Purgatory

In Roman Catholic theology, Purgatory is a process of purification after the particular judgment and before entry into Heaven. One of the first documents to mention purgatorium was a letter from the Benedictine Nicholas of Saint Albans to the Cistercian Peter of Celle in 1176 (Haggh, 1997). Purgatory was an essential element in the three-part world-scheme expressed in Dante's Divine Comedy, written in the early 14th century.

Catholic theology

A concise explication of the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory was presented by Julian, Cardinal Cesarini to the Eastern Orthodox fathers assembled at the Council of Ferrara-Florence, Session vi, June (1438?):

Related Topics:
Julian, Cardinal Cesarini - Eastern Orthodox - Council of Ferrara-Florence

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:"From the time of the Apostles," he said, "the Church of Rome has taught, that the souls departed from this world, pure and free from every taint,?namely, the souls of saints,?immediately enter the regions of bliss. The souls of those who after their baptism have sinned, but have afterwards sincerely repented and confessed their sins, though unable to perform the epitimia laid upon them by their spiritual father, or bring forth fruits of repentance sufficient to atone for their sins, these souls are purified by the fire of purgatory, some sooner, others slower, according, to their sins; and then, after their purification, depart for the land of eternal bliss. The prayers of the priest, liturgies, and deeds of charity conduce much to their purification. The souls of those dead in mortal sin, or in original sin, go straight to punishment."http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/stmark_purg.aspx

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A similar canonic decree is incorporated in the "Decree of Union" drawn up before close of the Council of Florence, which gave a short-lived hope of repairing the Great Schism.

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The developed doctrine of Purgatory was further expressed in canons of the Council of Trent, Session xxv, which claimed to derive a concept of Purgatory "from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils." Protestant churches largely reject the concept (see below).

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In official Catholic teaching, after death, people who had repented for their sins, but had not expiated them, are purged before entering Heaven. Everyone who enters Purgatory will eventually reach Heaven, therefore it is not some lesser form of Hell. Prayers for the dead and indulgences can shorten one's own or loved one's stay in Purgatory: "We believe that alms, sacrifice, and other benefits can be of help to the dead" (Denziger §427, 1208). In Catholic theology, some sins — i.e. those against the Holy Spirit — may not be forgiven "neither in this life nor in the future" (Mt 12:32); whereas "fire will test the work of each one , of what kind it is" (1 Cor 3:13), so that a kind of after-death processing may be assumed to exist, assuming that one accepts the Scriptures as part of their religious faith.

Related Topics:
Sin - Hell - Prayers for the dead - Indulgences - 1208 - Mt - 1 Cor - Scriptures

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