our sins have been forgiven, if our souls are not perfectly clean and pure when we die, we cannot go straight to heaven. Our souls need to somehow be cleansed and made pure before we can enter Heaven. For many of us the ‘somehow’ is purgatory.
The Catholic belief in purgatory is rooted in the Old Testament. As this tract at Catholic Answers states, “The doctrine of purgatory, or the final purification, has been part of the true faith since before the time of Christ. The Jews already believed it before the coming of the Messiah, as revealed in the Old Testament (2 Macc. 12:41–45) as well as in other pre-Christian Jewish works.”
The existence of purgatory is also taught in the New Testament. (This article, at the Catholic Education Resource Center, is a good explainer.)
Of course some who may be reading the Bible literally might not agree that it proves the existence of purgatory. But such individuals are only absorbing the singular, literal sense of scripture. They are missing the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses of scripture (CCC 115-117).
As the Catechism states, purgatory is a final purification “so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC 1030). So purgatory exists for those of us who have not managed to achieve sainthood here on earth but who still died “in God’s grace and friendship.”
Suffering in Purgatory
Catholic doctrine does not offer a lot of detail on purgatory other than teaching that purgatory does exist. As the tract linked to earlier in this article states:
“. . . there are only three essential components of the doctrine: (1) that a purification after death exists, (2) that it involves some kind of pain, and (3) that the purification can be assisted by the prayers and offerings by the living to God.”
So no one is sure what the suffering in purgatory entails. This article at Church Pop says the suffering is “excruciating.” A book “An Unpublished Manuscript On Purgatory” by Sister M. de L. C. (written between 1874 and 1890), also describes purgatory as a place with different levels of suffering. The book allegedly recounts conversations between Sister M. de L.C. and another nun from the same convent, who had died recently and was now in purgatory. (A free PDF of the book is available here.)
As explained by Fr. John Harden at Catholic Culture, “Although not defined doctrine, it is certain that the essential pain in purgatory is the pain of loss, because the souls are temporarily deprived of the beatific vision.
“Their suffering is intense on two counts: (1) the more something is desired, the more painful its absence, and the faithful departed intensely desire to possess God now that they are freed from temporal cares and no longer held down by the spiritual inertia of the body; (2) they clearly see that their deprivation was personally blameworthy and might have been avoided if only they had prayed and done enough penance during life.”
Pray for the Souls in Purgatory
We may not know for sure exactly how the souls in purgatory suffer, but we do know they are suffering. Before November comes to a close and Advent begins, take some time to pray for the souls in purgatory. And then keep them in your prayers all year long.
The Eternal Rest Prayer should be familiar to most Catholics:
Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord,
And let Your perpetual light shine upon them.
And may the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
St. Gertrude the Great’s Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory is another wonderful prayer. It’s been said that each time this prayer is many souls are released from purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer You the most precious blood
of thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said
throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the universal Church,
for those in my own home,
and in my family.
Amen.
21 thoughts on “A Reasonable Argument for the Existence of Purgatory”
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When Our Lady appeared at Fatima and Lucia questioned Our Lady about a couple friends who had recently died, Our Lady told Lucia that one was in heaven and the other in Purgatory until the end of the world. The Mother of God specifically mentioned Purgatory so you can contrive anything you want, but Purgatory is real. I will take the words of the Mother of God over any mortal statements on the subject.
What I often wonder about is, following the citation you quote, Amelia was the friend who would be in Purgatory until the end of the world. Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco were children. I think Lucia was the oldest at around 9 years old. If Amelia was also of this age group, how I wonder what such a young girl could have done things that would leave her in Purgatory for such a long time and what are the implications for the rest of us?
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As a Protestant, I will simply remark that if our Lord’s sacrifice is sufficient to save us from sin, it is surely sufficient to save us also from all penalty for sin (which is at best an epiphenonenon, a secondary effect of sin). I am afraid that I find your argument sadly unconvincing.
What if Martin Luther is wrong that Jesus’ death atoned for all of our sins past, present and future? If so, then he is also wrong that we are saved from all penalty for sin.
I would not expect to convince someone of the existence of purgatory in a 1,400 word article. You might want to pick up a book by Karlo Broussard entitled “Purgatory Is for Real.”
