Purgatory revisited

[eamonnroma]

I have for a long time struggled with the notion of Purgatory (as I did with LImbo) - i have always had Purgatory presented as a place, which to me made no sense, such as Heaven is not a physical place.

I have seen posts on this forum quoting the Councils of Florence and Trent as affirming Purgatory’s existence, but still affirming them as a seemingly physical reality.

I have now been inspired by reading an audience given by Pope John Paul II on the 4th august 1999. Here he explains Purgatory not as a physical place we go to, but as a process of purification. This has bolstered my faith considerably. I shall add a short quote from the audience with this post. If anyone would like to see the full text of the audience, just go to the Vatican site and look up 4th august 1999.

PURGATORY

For those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God, but still imperfectly, the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of ‘Purgatory’ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030-1032).
Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected. Purification must be complete, and indeed this is precisely what is meant by the Church’s teaching on purgatory. The term does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence. Those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ who removes from them the remnants of imperfection (cf. Ecumenical Council of Florence, Decretum pro Graecis: DS 1304; Ecumenical Council of Trent, Decretum de iustificatione: DS 1580; Decretum de purgatorio: DS 1820).
Following our catechesis on the reality of heaven and hell, today we consider “Purgatory”, the process of purification for those who die in the love of God but who are not completely imbued with that love.

 

[Peter_Dawson]

The process is discussed in Paul…

12 If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
13 the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one’s work.
14 If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage.
15 But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

The distinction between place and process is not very important. If it’s a place, it has been “mystified” and so is essentially unreachable by us, in a geographic sense, while we are alive.

I prefer the place analysis myself, because I like the friendly simplicity of the concept. I am sure of this: The suffering in Purgatory being tested “as through fire” are happy while they suffer. Why? They made it.

Once I experienced this when a robber, instead of shooting me with his sawed-off shotgun, clubbed me on the head with it. He was puzzled as I smiled as blood streamed down my face, but I was DARN happy that he didn’t pull that trigger!

 

[aicirt]

I enjoyed C.S. Lewis’ book, The Great Divorce, which is about a man who finds himself in hell and going by bus on a day trip to heaven. It is about letting go of our earthly attachments and sins. It is a quick read, only about 150 pages.

 

[DavidFilmer]

I have seen posts on this forum quoting the Councils of Florence and Trent as affirming Purgatory’s existence, but still affirming them as a seemingly physical reality.

These places are real, but not physical.

The Church has never taught that we could ever possibly visit Heaven, purgatory, or hell while in our present life. Not even if we had a very fast rocket ship (or tunnel-boring machine). It is simply not possible in our physical bodies, as these are all real, but spiritual, realms.