Suffering in Purgatory ceasing on Judgement Day

[misstherese]

I’ve been wondering this for awhile. In the books I’ve read on Purgatory, it seems to point that suffering in Purgatory will end on Judgement Day. Is this true? What if you die right before Judgement Day, barely escaping hell?

 

[e_c]

Either:

Nobody dies with sufficient impurities to warrant such an “extended stay”

Or:

Merits are somehow provided to them, which could be done in some mysterious way or even in the “normal way,” given the great amount of calamities and the no doubt countless martyrdoms which will be suffered, with many probably being offered for such purposes

Another option, such as a bodily purgatory, does not seem to square with Faith.

 

[Cathoholic]

I’ve been wondering . . . (regarding) . . . Purgatory. . . . it seems to point that suffering in Purgatory will end on Judgement Day. Is this true?

Yes.

What if you die right before Judgement Day, barely escaping hell?

Everyone in a state of grace must be purified before entering Heaven.

Your purification can take place on earth. Or it can take place in the next life.

Since this may be out of the realm of time as we know it, such things MAY occur.

At the end of time though, there will no longer be Purgatory.

God bless.

Cathoholic

 

[Crusaderbear]

Only God knows the answer to that one…just work in this life to minimize any time you may need there…

 

[chimo]

I’ve been wondering this for awhile. In the books I’ve read on Purgatory, it seems to point that suffering in Purgatory will end on Judgement Day. Is this true? What if you die right before Judgement Day, barely escaping hell?

For the time being all the Holy Souls of Purgatory must receive graces from God through the works and merits of the Church. God depends on the Church to supply these works in order for God to speed up the process for the Holy Souls. God does not give on His own. The only time God will give to the Holy Souls of Purgatory on His own will be at the Second Coming since God cannot wait for the Church to do this for Him since it is the End. This is the only time God will give on His own not only for the Holy Souls of Purgatory (departed) but also for those on earth who will be still in the Purgatory state. God will give to them as well.

 

[Cathoholic]

There is no Purgatory after the General Judgment.

CCC 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

CCC 1023 Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they “see him as he is,” face to face:598

**By virtue of our apostolic authority, we define the following: **According to the general disposition of God, the souls of all the saints . . . and other faithful who died after receiving Christ’s holy Baptism (provided they were not in need of purification when they died, . . . or, if they then did need or will need some purification, when they have been purified after death, . . .) already before they take up their bodies again and before the general judgment - and this since the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into heaven - have been, are and will be in heaven, in the heavenly Kingdom and celestial paradise with Christ, joined to the company of the holy angels. Since the Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, these souls have seen and do see the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the mediation of any creature.599

Death and the “abode of the dead” (“Hades”) is “thrown into the lake of fire”. Since Purgatory is part of the abode of the dead" or “hades”, it will be gone.

**REVELATION 20:13-15 **13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15 and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

[AlNg]

<<<CCC 1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.>>>
A booklet on Purgatory was posted on EWTN and it seems to say that there are similarities between the fire of Hell and the fire of Purgatory. Also, it was published with ecclesiastical permission:
"APPROVAL OF HIS EMINENCE THE CARDINAL PATRIARCH OF LISBON

Cardinal’s Palace, Lisbon March 4, 1936

We approve and recommend with all our heart the beautiful little book Read
Me or Rue It"
The booklet Read Me or Rue it says
"CHAPTER 1 : WHAT IS PURGATORY?

It is a prison of fire in which nearly all [saved] souls are plunged after
death and in which they suffer the intensest pain.

Here is what the great Doctors of the Church tell us of Purgatory:

So grievous is their suffering that one minute in this awful fire seems
like a century.

St. Thomas Aquinas, the Prince of Theologians, says that the fire of
Purgatory is equal in intensity to the fire of Hell, and that the slightest
contact with it is more dreadful than all the possible sufferings of this
Earth!"
http://www.ewtn.com/library/SPIRIT/READRUE.TXT

 

[ericc]

Hmmm, I’d disagree merely for the situation of those who died during Judgement Day and those still there that haven’t been sufficiently purified. They still need to be purified before entry to heaven. Unless God decides to do accelerated cleaning.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Hmmm, I’d disagree merely for the situation of those who died during Judgement Day and those still there that haven’t been sufficiently purified. They still need to be purified before entry to heaven. Unless God decides to do accelerated cleaning.

