What a Priest told me about purgatory

[billcu1]

I am not quite sure where to post this. One of the Diocese’s Priests was doing Mass tonight and I went to confession. We talked a little bit. He said even venial sin would cause you to be in purgatory. Is that right? I have never heard that. But I am not quite sure what examples of venial sins are. I know you can go to Mass and that forgives them. there’s supposed to be other ways too.

 

[anon64350612]

Yes. Venial sin will land you in purgatory. Purgatory is meant to purge you from all sin. The more sin, the longer time spent in purgatory, and the less sin, less purgatory. Un-confessed mortal sin lands you in hell.

 

[OsculeturMeOsculo]

A venial sin is any sin that is not a mortal sin. A mortal sin is something of grave matter, that is done with full consent, and full knowledge.

 

[Vico]

He said even venial sin would cause you to be in purgatory

Strictly speaking, a lack of sufficient penance for mortal and venial sins before death leaves residual temporal punishment that must be eliminated in purgatory.

Catechism

The punishments of sin

1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.83

1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the "new man."84

 

[edtaylor51]

dont worry, any time spent in purgatory will be worth it.

 

[brian_custer]

i think your priest went a tiny bit overboard

you were in the confessional; you made contrition; YOU WERE FORGIVEN of all your sins

don’t sweat the load…

 

[guanophore]

you were in the confessional; you made contrition; YOU WERE FORGIVEN of all your sins

Purgatory is only available to those whose sins are forgiven. It is a purification of our attachment to sin, since nothing unclean can enter heaven. Being forgiven of our sins does not mean we will not still suffer temporal consequences.

dont worry, any time spent in purgatory will be worth it.

While I agree with you in principle, purgatory is outside the space time continuum. There is no “time” there. It is a state of being, in which we are made fit for heaven.

 

[brian_custer]

waitasecond; if you die in a state of perfect contrition’ you are going to HEAVEN, not purgatory

am i misunderstanding catholic dogma here?

my “death fantasy” (and i am not a “weirdo” about this sort of thing) is to croak 30 seconds out of confession, kneeling before a statue of Mary with a rosary in my meat hook

so were that to have had happened (i admit a fantasy) i am still going to purgatory???

 

[aaa]

I think the precise language is “unrepented mortal sins.” (CCC 1033: "To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”).

Of course, we should be going to Confession to confess our mortal sins properly and receive absolution and do penance. And still too this is no excuse to not confess mortal sins and just feel contrite for them.

 

[EqualinHim]

What if someone desired to make a confession, but was unable to because they did not have access to a priest?

 

[RandomAlias]

Yes. As Vico posted above from the CCC:

1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains.

That means when you are absolved, you get out of the eternal punishment, but not the temporal punishment. You may be able to work off some or all of the temporal punishment by penance done here on earth. If not, then it will be done in Purgatory.

 

[brian_custer]

ok; lolsob

 

[thistle]

Not sure why people worry about Purgatory. Anyone who dies and finds themselves in Purgatory should be happy because it means they have been saved. Next stop Heaven.

 

[brian_custer]

roger that; great reminder…

 

[Reuben_J]

Yes, unconfessed venial sins will cause you to go to purgatory. In a way, that’s indeed a consolation as we would not go to hell, which is only for unconfessed mortal sin.

Now purgatory. It should make one happy to be judged to go there because it means to go to heaven once it is done. If someone says that, it is perhaps because going to purgatory is not being damned to hell. In other word, one is saved.

The fearsome part about purgatory - it is not exactly a holiday but rather a punishment, to be blunt. Purification is a punishment but with a good consequence. Perhaps not unlike when our dads asked us to stand facing the wall in a time out, for being naughty.

Some say purgatory is like hell except that it is not permanent. Catholics are climatized with suffering, so the thought of it is not so much frightening, but it is nevertheless not some state where we want to be. Our longing is to be with the Father in heaven.

Thus the prayers for the souls in purgatory.

God bless.

 

[simonjosiah1]

don’t worry, if any of us is lucky enough to even make it to purgatory, just accept sufferings knowing we are not in hell for all eternity.

 

[thistle]

Purgatory is not a punishment. It is a cleansing and is nothing like what happens to those in Hell.

CCC 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.

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. 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:

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.

 

[Maximilian75]

God would be merciful. If they died, most theologians agreed that God would take the fact that they desired to go to Confession, but were unable to.

 

[Genesis315]

Purgatory is not a punishment.

I guess it depends what you mean by punishment. It is certainly an expiatory punishment, unlike the punishment of the damned. Not only does it expiate our venial sins, but by enduring it we also make satisfaction for those repented sins for which we did not bring forth sufficient fruits or do sufficient deeds worthy of repentance.

From the CCC:

The punishments of sin

1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.83

1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the "new man."84

 

[thistle]

I guess it depends what you mean by punishment. It is certainly an expiatory punishment, unlike the punishment of the damned. Not only does it expiate our venial sins, but by enduring it we also make satisfaction for those repented sins for which we did not bring forth sufficient fruits or do sufficient deeds worthy of repentance.

I will anyway be very happy if I find myself in Purgatory!