Q & A - PURGATORY

Have you ever wondered what happens when we ever die? June Palmer uses the catechism of the catholic church to answer some of your questions.

Q - What happens when we die?

A - The Church teaches that at the moment of death the soul is separated from the body. At that moment the body ceases to function and starts decaying. But the soul is immortal and will exist for ever, once it is created. The teaching is that each soul is judged by the Lord at the time of death and will be granted either eternal life or eternal damnation. If someone is judged worthy of Heaven there are two options: The soul that is truly holy can immediately experience the fullness of heaven. These are the souls of the Saints who go straight to Heaven. Most people who die have not achieved this state of holiness and still have some attachment to sin. These souls will experience a purification which is called Purgatory.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 1030 (CCC 1030) says, “All who die in God’s grace, but are 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.” The Church also teaches that at some time the world will end and when that happens there will be a resurrection of the bodies of all the dead and the Final Judgment of all souls. CCC 1040 says, “The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour. Then through His Son, Jesus Christ, He will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which His Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by His creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.”

Q – Should we be afraid of death? 

A – We should be aware that our heavenly salvation depends on our acceptance of God’s saving grace and forgiveness but we should not be too fearful. Although there will be judgement there will also be mercy. God wants each one of us to be with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom but He also knows how difficult it is for us to live up to His standards of holiness. Jesus was tempted in just the same way that we are, so He understands. When Jesus died on the Cross He bore the responsibility of all our sins and descended into the Nether World. He was sinless so He did not deserve this, but He suffered it for us. While He was there, Jesus preached the Good News to all the souls who had already died and were waiting for their Savior. CCC 635 says, “Christ went down into the depths of death so that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins so that all people - past, present and future could ask for forgiveness and mercy and be reconciled with God. Despite our sinfulness, we can still have the hope of Heaven and can look forward to eternal life with God. This is God’s mercy. But God’s justice is that nothing impure can be in His presence, so after our death there will be a purification so that all our sinfulness and imperfections are burned away and we can achieve the holiness necessary to enter Heaven.

Q – Is Purgatory mentioned in the Bible? 

A – The word, Purgatory is not mentioned in the Scriptures, but it has been a concept recognized by the Church from the earliest days. Many early Church Fathers, talk about a final purifying fire in their homilies. In Matthew 12:32 it says, “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” This is clearly implying that some sins can be forgiven in the world to come. This cannot be in Heaven where there is nothing imperfect and it cannot be in Hell, from which there is no hope, so there must be another option. This is what we call Purgatory and why we pray for our friends and family who have died because we believe that our prayers can help them in this process of purification. In the Old Testament it says that after a battle, Judas and his army “made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.” (2 Maccabees 12:45) The doctrine of Purgatory shows us a loving God, who is also a consuming fire of love. When the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles at Pentecost, it was with tongues of fire, the burning love of God that rested on their heads. As we are purified, we will be drawn closer to that fire of love, which will burn out the impurities in our lives. This will inevitably involve suffering, as we have to let go of all the sins and imperfections that we have become attached to but we will be happy to do this because we will know that our reward will be eternal life with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in His Heavenly Kingdom.

“Purgatory shows God’s great mercy and washes away the defects of those who long to become one with him."
St Josemaria Escriva