Question 159: What is purgatory?
Purgatory, often imagined as a place, is actually a condition. Someone who dies in God’s grace (and therefore at peace with God and men) but who still needs purification before he can see God face to face is in purgatory. When Peter had betrayed Jesus, the Lord turned around and looked at Peter: “And Peter went out and wept bitterly”—a feeling like being in purgatory. Just such a purgatory probably awaits most of us at the moment of our death: the Lord looks at us full of love—and we experience burning shame and painful remorse over our wicked or “merely” unloving behavior. Only after this purifying pain will we be capable of meeting his loving gaze in untroubled heavenly joy.
Question 160: Can we help the departed who are in the condition of purgatory?
Yes, since all those who are baptized into Christ form one communion and are united with one another, the living can also help the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory. When a man is dead, he can do nothing more for himself. The time of active probation is past. But we can do something for the faithful departed in purgatory. Our love extends into the afterlife. Through our fasting, prayers, and good works, but especially through the celebration of Holy Eucharist, we can obtain grace for the departed.
Question 161: What is hell?
Hell is the condition of everlasting separation from God, the absolute absence of love. Someone who consciously and with full consent dies in serious sin, without repenting, and refuses God’s merciful, forgiving love forever, excludes himself from communion with God and the saints. We do not know whether anyone at the moment of death can look absolute Love in the face and still say No. But our freedom makes that decision possible. Jesus warns us again and again not to separate ourselves definitively from him by shutting our hearts against the need of his brothers and sisters: “Depart from me, you cursed … As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me” (Mt 25:41, 45).
Question 162: But if God is love, how can there be hell?
God does not damn men. Man himself is the one who refuses God’s merciful love and voluntarily deprives himself of (eternal) life by excluding himself from communion with God. God yearns for communion even with the worst sinner; he wants everyone to convert and be saved. Yet God created man to be free and respects his decisions. Even God cannot compel love. As a lover he is “powerless” when someone chooses hell instead of heaven.
Question 163: What is the Last Judgment?
The Last Judgment will take place at the end of the world, at the second coming of Christ. “All who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (Jn 5:29). When Christ comes again in glory, his full splendor will shine upon us. The truth will come plainly to light: our thoughts, our deeds, our relationship to God and to other men—nothing will remain hidden. We will recognize the ultimate meaning of creation, comprehend God’s marvelous ways for the sake of our salvation, and finally receive also an answer to the question of why evil can be so powerful if God is in fact the Almighty. The Last Judgment is also our day in court. Here it is decided whether we will rise to eternal life or be separated from God forever. Toward those who have chosen life, God will act creatively once again. In a “new body” (see 2 Cor 5) they will live forever in God’s glory and praise him with body and soul.
Question 164: How will the world come to an end?
At the end of time, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Evil will no longer have any power or attractiveness. The redeemed will stand face to face with God—as his friends. Their yearning for peace and justice will be fulfilled. To behold God will be their blessedness. The Triune God will dwell among them and wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, sorrow, lamentation, or trouble.
polination.blog 
“Through our fasting, prayers, and good works, but especially through the celebration of Holy Eucharist, we can obtain grace for the departed.”
This is simply not true as it is against Scripture and the Gospel of Christ. If we each, individually are saved through Grace and not of works then how can someone be saved through Grace by our works? Perhaps someone else can share more clearly.
Purgatory also is a concept that is against Scripture and the Saving Gospel. If we are saved, regenerated upon confession of faith in Jesus Christ and repent (as in repent an ye be saved), you have eternal life. Purgatory is a belief structure that denies Christ as its existence is created because of a lack of faith that God is Truth and does not go back on Word.
Purgatory is an invention added to the Scriptures and the Bible says what about man added to the Scriptures and calling them Scriptures?
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We are saved from Hell through the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, but there’s a long, long way between being allowed into Heaven and being perfect as the Father is perfect. Before Jesus, Satan had a claim on each and every soul who had committed even the teensiest sin. But because of Jesus, we all have the right to ask for entrance into everlasting life.
