Purgatory
Purgatory is a concept within Roman Catholic theology that refers to a temporary state of purification for souls who have died in God's grace but still carry unforgiven or unresolved sins. According to the Catholic Church, purgatory serves as a necessary preparation for souls before they can enter heaven, ensuring that they are fully cleansed of their imperfections. This doctrine was formalized during the Council of Trent in the 16th century, but it remains a subject of debate, even among Catholics, due to the lack of direct biblical support.
The idea of purgatory contrasts with beliefs held by many Protestant denominations, which generally reject the notion of post-death purification or any punishment for sins after absolution. The Catholic understanding includes a belief that certain lesser faults can be purified, while more serious offenses may affect one's afterlife status. The complexities surrounding purgatory involve interpretations of various scriptural passages that suggest a process of purification exists for those who are not entirely pure at the time of death. Overall, purgatory represents a significant theological point of divergence within Christianity, illustrating varying beliefs about sin, forgiveness, and the afterlife.
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Purgatory
In the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, purgatory is a temporary resting place for souls that must be punished for sins and transgressions before ultimately being admitted to heaven. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a summary of religious beliefs endorsed by Catholicism's Vatican leadership, purgatory is a place of final purification where souls are sent to be cleansed of unforgiven or unabsolved sins before being deemed worthy to proceed into heaven.
Even among Catholics, the concept of purgatory is a somewhat controversial doctrine, as many biblical scholars argue that Scripture offers no direct support for the existence of such a place. The idea was introduced, developed, and debated by Catholic theologians over a period of centuries. It made its official entry into the Roman Catholic lexicon during the nineteenth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, the Council of Trent, which was held in what is now Italy from 1545 until 1563.
Background
The Bible teaches that the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ paid the debt humanity owed to God for its sinful ways. Christ is thus the spiritual vehicle through which people become capable of achieving salvation for the sins they inevitably commit during their lifetimes.
In Catholicism, the forgiveness of sin is brokered between an individual and God, using a priest or other qualified church official as an intermediary. This process is known as reconciliation or confession, and it is a sacrament. In addition to admitting one's sins and accepting fault for them, the process of reconciliation also requires the confessing individual to undertake a period of penance. This typically includes prayer, self-reflection, and/or acts of kindness or charity, and is meant to absolve the sinner of responsibility for his or her sinful acts as well as the consequences of those acts.
Another Catholic sacrament, extreme unction or the anointing of the sick, is performed to restore the spiritual health of an individual who is close to death. Together, reconciliation and extreme unction work together to keep an individual in the good graces of God, thus ensuring his or her eventual passage to heaven after death. However, these beliefs did not address the problem of what happens to the soul of an otherwise worthy individual who dies before being absolved of the sins for which he or she has not yet atoned.
During the very early years of the Catholic Church, theologians taught that prayers for the dead had no effect, as the souls of the dead were thought to be in an unalterable state of limbo, where they awaited the return of Jesus Christ and the final judgment of God. The ultimate fate of an individual's soul was thought to be sealed at death, and irreversible. However, this concept was challenged within the first centuries of Catholic history, leading to the debate, development, and ultimate acceptance of the doctrine of purgatory.
Overview
Purgatory is clearly defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the modern version of which was approved for general use by Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) in the early 1990s. The text states that those who die incompletely pure, but in God's grace, are saved but must still experience purification. The Church calls this final purification purgatory. The text states, "'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.'"
The passage "certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come" reveals the source of much of the controversy surrounding the doctrine of purgatory. Various denominations of Christianity hold different viewpoints on the question of whether an individual can still be punished for a sin after it has been absolved, as well as whether the absolution of sin can still take place after death. While the debate is highly nuanced and complex, Catholicism and Protestantism remain split on this topic.
Catholic scholars rejected the notion of purgatory for many centuries, due to a lack of direct scriptural support for the concept. However, purgatory ultimately came to be accepted during the Council of Trent, when its adherents successfully argued that certain passages in the Bible provide evidence of four principles that suggest its existence: that sin can still be punished after the offender has been forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13–18), that nothing bearing any trace of sin can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27), that a process of purification exists for the imperfect (Hebrews 12:22–23), and that a place in the afterlife is neither heaven nor hell (1 Corinthians 3:13–15). Together, these four principles combine to establish purgatory as a place of purification of the impure, accessible to those who died with unforgiven sins and those who must still be punished for sins that have been absolved. Though it is officially accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, it is still debated among Catholic theologians into the present day.
During the Protestant Reformation, a period in history that marked the split of Christianity into Catholicism and Protestantism, lead reformer Martin Luther (1483–1546) specifically rejected the doctrine of purgatory. The arguments supporting the existence of purgatory remain generally unaccepted by Protestants, particularly by those who belong to denominations that adhere to literal or fundamentalist interpretations of the Bible.
Bibliography
Castaldo, Christopher A. Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals. HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2015.
"The Final Purification, or Purgatory." Catechism of the Catholic Church, www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/‗‗P2N.HTM. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.
Lutzer, Erwin W. Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation. Baker Books, 2016.
Martignoni, John. "4 Biblical Principles that Show the Reality of Purgatory." National Catholic Register, 8 Sept. 2016, www.ncregister.com/blog/jmartignoni/4-biblical-principles-that-show-the-reality-of-purgatory. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.
"Purgatory." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, 2012, www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.
Ross, Michael F. "Is Purgatory a Biblical Concept?" Christian Research Institute, 2010, www.equip.org/article/is-purgatory-a-biblical-concept/. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.
Rubin, Edward L. Soul, Self and Society: The New Morality and the Modern State. Oxford UP, 2015.
"What Is Purgatory?" United Church of God, 2010, www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-is-purgatory. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017.