Purgatory

[Conservative]

I know that some saints and seers have given us a small glimpse/idea of what Purgatory is. But do we know the length of “time” in purgatory? I know that Eternity has no “time” as in a clock or calendar - but we see “100 years’ Indulgences” or similar - and that surely has me concerned. We hear of souls in purgatory for these long periods of time, either because they’re forgotten - or not prayed for.

Do we have anything solid - concrete - as to an average purgatory sentence? Are most souls there for hundreds of years to expiate? Let’s face it - in this day and age, there is so much we do and take for granted as NOT being a sin, while we may be racking up alot of venial (if not mortal) sin time without realizing. (I say “mortal” sin time for those sins we assume are only venial but in this day and age, we underestimate?)
Our souls have to be perfect to enter Heaven.
(name removed by moderator)ut, please ?

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

…But do we know the length of “time” in purgatory?

We do not know how “long” Purgatory is going to take, if it has a length in “time” as we know it at all.

Conservative:

Do we have anything solid - concrete - as to an average purgatory sentence? Are most souls there for hundreds of years to expiate?

No. The church hasn’t given us anything concrete as to how Purgatory works - if it is even considered a “sentence” as you have described it. A “sentence” implies we are waiting in prison for what we have done. The church hasn’t defined that Purgatory works like that. In other words, the “how” isn’t very concrete at all.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as your “average sentence” as far as what the typical person will experience in Purgatory. Each soul will experience Purgatory in their own way so as to purify their souls to make them ready for heavenly glory.

 

[Andruschak]

I know that some saints and seers have given us a small glimpse/idea of what Purgatory is. But do we know the length of “time” in purgatory? I know that Eternity has no “time” as in a clock or calendar - but we see “100 years’ Indulgences” or similar - and that surely has me concerned. We hear of souls in purgatory for these long periods of time, either because they’re forgotten - or not prayed for.

Do we have anything solid - concrete - as to an average purgatory sentence? Are most souls there for hundreds of years to expiate? Let’s face it - in this day and age, there is so much we do and take for granted as NOT being a sin, while we may be racking up alot of venial (if not mortal) sin time without realizing. (I say “mortal” sin time for those sins we assume are only venial but in this day and age, we underestimate?)
Our souls have to be perfect to enter Heaven.
(name removed by moderator)ut, please ?

Here is what the catechism has to say. These three paragraphs are the Official Teaching of the Church. Everything else is private revelation and speculation. You can safely ignore the private revelations and the speculations.

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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

 

[JudeMichael]

I was reading one of the books sent to me by the parish through which I will be partaking in RCIA. I believe it was “Handbook for Today’s Catholics”.

It said that we do not know the state or length of Purgatory… it could even be described as the loving gaze of Jesus’ eyes that purifies us… I’m still not sure how it will work but from what a Deacon told me back in 2006… Purgatory, if that is what we must endure after death, is our promise of Heaven. It’s not something that we should fear. My goal is Heaven, purgation or not, I desire to be with Jesus and Mary…

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Partial indulgences no longer have any length of time (days, years) attached to them. Indulgences are now described only as “plenary” (full, remitting all temporal punishment) or “partial.”

Years ago, partial indulgences were often described as a certain number of days or years. However, it was not the number of days or years in Purgatory. It had to do with the way the Church used to assign penances. For example, the Church might assign a penitent a certain number of days or years of fasting or some other penitential act. The number of days or years associated with an indulgence indicated that the indulgenced act achieved about the same degree of purgation as that many days or years of earthly penance. From the Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm)):

"By a plenary indulgence is meant the remission of the entire temporal punishment due to sin so that no further expiation is required in Purgatory. A partial indulgence commutes only a certain portion of the penalty; and this portion is determined in accordance with the penitential discipline of the early Church. To say that an indulgence of so many days or years is granted means that it cancels an amount of purgatorial punishment equivalent to that which would have been remitted, in the sight of God, by the performance of so many days or years of the ancient canonical penance. Here, evidently, the reckoning makes no claim to absolute exactness; it has only a relative value.

God alone knows what penalty remains to be paid and what its precise amount is in severity and duration."