The souls of the just who at the moment of death are stained by venial sins or who have not fully purified the penalties due to mortal sins already forgiven, must be purified before entering heaven.
They can do it in this life with penance, prayers, alms and good deeds. Or they must do so in the afterlife, in a state often called Purgatory.
Purgatory is, then, a place, state or situation where expiatory punishments are temporarily suffered.
1. Concept and nature
The reality of Purgatory was denied by the Cathars, the Waldensians, the Lutheran reformers, and it has been rejected since ancient times by the schismatic Greek Church.
As the Greek schismatics never accepted, since the separation, the doctrine of Purgatory, the unionist Councils of Lyon and Florence made this declaration: “The souls that departed from this world in charity with God, with true repentance of their sins, before having satisfied with true fruits of penance for their sins of deed and omission, they are purified after death with the pains of purgatory.” (Denz. 464 and 693)
The Protestant reformers followed the doctrine of Luther, who considered the doctrine of Purgatory to be contrary to the Scriptures. He judged it incompatible with his theory of justification, since Christ, in saving and justifying, could leave absolutely no stain on the justified sinner.
Purgatory questioned this totality in justification and therefore rejected it. He did not deny the convenience of suffrages for the dead; but he looked upon them as a comfort to the living rather than a help to the dead.
When the Lutheran doctrine was consolidated, the Reformed also rejected the need for good works to merit purification. To say that Christ did not clean every stain is irreverent.
This attitude moved the Council of Trent to declare: “If anyone says that, once sin is forgiven, there is no longer any consequence of penalty that must be paid in this world or in the next, in Purgatory, but that he no longer needs anything to enter the kingdom of heaven, let him be anathema.” (Denz. 840)
The conciliar declarations confirmed the common traditional doctrine of the Church, which insists that even those who die without mortal sin are in need of purification. Thus they remain in perfect and total purity, which will make entry into Heaven possible.
2. Scripture and Purgatory
Holy Scripture does not make any explicit statement indicating the existence of Purgatory. But it indirectly reflects the idea that a similar place or state must exist, by praising the fact that prayers and suffrages are made for the deceased.
In various places in the Old Testament this practice is already related and its necessity is spoken of. In the book of Maccabees it is related that the Jews prayed for those who fell in battle, because objects consecrated to the idols of Jamnia had been found on their bodies. They asked the Lord to forgive their sins; for this they sent two thousand silver drachmas to Jerusalem, in order that sacrifices be made for that sin. They thought that “those who have died mercifully have a magnificent reward in store. It is holy and pious thought. That is why he caused atoning sacrifices to be offered for the dead, so that they might be absolved from their sins. (2. Mac. 12. 46)
In the New Testament there are already multiple allusions to the spiritual help that can be given to the deceased. Jesus himself speaks of some forgiveness after death: “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come.” (Mt. 12. 32). Saint Gregory the Great explains this Gospel passage: “In this sentence we are made to understand that some sins can be forgiven in this world and some also in the future.” (Dial. IV. 39)
The phrase of Jesus: “Truly I tell you that you will not get out of that prison until you pay the last eight.” (Mt. 5. 26), was also traditionally interpreted as an allusion to the need for total purification to reach salvation.
Saint Paul is the one who most alludes to suffrages for the deceased. He expresses the idea that some will certainly be saved, “but as passing through the fire.” (1 Cor. 3. 10). That is to say, there will be those who are fully and directly saved at death and there will be those who will require a more indirect transition to salvation.
It follows that whoever dies with imperfections, with venial sins or temporal punishments, must purify himself after dying.
3. Ecclesial Tradition
The Latin Fathers, taking the evangelical word too literally, interpret the fire as a physical fire, similar but not the same as that of hell. It is intended to burn after death venial sins that have not been atoned for. It is the teaching of Saint Augustine (Enarr. in Salm. 37. 3), Saint Caesarius of Arles (Serm. 179) and Saint Gregory the Great. (Dial. IV 39).
St. Cyprian explicitly teaches that if one dies without satisfying all his debts, he must do so after death. Only the martyrs achieve total satisfaction by the very fact of their death for faith. “It is different to suffer long pains for sins and be cleansed and purified by ceaseless fire, than to atone for all at once by martyrdom.” (Epist. 55, 20).
