Abode of the fathers and purgatory

[bobbymac]

Can anyone tell me the difference btwn the"abode of the fathers" and purgatory, I’m confused. I was told that the “abode of the fathers” is like a pre heaven. I thought it was like a pre-purgatory.
Thanks in advance

 

[bilop]

If you mean “limbo” of the fathers, it was the “place” where the righteous that died before Christ’s resurrection waited.

When Christ “descended into Hell” in the Apostles’ Creed, he went to this place to free the souls there, and take them to heaven.

God Bless

 

[bobbymac]

thanks for the reply…so if they were righteous, they still had attachment to sins committed on earth(ie temporal sins) does that mean the the limbo of the fathers was a state of being where temporal sins were removed??

 

[bilop]

I don’t know of any clear teaching on that. The must have been purified before they entered Heaven. But whether that happen in limbo, or in purgatory before they got to limbo, I don’t know if that has been settled.

God Bless.

 

[bobbymac]

thanks, bilop for the insite—does anyone else have ideas??

 

[Benadam]

thanks, bilop for the insite—does anyone else have ideas??

In a way you are correct.

This is my vision of it and it doesn’t violate what we as catholics believe already about purgatory.

When Christ decended into hell, or better said, hades, since where Christ went wasn’t a place of eternal damnation yet. Whatever it is called it is, where not just the souls of the righteous but all humanity who died before Christ dwelt.
The different places within, defined as, The limbo of the Fathers the Bosom of Abraham,etc. are just ways to distinguish the various states of soul that occuppy hades.

At any rate,all humanity is given the opportunity to accept or reject the Gospel. No matter what state the soul occupied at death. The souls that accepted Christ were purged and the state of their souls defined and distinguish the ‘place’ as purgatory.

The souls that rejected Christ are eternally damned and with the fallen angels distinguish and define the ‘place’ as hell.

 

[Phelle]

The abode of the Fathers seems to me a place of waiting “limbo”? where those who died before Christ went. They waited for Christ’s sacrificial reconciliation of humanity back to God, the consequence of Gen 3:15, may be a “partial heaven”. Purgatory, to purge would seem to me a place where those who died in venial sins go for purification before going to heaven. My ideas, not absolute answers please, just sharing the faith.