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I see that the Catholic Stand “police” have taken down my latest posting, 2 Timothy 3:10 through 4:10.
We wouldn’t want scriptures appearing on Catholic Stand, now would we?
Robert, Scripture is quoted on the CS website a lot, in articles as well as in comments. But when a comment takes Scripture out of context to make a point that it does make (or in a thinly veiled attempt to castigate), the comment will get deleted.
The Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God. But nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Bible is all we need for salvation or that the Bible contains ALL Christian teaching or theology. This is the errant Protestant teaching of Sola Scriptura and it is not living “the Truth that the Church teaches.”
The early Christians had only Old Testament scripture to draw on. They learned the Good News of Salvation, as found in the New Testament, from oral instruction as passed on to them by the Apostles and their successors. This apostolic tradition is part of the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. In Luke 10:16 Jesus Christ gave the apostles and their successors (the Catholic Church) the authority to teach in His name. This authority includes the authority to interpret Scripture correctly. And in case you’ve forgotten, the Catholic Church compiled both the Bible and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.”
The correct interpretation of 2 Timothy 3:10-17 can be found here – https://www.catholic.com/tract/scripture-and-tradition.
Note too, that any further comments will be deleted.
Just a few comments to your response.
My point about God’s words to Cain; He does not say that Abel arrived in heaven, or descended to hell, or arrived in purgatory, does He?
The passage from Job; 10 “But man dies and lies prostrate.
Man expires, and where is he?
11 “As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.”
Again, it does not state that man arrives in heaven, or hell, or purgatory, does it?
Daniel is told to rest until the end of days.
QI mentioned the Mourner’s Kaddish because of the tract that you linked. It claimed that the idea of a “purgatory” was part of the Old Testament beliefs and the prayer was recited during the year following the person’s death. The prayer really has nothing to suggest a purification process, does it?
Nothing in Ecclesiastes, or the rest of the Bible, specifically states that Jesus descended to hell and released the souls of Old Testament individuals to enter heaven. If that occurred, it would have meant that they ascended to heaven before Jesus since He remained on earth after His resurrection, doesn’t it?
It is clear that you have not settled this nagging issue for me. And I doubt that you will be changed in your support of the Catholic Church on the concept of purgatory.
One day we will know the Truth.
Okay Robert, just this one more time. But get yourself a copy of Karlo Broussard’s book “Purgatory Is for Real.” It should clear things up for you.
Abel, Daniel, and even the Old Testament prophets and Abraham and Moses did not go to heaven when they died for the simple reason that the gates of heaven were closed to them. Prior to the Resurrection the souls of the righteous went to what is in Hebrew “Sheol” or in Greek “Hades” (CCC 633). Note, too, that sometimes Sheol is translated as “hell,” but this translation should not be confused with the hell of the damned. Sheol was simply the abode of the dead. This alone indicates that in the Bible there is an afterlife that is neither heaven nor hell.
However, we also learn from the Bible (in Luke 16:19-31 — the rich man and Lazarus), there are at least two parts to this place – Lazarus was comforted in Abraham’s bosom while the rich man was in a place of torment. (This is why the Mourner’s Kaddish was said for the souls of the dead – to ease the suffering of those souls not resting in the bosom of Abraham.) So Jesus Himself is telling us that some souls suffer in the afterlife even though they have not been damned to hell.
This article (also by Broussard) at Catholic Answers should also clear some of this up for you — https://www.catholic.com/qa/the-afterlife-of-the-old-testament-just-souls. As the article says, “It is to these spirits that Jesus preached the gospel between Good Friday and Easter Sunday (1 Pet. 3:19).”
It’s often said that the Church holds onto its flock through fear. This post is a case in point.
For anyone who takes it seriously it’s unsettling. Purgatory is “intense pain”. Joe died with six months’ worth of unconfessed venial sins. The average faithful Catholic goes a whole week before Saturday confession rolls around. What if he dies on Saturday morning? “Intense pain”. What if he has a bad Sunday, commits some venial sins, and dies Sunday night? It’s been only 24 hours since absolution. But still — “intense pain”!
Are church rules the same as God’s rules? Think not.