Saint Augustine also indicates that it is preferable to pay debts with penalties and that it is convenient to accept the sufferings that come as penance and atonement in this world. And, if penance is not done here, it must be accepted after death for purification: “Some only suffer temporary punishment in this life; others only after death; and others, finally, in this life and after death. But everyone will have to suffer them before that most severe and last judgment.” (De Civ. Dei XXI. 13). In other places this saint speaks of the “correcting fire.” (Enarr. in Ps. 37. 3; and in Enchir. 69)
The suffrages only serve those who have been reborn in Christ but who have not lived in total holiness. For a time they have to purify themselves of the debts they left behind in this world. (De Civ. Dei XXI 24. 2).
Saint John Chrysostom used to say: “Let us take the deceased to help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why should we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them consolation in their purifying sufferings? (Hom. Cor. 1. 45. 5)
4. Church teaching
The essential argument in favor of the existence of Purgatory is found in the testimony of the Church throughout the centuries, rather than in the rigorous interpretation of the biblical texts.
The writers of the Western Church were more explicit and clear about this belief than those of the East. They highlighted more the character of God’s merciful forgiveness than the aspect of suffering of the deceased.
Following his teachings, we can say that the existence of Purgatory is proven by the holiness and justice of God. The holiness of God demands total purity before admitting to himself the souls that have been saved. (Rev. 21. 27). And justice requires that satisfaction be given for some crime, error or breach. It is claimed by divine justice itself; and “comparative justice” demands it, when looking at the actions of some in relation to others who have committed faults and have paid for them their reparation tribute in this life.
Justice and mercy are harmonized in the doctrine of Purgatory.
4. 1. Purgatory and Hell
Purgatory is often understood as a place of torment in the style of Hell, with which it only differs in duration. Nothing more wrong than this assimilation. Purgatory is infinitely different from Hell. In the first God is loved and in the other he hates. In the one there is purification and in the other the sin is immutably maintained. There is as much difference between the two as there is between hope and despair.
In Purgatory we speak, by analogy to Hell, of the double penalty of harm and meaning. But it is only an analogy, a rather imperfect one. Obviously it is very different to suffer with hope and know that soon the happiness of seeing God, whom one loves, begins, and to suffer with eternal spite the irremediable loss of God whom one does not love, because one did not love in life and time. of change is over.
The penalty of damage consists in the delay of the beatific vision of God, not in the impossibility of reaching it. The soul knows that it will see God and the sweetness of hope alleviates the pain of delay. The divine judgment at death has made known to the soul, not only the nature of the penalty, but its very convenience. He loves God, who has been so merciful and just that he offers her the opportunity to purify herself.
The penalty of damage is found in the natural suffering of fire, if it is possible to speak of fire, and of physical fire, if it is possible to speak of physical fire.
This reluctance or hesitation to speak analogically to hell is evident. Transcending time and space, it is incomprehensible how this situation can occur. That is why maximum moderation is prudent when speaking in Catechesis and in the preaching of Purgatory, since almost the only thing that can be certain is its existence and only its existence.
The souls in Purgatory are aware of their filiation and friendship with God and long to unite with Him in a definitive and eternal way. His suffering is love and love for all eternity.
The same pain of meaning is inexplicable, in the case of pure and spiritual souls. The traditional comments of theologians have been based on the idea of St. Paul who speaks of “those who are saved, passing through the fire.” (1 Cor. 3. 15) and that expression is associated with material suffering.
The official teaching of the Church has focused on the affirmation of the “merciful purification of God” and we can hardly say more things in the light of Tradition and the Magisterium.
4.2. Traits of Purgatory
With all that said, we can conclude that Purgatory is a “provisional time”, it is “individual purification” and it is an “ecclesial platform.”
4.2.1. Temporary
The duration of Purgatory is, or has to be, varied, depending on the need for purification of each deceased. But altogether it is a provisional reality destined for his disappearance. When the last of the saved is purified, he will disappear forever.
After the final sentence, the evangelical text of the Parable of the Last Judgment tells us, there are only two situations: “come” to the Kingdom or “go” to the eternal fire, blessed and cursed. (Mt. 25. 41).
Saint Augustine affirms: “It must be thought that there are no purifying punishments, but before that last and tremendous judgment.” (De civ. Dei XXI 16)
4.2.2. Differential
The purifying pain will be personal and non-transferable, adapted and assumable, unmistakable for each person, but open to ecclesial intercession. They are the features of the purification process.
Although it is also true that, in this area,…