Do saints go to purgatory?

[ellam25]

This is somethingI’ve often wondered. I have heard that if you are killed for the faith (Thomas More, Joan of Arc, Saint Philomena etc) you are guerenteed a spot in heaven right? What about those saints who died peacefully, is it possible they migjt be in purgatory or have been in purgatory? Or are saints always presumed to be in heaven?

 

[littlestsouls2]

Some Saints might go to Purgatory. There is no prerequisite to the contrary. I imagine that they would be in Heaven for their beatifications and canonizations, though

Our Lord said to Sr. Benigna Consolata (Servant of God) that she would make her Purgatory in the flames of His pure love. Maybe this is how many Saints pass through to God; they suffer (and love) much and bypass Purgatory, or at least, don’t spend much “time” there (however that works).

 

[JurisPrudens]

This is somethingI’ve often wondered. I have heard that if you are killed for the faith (Thomas More, Joan of Arc, Saint Philomena etc) you are guerenteed a spot in heaven right? What about those saints who died peacefully, is it possible they migjt be in purgatory or have been in purgatory? Or are saints always presumed to be in heaven?

I think, their passing through purgatory is one of the reasons for sometimes substantial time gaps between their death and canonization.

 

[midori]

Why not?

A canonized saint is someone who practiced heroic virtue on earth. But just because you had heroic virtue didn’t mean you also didn’t have your lapses that you need to atone for.

A saint is someone who is in the presence of God in heaven, who sees the beatific vision. But there’s no requirement as to how immediately after death you get to enter heaven.

 

[AttendeDomine]

What about those saints who died peacefully, is it possible they migjt be in purgatory or have been in purgatory? Or are saints always presumed to be in heaven?

If a saint is just someone who is in heaven, then I would think the vast majority have had to go through Purgatory.

If we mean only canonized Saints, well: canonization is generally understood to be an infallible declaration that a particular individual is in heaven, and that their life is worthy of being emulated, and that they can have a public cult in the Church, and so on. But I don’t think there’s anything there that should insinuate such an individual didn’t go to Purgatory first.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

I believe martyrs, by virtue of their death for the faith, are cleansed of all temporal punishment and go to Heaven immediately after judgment. The rest of the saints may have to endure Purgatory for some time, although I bet it is much less than what the average Catholic will have to endure due to their virtue and mortification.