Is purgatory a part of hell or heaven?

[calinorth86]

What does the the church teach on this subject?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm

III. THE FINAL PURIFICATION, OR PURGATORY

1030 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.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:

Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.611

 

[seagal]

Purgatory is not a place but a state of purification, which can last years or a split second. While we are being purified for heaven (because nothing unholy can enter heaven) we are in God’s presence, although we aren’t fully with the beatific vision. Here’s an article from the Catholic Encyclopedia that might help.

 

[roseo64]

my humble opinion…purgatory is between heaven and hell. in purgatory, if
I understand it right our souls, as has been said, are in need of being purified.
however, this is something we should strive for and try to do all during our life.
which is easier said than done. would like to share this quote with you…
“in a world that has become largely materialistic and that has all but lost the sense of sin,
most believers today presume upon God’s mercy that, when they, their friends and relatives
die, they immediately go to heaven. forgetting God’s justice, they place little or
no importance on purgatory or the many souls that go there”
by: Paul Kokoski
from: Leaves (November-December 2015 issue)
from the Mariannhill Fathers
website: www.marianhill.us
“Leaves” is published bi-monthly and worth getting. it is free to whoever wishes to
receive it. is based totally on donations. and always has “words of wisdom” .
there is much more to the small part I quoted and urge anyone to read the whole
article.

 

[Richca]

What does the the church teach on this subject?

I don’t think the Church has a definitive teaching about the place of purgatory for it is not clearly stated in Holy Scripture concerning the situation of Purgatory. However, I think we can offer some reasonable arguments about the place of purgatory from what Scripture says about heaven and hell, the opinions from the holy fathers, doctors, and saints of the Church, and even from private revelations given to some saints.

I think we can reasonably surmise that purgatory is neither a part of hell or heaven but probably somewhere in between touching the threshold of each. In the Old Testament, Scripture speaks of the abode of the dead (sheol in hebrew, hades in greek) and it is said to be down in the lower parts of the earth, for example, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven” (Isaiah 7:11). It is an article of the Catholic Faith that Christ descended into hell after his death and before his resurrection. In the Apostles Creed, we say “He descended into hell.” And St Paul says:
“Therefore, it says:
“He ascended* on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.”
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4: 8-10)

Christ descended into hell (the lower parts of the earth) to free the souls of all the just who lived prior to Christ and bring them to heaven. This is not the hell of the damned and the fallen angels which occupies the very lowest regions of the earth. It is also an article of faith that Christ ascended into heaven and St Paul says “far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things” and that Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. Scripture speaks of God’s throne and dwelling as above all the heavens "The Lord is high above all the nations, and His glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113: 4-6).

Using the language of Holy Scripture then, the souls in purgatory are neither in the hell of the damned or fallen angels which occupies the lowest regions of the earth nor in the heaven of God’s throne and where Jesus ascended: "Our Father who art in heaven, " “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God…”(Matt. 5:34); "Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1).

The souls in purgatory may spend their purgatory possibly in lower regions of the earth where the souls of the just went before the time of Christ or even on the earth or somewhere in the created corporeal heavens. I think the souls of the dead have to go somewhere when they depart the body for they don’t vanish out of existence and they are no longer in the place where the body was when they animated the body before death and they are not in the heaven where the souls and bodies of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are or the spirits of the angels are. In my opinion then, purgatory is not only a state but a corporeal place too between the hell of the damned and fallen angels and the heaven of the blessed.