Catholic Friend Does Believe in Purgatory

[PRmerger]

There is no mention of purgatory in the bible.

I propose that you believe a lot of things about your faith that “there is no mention of” in the Bible.

 

[PJM]

=SnowAngels;12941123]Hi everyone!

I have a new friend that has one Catholic parent, was raised a very lukewarm Catholic and had a conversion two summers back. She is now extremely enthusiastic about her faith and often openly talks about it to others. The only thing she doesn’t agree with the Church on is Purgatory; she doesn’t believe it exists. I was a bit shocked and asked her why. She said because of various documentaries where peope claim to have died, seen Heaven, and then come back to life. The Mom of a friend of hers said to have one of these experiences. She also told me that is doesn’t make sense to hear that Jesus died so we could go to Purgatory…but to go to Heaven. Thankfully, she is extremely open about talking about this and has even brought it up twice. I have studied the catechism, and teach CCD so I’m very comfortable spreading and explaining the faith, but I’d wondering if you know of any other resources I can either look at or present to her. Thank you so much! God bless!

This position of not believing in Purgatory flows from the Protestant who as an essential element of their new man-made faiths [plural], had to make their religion easier and simpler than what we Catholics have always held as Doctrine.

OSAS, altar calls, the Sinners prayer and such unbiblical teachings, eagerly accepted because they are easy and seemingly logical; while what we teach is PROFOUND and requires a bit of understanding of

1. sin and its nature
2. God and his ESSENTIAL nature
3. The essential nature our Soul MUST attain in order to enter into heaven.

1. Because Protestants defination and understanding of just what sin is, what its effects are and its two basic natures: 1 Jn. 1: 8-1 & 1 Jn. 5:16-17 & John 20:19-23, and for the most part they hold and teach that Christ has ALREADY done “everything” needed for their salvation once “they have received Christ as their personal savior” [also not biblical]

Sin falls into 2 categories: Mortal and Venial [greater and lesser]; and ALL sins accrue a concealed debt that must be repaid that we term “temporal Punishment”, which ONLY God knows the extent off. This is due to the “public nature” of all sin, meaning that all sins effect others besides the sinner themselves.

This debt is repaid as Christ as the comptroller, by charity, prayers, sacrifices and Indulgences [a separate topic]

2. God who can be briefly defined as “All good things perfected”

God cannot judge fairly all sins being of equal consequences: thus Mortal and Venial sin exist

Man exist so that we might freely choose to know, love, worship and serve God** [Isaiah 43: 7 & 21]**

God desires to save as many souls as are willing to accept His grace and OBEY Him fully Acts 28:20; Mt. 10:22 & 1st Tim. 2:4; which is the underpinning for purgatory.
WHY?

Because having created Purgatory for the state of imperfect man countless more souls will be enabled to enter the Beatific Vision. God’s Presence

3. Because God is PERFECT, in order to enter into heaven, man’s soul too must either be perfect upon death, OR perfected AFTER death if the Soul dies with no unconfessed or forgiven Mortal sin. WHAT is her understanding of Mortal sin and Sacramental Confession?

1 Peter 1:16 " Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy}

Matthew 5:48 “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect”

Purgatory has the power and authority to repay the debt of both unconfessed and forgiven venial sins at the time of our death AND repay the debt of Temporal Punishment; thus perfecting souls so that they are enabled to enter into heaven.
SPACE is limited so too is my response.

God Bless you,

Patrick PJM