You may want to refer to Matthew 20:1-16. If God wants to give people their full reward after only having spent an hour in Purgatoy compared with those who spent much longer, He can do so.

 

[ericc]

You may want to refer to Matthew 20:1-16. If God wants to give people their full reward after only having spent an hour in Purgatoy compared with those who spent much longer, He can do so.

A little bit different from what I was thinking. The purpose of purgatory was to effect cleansing, not a job to get paid. Whole idea is nothing unclean can get into heaven. Whatever deals that God cut, is his prerogative. I won’t complain, I am happy just to get there.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The process of purification in Purgatory is to make up for your failings on this earth - things you did wrong or things you failed to do. If you got an “A” in your earthly performance, or served out all your Purgatory on earth (such as by suffering with an illness), then you may not spend much or any time in Purgatory, and in fact some souls of saintly people have been reported as going straight up to Heaven.

Therefore, Purgatory can be seen as a continution of our growth process on the earth, for people who were basically on the right track, but did not finish (i.e. reach purification or perfection of soul or whatever) prior to their death.

In that way it is akin to working in the Lord’s field, serving your time, paying your dues, etc. Also, the general understanding of the parable of the field is that the “payment” is God’s heavenly reward for us.

 

[AlNg]

Purgatory can be seen as a continution of our growth process on the earth

But it seems to be quite severe since the fire of
Purgatory is equal in intensity to the fire of Hell
according to some theologians.

 

[AlNg]

The process of purification in Purgatory is to make up for your failings on this earth

In Matthew 25 Jesus mentions heaven and hell - the good go to heaven and the wicked to hell. Is there some reason why He doesn’t mention Purgatory? More generally, is there some reason why Purgatory is not mentioned in the New Testament?

 

[jlhargus]

[Rv7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.]

Those who go through the great tribulation will be saints when they die because of their perseverance suffering through the great tribulation.

 

[ajcstr]

But it seems to be quite severe since the fire of

Purgatory is equal in intensity to the fire of Hell

according to some theologians.

I think of Purgatory as the removal of whatever self-love and attachments we still have that hinder our relationship with God. I’m sure this is painful depending on how much these things have a hold on us.

 

[RoseofMary1]

I’ve read it will be a purifying fire, an intensive cleansing. I wouldn’t want to go through it. Best to make reparation.

 

[Wesrock]

The time here on Earth doesn’t translate to a time duration in purgatory, so if there’s one second before judgment day on Earth, I wouldn’t take that as meaning there’s only one second in Purgatory.

I wouldn’t just say suffering in purgatory ceases on Judgment Day, I would say that’s it’s completed (no later) than Judgment Day.

 

[Wesrock]

There have been New Testament passages interpreted as referencing Purgatory, but the more interesting bit is that Jews before the time of Jesus believed in it, many Jews today continue to believe it, and throughout the writings of the early Church you don’t see an expectation of going instantly to Heaven with exception to martyrs (and as that came to be understood, witnesses to the faith). You also see plenty of references to being purified of sin before entering Heaven, often as if by fire, in the early Church. That is, the idea that you don’t go straight to Heaven and that you are purified of your attachment to sins before going to the next life, probably through suffering, is testified to quite early and part of the apostolic faith. The word Purgatory just comes from the idea of purgation, which is the concept specified above.

 

[misstherese]

I’ve heard that the tribulation will be so horrible, even greater than the deluge and there will be more martyrs than any other time. I guess it would make sense if the “punishment” for sin would suffice on earth. Thanks for all your answers.

 

[2towers]

I just wanted to remind everyone, that the Church has given us the ability to shorten the time loved ones spend in purgatory through prayer, offering good works, and offering Masses. In addition to this, we can obtain indulgences for ourselves while still on earth. An example of this using the prescribed method of walking the stations of the cross. Another example was going through the “doors of mercy” during the year of mercy. Visiting the Vatican and the Holy Land and the First five Saturday devotions.

Another member recently reminded me that while there is a lot out there in books on purgatory, written by Saints and other religious, not all of it is considered official church doctrine, meaning we are free to accept or reject some of these teachings. Having said that, I have considered a lot of what I have read to be an entirely beneficial understanding of the nature of sin, and roles it plays in our afterlife. If you need motivation to keep the commandments of God, study purgatory!

One last thing, we should rejoice that purgatory exists, for without it, the narrow way would become almost invisible. Purgatory is most definitely a mercy of God.