CC, Don’t make things up or your comments will be deleted. The words intense and pain are used in this article (as is the word suffering) but nowhere is the phrase “intense pain” used. Regardless, the pain in purgatory may simply be the pain of not having the Beatific Vision, of not being with God in heaven when we die. As the article makes clear, we don’t really know what the suffering entails. I also disagree with your opinion that the Church “holds onto its flock through fear.” Purgatory is good news. Purgatory is a supreme example of God’s infinite mercy. If we don’t attain sainthood on earth, purgatory is a second chance.
Gene:
Where do I begin? As a Catholic, I’m more and more torn between what I read in the Bible vs. the CCC, statements by the pope, homilies, articles online, etc.
How about some questions for you?
What did God say to Cain after he killed his brother?
What do we learn from Job 14: 10-12?
Or what do we learn in Ecclesiastes 9 and 12?
How about Daniel 12:13?
What does the Mourner’s Kaddish say?
Does any of this really support the existence of a purgatory?
What can we find in the New Testament that directly supports it?
Doesn’t Revelation 21:27 refer to the New Jerusalem that descends to earth, not heaven?
With respect to the prayers you cite, the first one asks that the departed Rest In Peace. How does that support your contention about suffering in purgatory until they are purified for entrance into heaven? The second prayer seems to be blasphemy, suggesting that we can somehow offer The Blood of Jesus for anyone. His sacrifices were his to offer in obedience to God, weren’t they?
Robert, I’m glad you read the Bible. I do as well. But it’s not an “easy read” and I’m not a Bible scholar. I rely on Catholic Bible scholars to interpret the many difficult passages in the Bible for me. As I stated in the article, “. . . some who may be reading the Bible literally might not agree that it proves the existence of purgatory. But such individuals are only absorbing the singular, literal sense of scripture. They are missing the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses of scripture (CCC 115-117).
Also, the comments section is not a “discussion forum” but since you appear to be sincere, I offer the following answers to your questions. Note, however, that this ends any “discussion.”
Your Cain question: God asked Cain “Where is your brother Abel?” Then He [God] said “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!” Abel’s blood was spilled on and seeped into the ground and Abel’s murder cries out for justice. Why is this relevant?
Job 14: 10-12? We learn that our bodies shall not awaken nor will they be roused out of their sleep and reunited with our souls until the Second Coming of Christ.
Ecclesiastes 9 and 12? We learn that before Christ’s Resurrection the dead resided in what the Jews called Sheol. Christ released the righteous from Sheol when he rose from the dead. Many/most probably went straight to heaven. Some may have needed additional purification. We don’t know. Were the unrighteous in Sheol, too, or did they go straight to hell when they died? We don’t know this for sure either but most would say the later.
Daniel 12:13? That the souls and bodies of the righteous will be joined again at the Second Coming.
The Mourner’s Kaddish? Irrelevant in this instance because the Jews do not believe that Christ died and opened the gates of heaven for us or in the existence of purgatory.
Does any of this really support the existence of a purgatory? Catholicism is a religion of faith and reason and its teachings are based upon scripture and tradition. Scripture and tradition teach us of the existence of purgatory, and reason develops this teaching for us.
What can we find in the New Testament that directly supports it? Already answered in the article (link provided), but you might want to pick up a copy of the book “Purgatory Is for Real” by Catholic apologist Karlo Broussard.
Doesn’t Revelation 21:27 refer to the New Jerusalem that descends to earth, not heaven? The New Jerusalem is Heaven here on earth.
The first prayer: The departed souls rest in peace when they get to heaven. The prayer is a prayer. It is not meant to support the existence of purgatory.
The second prayer: Christ’s Blood was offered up for EVERYONE and the prayer acknowledges this.
His sacrifices in obedience to God? His obedience does not change the fact that His Sacrifice was offered up for everyone out of love for us.
Poor, Joe. It’s ‘reasonable’ to think he may get reincarnated too, to make all those amends – well, about one in four think so anyway. Happy Thanksgiving !
Actually, according to Pew Research, it may be higher than 1 in 4. About 4 in 10 adults under the age of 50 (38%) and 27% of those ages 50 and older in the U.S. also believe in reincarnation. But belief is not a reasoned argument. And unlike Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, Catholicism is based on faith and reason.