Mustard Seed Faith
Purgatory: Punishment or Purification?
Photo by Gabriel Castles on Unsplash
The doctrine of Purgatory, formulated around the time of the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, has been widely discussed and debated over the years. A plethora of books have been written with details derived almost exclusively from private revelation that skew toward the macabre in some cases. Visionaries are given a glimpse of horrific images and unspeakable suffering that rival Hell in all its fury. These subjective accounts, while provocative, do not present a balanced view of a state of being designed to prepare us for eternal life with God. We can look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for clarification:
“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 1030)
“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”. (CCC 1031)
The “purification of the elect” will undoubtedly involve something that has the intensity of fire along with pain and suffering, but it will serve to cleanse our souls. The “punishment of the damned”, which is Hell, will be “entirely different” as it will be the result of “definitive self- exclusion from communion with God”. (CCC 1033)
Let us pray for the grace to die in God’s friendship by praying daily and living the sacramental life under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
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About the Author
Deacon Greg Lambert was ordained in 1997, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, and currently serves at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida.. Deacon Greg assists in the areas of RCIA, Adult Faith Formation, and Sacramental Preparation. In addition to his service at the parish level, Deacon Greg is a staff member of Diakonia newsletter for the diaconal community of the diocese. He is also part of the teaching faculty for the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute which has accredidation from the USCCB. His articles have been published in Deacon Digest Magazine, Catholic Stand, Diakonia and Catholic365. He has a BA in Religious Studies and an MA in Theology from St. Leo University.
