Catholic Apologetics on Catholic Truth - Purgatory
The Doctrine of Purgatory: At death the soul, if quite fit, goes at once to Heaven; if not quite fit, to Purgatory, if quite unfit, to Hell. The soul which has repented of all its sins, and has fully expiated them in this life, is quite fit for Heaven at once. The soul which departs this life in a state of unrepented mortal sin can never be fitted for Heaven, and goes to Hell. But a soul which has sincerely repented (before death) of its sins, yet has not fully expiated them, secures immunity from Hell by its repentence, and goes to Purgatory until it has expiated all its deficiencies.
Purgatory is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible; it is an invention of the Catholic Church.
It is true that the word Purgatory is not mentioned in the Bible, but neither
is the word Trinity, or the word Rapture and Protestants still believe in those. There are numerous references to Purgatory in the Bible though.
There is no mention of Purgatory by the early Christians.
The early Christians may not have called it by that name, but they did believe in a middle
state between Heaven and Hell. In the tombs of the martyrs and in the catacombs are
definite evidence of this. On tombs are written the words "In your prayers remember us
who have gone before you" and "Mayest thou have eternal light in Christ". These words would make no sense if they believed in only Heaven and Hell. If the deceased were in Heaven prayer would not be necessary, if they were in Hell prayer would do no good.
Tertullian (160-240) mentions anniversary Masses for the dead: "We make on one day every year oblation for the dead" and later "The faithful widow...offers prayers on the anniversary of her husbands death". St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, made this request of her son just before her death: "Lay this body anywhere; let not the care of it in any way disturb you. This only I request of you, that you would remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you be." Again, if they believed in only Heaven and Hell these prayers would not be necessary.
Scripture teaches that there is, at death, an immediate transfer of the spirit of man
to either heaven or hell.
Jesus spoke repeatedly of heaven, and even more often referred to hell; but He never
once mentioned a middle state or place of spiritual purging after death.
Scripture mentions an intermediate state several times:
In 1 Peter 3:18 "In the body He was put to death, in the spirit He was raised to life, and in the spirit He went to preach to the spirits in prison." Spirits in prison. If this was Hell why did Christ go to preach to them, they are lost. And this can't be Heaven because 1) there were no souls there to preach to until Jesus opened its gates, 2) the souls in Heaven wouldn't need preaching to anyway, and 3) I doubt Heaven would be likened to a prison. This prison was then known as the Limbo of the Fathers of the Old Law, aka Purgatory.
In Matthew 5:26 Jesus speaks of liberation only after expiration in theprison; "I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny". This can't refer to Hell, because once you enter Hell you don't leave. See also Luke 12:58-59.
Philippians 2:10 says "...so that all beings in the heavens, on earth, and in the
underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus." Does "in the underworld"
refer to Hell, or could it refer to another place? The souls in Hell hate God, why would
they show reverance at the mention of His name?
Luke 12:47, "The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash." This passage indicates that there is a punishment that is only temporary. Again, this can't be Heaven because Heaven is a place of eternal happiness, and it can't be Hell because Hell is a place of eternal suffering. Purgatory is the only place of temporary suffering.
1 Peter 4:6 states: "And because He is their judge too, the dead had to be told the Good News as well, so that through, in their life on earth, they had been through the judgement that comes to all humanity, they might come to God's life in the Spirit." There is no way this can be referring to the souls in Hell, they are lost forever and cannot "come to God's life in the Spirit".
Matthew 12:32 states that a sin against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven "either in this age or in the age to come". Saying this sin cannot be forgiven "in the age to come" implies rather strongly that there are other sins that can be forgiven "in the age to come", which can only take place in Purgatory.
Matthew 27:52-53 (speaking of what happened at Jesus' death) says "At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his Resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people." Where did these souls come from? The Bible says these were holy men, so they couldn't have come from Hell. They also couldn't have come from Heaven because it wasn't open yet and there was no one in it to come out.
The sin of Adam caused the Gates of Heaven to be closed. They would not be opened again until Jesus opened them after His Resurrection. Where did the souls of of the prophets, such as Moses and Isaiah, go after they died? They couldn't have gone to Heaven, it was closed. They couldn't have gone to Hell because they would have been lost.
