Purgatory And Mortal Sins: Cleansing Or Punishment?

Purgatory is a place of purification and purging for souls who are destined for heaven but are still imperfectly purified. It is not a place for damned souls to repent, nor is it a means to earn a place in heaven. Instead, it is a gift from God to prepare souls to see Him. Purgatory is for those who have committed mortal sins and have had their friendship with God killed, but have repented and sought forgiveness. The Bible alludes to purgatory in terms of a purging fire, and Jesus himself refers to a jail or torturers that souls will be delivered to until they have paid their debt.

Purgatory is a temporary state for souls in friendship with God who need cleansing from the bad effects of sin

Purgatory is for the saved—those who die in God's friendship. It is a process of purification for souls who, though assured of eternal salvation, are still imperfectly purified. This final cleansing rids them of the temporal punishment due for their sins, leaving in them only the holiness necessary to enter heaven.

Mortal sin "kills" our friendship with God. By willfully committing mortal sin, we reject God and lose sanctifying grace. Christ's sacrifice on the Cross can redeem our friendship with God, but we must repent and seek God's forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If we do not repent and die in this graceless state, we will suffer the loss of eternal life.

Not all sin is mortal. Venial sin, while not depriving the sinner of friendship with God or the eternal happiness of heaven, weakens charity, manifests a disordered affection for created goods, and impedes the soul's progress in virtue and moral good. It merits temporal punishment, which can be corrected and cleansed through personal penance on earth or later in Purgatory.

Purgatory is not a place of suffering. The essential pain in Purgatory is the pain of loss, as the souls are temporarily deprived of the beatific vision. Their suffering is also borne with patience and accepted generously, out of love for God and with perfect submission to His will. Eventually, all souls in Purgatory will go to heaven.

Purgatory is not a second chance for damned souls to repent

Purgatory is not a place to earn a way to heaven but is instead a gift from God, preparing souls to see Him. It is for those who have died in God's friendship but have committed mortal sins, which "kill" the friendship with God. Mortal sin causes the loss of sanctifying grace, but this friendship can be redeemed through Christ's sacrifice and forgiveness. If this redemption is not sought, the soul will suffer the loss of eternal life, which is eternal punishment or hell.

Purgatory is also for the cleansing of souls from the effects of venial sins, which are not serious enough to sever the soul's friendship with God but are still harmful. This correction or temporal punishment is necessary before the soul can enter heaven.

Purgatory is not a place of suffering. While the soul experiences the pain of loss, as it is deprived of the beatific vision of God, this is temporary and includes the hope of one day seeing God. The soul also experiences intense spiritual joy, as it is assured of its salvation and knows it is in divine friendship.

Purgatory is distinct from hell, which is the eternal punishment for those who die in a state of mortal sin and are unrepentant.

Purgatory is not a means to earn a way to heaven

Purgatory is a state of cleansing and purification for souls destined for heaven. It is not a means to earn a way to heaven but a gift from God preparing us to see Him face to face.

Purgatory is for saved souls, those dying in God's friendship, who need cleansing from the bad effects, mess, scandal, and attachments (attraction to sin) still remaining from forgiven mortal sins and less serious venial sins. Such tainted souls, though saved, cannot enter heaven directly. As stated in the Bible: "But nothing unclean shall enter it (heaven)..." (Rev 21:27). These souls need to be purged of all "uncleanness", no matter how slight, before seeing God face to face (Rev 22:3-5). Eventually, all souls in Purgatory will go to heaven.

Purgatory is not a second chance for damned souls to repent. It is not a place to earn our way to heaven but a place of purification for those who are already destined for heaven. It is a gift from God to prepare us to see Him face to face.

Purgatory is a temporary state for souls in friendship with God (i.e. saved) who need cleansing. It is not a means to earn a way to heaven but a process of purification for those who are already saved.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "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. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned."

Purgatory is a gift from God to prepare us to see Him face to face

Purgatory is a gift from God that demonstrates His merciful love for us. It is a passing intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul. It is a place of purification where the souls of those who have died in a state of grace undergo punishment for forgiven sins and, perhaps, to expiate unforgiven venial sins before being admitted to the beatific vision of God in heaven.

Purgatory is not explicitly stated in the Bible, but belief in its existence is intimately related to the doctrine of the Last Judgment. The clearest passage in support of purgatory's existence is in 2 Maccabees, where Judas Maccabee and his men made arrangements for the fitting burial of the soldiers of his army who died in battle. Prayers were offered for the dead and a collection of 2,000 drachmas was sent to Jerusalem as expiatory sacrifices.

The doctrine of purgatory was formally defined by Benedict XII in the 14th century. Purgatory's nature and conditions were a subject of much dispute in the later Middle Ages. To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to be aware of the effects of sins. Mortal, or deadly sin, utterly destroys a person’s relationship with God, who is the source of life. This relationship is called grace, and a person in this relationship is said to be in the state of grace. Grace is won for us by Christ alone, and without it, there can be no possibility of eternal life.

Purgatory is an extraordinary gift of God that demonstrates His merciful love for us. It is a place of sanctification to enter the eternal beatitude of heaven. The souls in purgatory can be helped by works of piety such as prayer, indulgences, alms, fasting, and sacrifices.

Purgatory is not a place of eternal punishment or hell

Purgatory is necessary because nothing impure can enter heaven. Christ died for our sins, but many people will not die in a state of pure grace, and so will need to be purified before entering heaven.

Purgatory is not explicitly stated in the Bible, but it is implicitly referenced several times. The first mention comes in the tale of Judas Maccabeus, who, after a battle, discovered some of his fallen men had worn amulets to false idols, which was against the law. They prayed for their fallen brothers so that their sin might be wiped clean. This is referenced in 2 Maccabees 12:40,42,46:

> "Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin."

Another reference is found in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus speaks of a place where souls will be purified:

> "You will not be released until you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:25-26)

A further reference is found in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians:

> "If [a person's] work is burned up, [they] will suffer loss; [they themselves] will be saved, but only as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Paul speaks of the works of the faithful being tested after death through a figurative fire. Scripturally, fire is used as a purifying agent. This cannot be hell, because souls are being saved, nor can it be heaven because there are imperfections that must be burned up. This place, where imperfections are burned up, is purgatory.

The concept of purgatory has been part of the true faith since before Christ. Early Church Fathers supported the doctrine of purgatory. In his writing on monogamy in 216 AD, Tertullian spoke of the prevalence of praying for the dead during the early years of the Church. Saint Augustine also defined the doctrine in his most famous work, 'The City of God', and described the difference in judgement for venial versus mortal sin.

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