THE PURGATORY

The term purgatory, from the Latin purgatorius meaning “that purifies”, was coined in the twelfth century to give its name to this reality of purification of souls. According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, “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.” (Catechism 1030) In fact, into the kingdom of heaven “nothing impure can enter.” (Revelation 21:27) “The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent.” (Catechism 1031) The doctrine of purgatory finds its foundation in the Bible. In the Second Book of Maccabees we read that “Judas the Maccabee had an atoning sacrifice offered for the comrades who fell in battle, so that they might be absolved of their sin.” (2 Maccabees 12:38-45) “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.” (Catechism 1032) In the Gospel, Jesus states that there are sins that can be forgiven in this world, others that can also be forgiven in the future world, and another – that is, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – that cannot be forgiven either in this world or in the future one: “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32) There is therefore the possibility of being absolved of some sins, not mortal, even after this life, through a purification. We find a reference to this purification in a letter from the apostle Paul: “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-17) Speaking of things concerning eternal life, Jesus says: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the guard, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last quadrant.” (Matthew 5:25-26) With “prison” Jesus makes use of an allegorical image in reference to a temporal punishment. The image of the prison cannot be referred to heaven, since heaven is a state of supreme and definitive happiness, not of temporal pain. It cannot even be referred to hell, since the punishment of the damned is not temporal, but eternal. This prison refers to purgatory, and the “debt” (verse 26) refers to the temporal punishment due to sins committed in this world, which must be totally remitted, through a purification, before one can enter the joy of heaven. For the payment, Jesus’ choice falls on the image of the dial, a coin with a negligible value (therefore some translations have “penny” or “cents”) that anyone can discount. Elsewhere, instead, Jesus’ choice falls on ten thousand talents (Matthew 18:23-24), equivalent to sixty million denarii (one denarius was the daily wage for a laborer), a debt that the ruthless servant who was given into the hands of the torturers (Matthew 18:34) could never have served. The gravest punishment of souls in purgatory is constituted by the delayed beatific vision of God. When we talk about purgatory, we can give the impression that we are talking about a place rather than just the condition of the soul. The Magisterium, however, has never pronounced itself on the question. Since spiritual things in the Bible are described by means of sensitive images, the sacred writers make use of the element of fire as an image of purification (Zechariah 13:9). Now if the fire associated with purgatory is only a symbolic image we do not know. Let’s leave it to the Magisterium to have the last word on the matter. For Catholic Christians, the existence of purgatory is a dogma, a truth of the faith, not a questionable reality. In fact, the Council of Trent decreed: “If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.” (Session VI, Canon XXX) And again: “Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the sacred writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught, in sacred councils, and very recently in this oecumenical Synod, that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar; the holy Synod enjoins on bishops that they diligently endeavour that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by the holy Fathers and sacred councils, be believed, maintained, taught, and every where proclaimed by the faithful of Christ.” (Session XXV) Let us therefore pray for the poor suffering souls in purgatory, and let us help them. The Church also recommends almsgiving, indulgences and works of penance in favor of the death.