Jesus told the repentant thief "today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43
That is true, Jesus did say that. Let's study this deeper. Jesus and the two thieves were
crucified on Good Friday. Jesus said this to the repentant thief on Good Friday. All three of them; Jesus, the repentant thief, and the other thief died on Good Friday. The Gates of Heaven were not opened until Jesus opened them on Easter Sunday. Where did the soul of the repentant thief spend the time between when he died on Good Friday and when he entered Heaven on Easter Sunday? He couldn't have gone to Heaven because it wasn't opened yet, unless you believe he was the one that opened Heaven's Gates and not Jesus. He wouldn't have gone to Hell because you don't escape from Hell. His soul didn't just cease to exist. Where was he? There is only one place that he could have been: Purgatory. Both the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible both contain footnotes explaining that "Paradise" and "Abraham's bosom" (next question) both were "contemporary Jewish terms for the lodging place of the righteous dead prior to resurrection."
Jesus told the story of Lazarus who "died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom," and the rich man who died and suffered torment in Hades. A "great gulf," He said,
separated the two and was "fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." Luke 16:19-31
This is a direct reference to Purgatory. It says Abraham's bosom, it doesn't say
Heaven. It couldn't be Heaven because, as has been mentioned before, Heaven is still
closed at this point. The Jews believed that the souls of the righteous dead were
gathered into an abode of their own which was distinctly separated by a chasm or wall from
the abode of the souls of the wicked. "Hades" is another name for Hell, also known as
Gehenna. See also the previous question.
The apostle Paul said that to die is to be "with Christ." He never indicated or implied
the existence or possibility of an intermediate state of any kind. Romans 14:8, 9;
2 Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians 1:21, 23, 24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; 5:9, 10
This does not disprove Purgatory. The souls in Purgatory are not denied Heaven forever.
Paul never denied the existance or possibility of an intermediate state either.
There will be no "second chance" for anyone. We have the choice in this life to accept
or reject Jesus Christ. Our status in the after-life will be based upon that decision.
This is true, but this has nothing to do with Purgatory. Purgatory is a place of purification, not repentance. The souls in Purgatory are guaranteed Heaven. They merely have to go through purification first. A soul in Purgatory cannot sin, therefore, they can't loose Heaven while there.
Hebrews 9:27 "Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement."
The doctrine of Purgatory does not deny the judgement after death. It is during this judgement that God determines where a soul will go: to Heaven for eternity, to Hell for eternity, or to Purgatory temporarily (until its sins are expiated), and then to Heaven for eternity.
The doctrine of praying for the dead is not based on scripture. It has its roots in the
Old Testament Apocryphal books of the Bible. (2 Maccabees 12:46 "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.")
These books ARE scripture. They were in the Christian Bible until the Reformation when they were removed by Martin Luther, on his own authority, not God's, to make what would become the Protestant Bible. They were removed precisely because they taught the doctrine of praying for the dead. There was no dispute of this doctrine until the Reformation. Did God mislead us for 1500 years?
NOTE: Martin Luther also removed 5 other complete books from his Bible, and parts of others. See the Bible topic for more information.
I do not believe in Purgatory because it is such a horrible place.
Then you must also not believe in Hell, because it is an even more horrible place. And if you deny Hell you must also deny Christianity. Isn't it a much more horrible thought that there is no Purgatory? In that case you would have only Heaven and Hell. All souls not quite fit for Heaven at death would be cast into Hell. It is much more pleasant to believe that those not quite good enough for Heaven, yet not bad enough for Hell, can go to Purgatory until they are purified sufficiently for Heaven.
2 Timothy 1:16 (the scripture used by some to support this doctrine) does not say that
Onesiphorus, for whom Paul prayed, was dead. In fact, the same man and his family are
even mentioned later in the same epistle (chapter 4:19) in the form of a greeting.
2 Timothy 4:19 says "Greetings to Prisca and Aquila, and the family of Onesiphorus." It does not mention Onesiphorus himself, only his family.
No restitution can be made of the living for the dead. "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." Psalms 49:6, 7
A mis-quoted verse. Read the whole Psalm. This Psalm says nothing of the living making
restitution for the dead. This passage is speaking of the ability of the living to redeem
themselves. For man it is impossible to redeem himself or others, so God sent His Son to redeem us.
David fasted and wept while his son was sick; but when the child had died he recognized
that there was no longer any place for doing so. 2 Samuel 12:21-23
Omission of prayers for the dead do not disprove the existance of Purgatory any more than the failure to pray at all disproves the existance of God.
Prayer to or contact with the dead (termed "necromancy" in scripture) is strictly
forbidden and condemned by God. The punishment for consulting the spirits of dead persons
is very severe. Deuteronomy 18:10-12; 1 Samuel 28:3-20; 2 Chronicles 10:13, 14; Isaiah 8:19-22
Websters New Collegiate Dictionary defines "necromancy" as "conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events." Necromancy is forbidden. Praying for the dead is not necromancy. We are not "conjuring" the spirits of the dead to ask them to reveal to us the next winning lottery numbers, nor are we trying to conjure up the spirit of a dead person to communicate with it. We are praying that God will allow them to enter into His Kingdom quickly, if they are not already there.
We are individually accountable to God and can't "get to heaven" on someone else's spiritual experience.
This is true. Praying for the souls in Purgatory does not "get them to Heaven" as opposed to keeping them out of Hell. The souls in Purgatory are already assured Heaven, they have already earned it themselves. Prayer for the souls in Purgatory only speeds their entry into Heaven.
In John 19:30 Jesus declared, from the cross, "It is finished!"
Jesus was referring to His work on earth. If it were finished in the sense indicated here then we would all be guaranteed Heaven, and Hell would be closed because no one else would enter it.
The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Mark 3:28, 29
This text by itself has nothing to do with the existance of Purgatory. In Matthew 12:32
the complete text is "And anyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but let anyone speak against the Holy Spirit and he will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next." The only place in the next world where the remission of the effects of sin can take place is Purgatory.
Even if Purgatory does exist, you do not know that your prayers can help the souls there.
Yes we do. God would not have inspired the Jews to pray for the departed if such prayers were useless. Christians have always offered prayers for the dead. This practice is fully warranted by the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. If we can pray for our family and friends who are in trouble in this life, our prayers can certainly follow them in their future difficulties. All prayer is addressed to the same God who is as present to the souls of our dear departed as He is to us.
We are saved not by "good works," but by grace (God's "unmerited favor"). Romans 4:2-6; 9:11,
16, 31-33; 11:6; Galatians 2:16, 21; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5
When we confess our sins, He cleanses us "from all unrighteousness." Colossians 2:13, 14;
Titus 2:14; 1 John 1:9
Isaiah 43:25, 26; "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine
own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance; let us plead together;
declare thou, that thou mayest be justified."
Jeremiah 31:34; "...for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more."
Hebrews 8:12; cp. 10:17 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more."
He casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18, 19) and blots them out as a thick cloud (Isaiah 44:21, 22).
He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:11-14); he casts them
behind His back (Isaiah 38:17).
God does forgive our sins, but we still have to be purified to enter Heaven. I quote again
Matthew 5:26, where Jesus speaks of liberation only after expiration in the prison; "I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny". See also Luke 12:58-59.
God would not demand expiation after having forgiven a sin.
Saying what you think God would or would not do does not change what He does. See 2 Samuel
12:13-14: "David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against Yahweh.' Then Nathan said to David, 'Yahweh, for His part, forgives your sin; you are not to die. Yet, because you have outraged Yahweh by doing this; the child that is born to you is to die.'" God forgave David, but He still took David's son. To forgive the guilt of sin, and purify the spiritual scar and stain which sin leaves, is better than to leave the soul unpurified and indebted to God's justice. You can fully forgive a friend who robs you, yet still insist that he make good the damage he did to you.
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ..."
John 5:24 "... He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life."
John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
John 6:37, 47 "... He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
John 14:21; Romans 8:16, 17 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ ..."
Galatians 4:6; 1 John 3:18, 19, 24; 1 John 4:13 "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."
1 John 5:10-13 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself ... God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life;... that ye may know that ye have eternal life ..."
Jesus Christ is our "advocate with the Father ... And He is the propitiation for our sins." Acts 10:43 Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 2:2
Some people are very good at quoting Scripture passages, but none of these disprove the
existance of Purgatory. St. Paul tells us of our judgement day in 1 Corinthians 3:14: "That day will begin with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If his structure stands up to it, he will get his wages; if it is burned down, he will be the loser, and though he is saved himself, it will be as one who has gone through fire." This passage cannot refer to eternal loss in Hell, because no one is saved in Hell. It also cannot refer to Heaven, because in Heaven there is no suffering. This passage can only be referring to Purgatory. Revelation 21:27 (speaking of the new Jerusalem) states "Nothing unclean may come into it." Should the least defilement cost someone their soul? Small offenses are punished by fines or temporary imprisonment, in Purgatory, after which is liberation. Anyone who denys Purgatory is teaching a very unreasonable doctrine.
SOURCES
Jerusalem Bible
Catholic Customs and Traditions
Catholic Encyclopedia (copyright 1987)
Catholic Encyclopedia
(copyright 1913)
Purgatory Quizzes to a Street Preacher
Bible Quizzes to a Street Preacher
The Holy Bible as translated from the
Latin Vulgate
The Catholic Answer, January/February 2005 issue, pages 11-13.