Still, sin is sin is sin. It makes us dirty and broken and twisted. Just cuz we get in the door, doesn’t mean we don’t need some serious work done. If someone is mangled in a car wreck, a paramedic may bring him back from the brink of death, but there will still be months of surgery, casts, healing and rehab.
And that person will benefit during all those long days and nights from the loving and help of others. This is how we see our prayers for the dead. Help where it’s needed. And since prayer is never wasted, if the person doesn’t need it, I figure it’s like a present that person or the Holy Spirit can direct to where it is needed. I realize few non-Catholics pray for the dead, but I think it’s sad that any of you feel compelled to condemn us for doing it.
Suppose a little kid plays with matches and burns down the family home. The damage is way too big; only his loving parents can rebuild the house. But once it’s built, the parents have every right to expect their son to learn from his mistakes (not play with matches) and work at becoming a better and better son as he grows in wisdom and grace.
Or think about an alcoholic who has made a total mess of his life and turns it over to God. There’s a long way from face down in his own puke in some gutter to being an upright member of society. That journey starts with grace and is aided by grace, but it also involves a lot of hard work by the drunk himself to stay sober one day at a time. When we pray for those who have died before us, we are merely offering them the kind of assistance that, say, an AA sponsor does.
I thought by posting this, I might encourage some who do not understand our belief in the condition of purgatory to at least try to respect how Catholics can be Bible-believing Christians and accept this is true. (I’m really tired of being accused of not believing in Jesus, seeing as I turned my whole life over to him a long time ago.)
As for adding to Scripture, please. I’ve read plenty of stuff about the Rapture and End Times lately to know Bible-believing, End-Times-preaching, non-Catholic-Christians “add” to Scripture all the time. It’s called “interpretation.” You can disagree with my interpretation, just as I can disagree with yours. But you go too far in accusing us of going AGAINST Scripture.
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“I’ve read plenty of stuff about the Rapture and End Times lately to know Bible-believing, End-Times-preaching, non-Catholic-Christians “add” to Scripture all the time. It’s called “interpretation.” Not sure if this is tossing a generalized label my way for me to wear, based on my comment, or just a general comparison for point-making purposes. . As to interpretation, many give more absolute to the Constitution, saying it is not open to interpretation (example is natural born citizen). It is as it is. However the same standard is not applied to “I AM” and of the Word of God. The Bible is not open to interpretation. Application of Truths held therein, yes; but it is not Scriptural to rely on others and not on Jesus Christ alone as the sole path to Eternal Life.
There is no mediator between God and Individual. THAT is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and THE GOOD NEWS of eternal salvation. Purgatory is not Scriptural and actually the Doctrine of Purgatory, if believed in, can damn one to eternal hell because they go into death relying on others and not on Christ alone. Scripture says the choice is to be made on earth so when you physically die you go one of two places; both are eternal.
Scripture and God’s Plan of Salvation do not support any mediators between an individual and Jesus Christ, does not support prayers for the dead. The Doctrine of Purgatory contradicts the order of teaching the Gospel, “preach, baptize, teach.” (some may have heard as, preach, beach, teach). This is the Great Commission: Preach the Gospel is first step. Second step is upon confession of faith which includes repentance and acceptance as The Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and His death on the cross as sufficient propitiation for all sins, to baptize the new believer. Third teach the doctrines to the new believer. That is the order. It really is that simple. Purgatory does not fit anywhere in that order. That is not an interpretation. That Is.
“But you go too far in accusing us of going AGAINST Scripture.” After all the time spent around the blogosphere together a certain friendliness and openness has developed amongst many of us and I just spoke within the conversation (comments open) as I do in frank discussions with Catholic friends and family on The Doctrines of Purgatory. Regular visiting lends to a familiarity and I did not prelude my comment with the is-this-offensive filter I may have used on a blog where I am a stranger. This may be a bit off topic of an example but in some of the many open and frank conversations I have with Catholic friends and relatives it never dawned on me to see them as crossing the line when they, by their tenants of faith, call me an heretic (and believe it wholeheartedly) because I was re-baptized as an adult. Oh well, I now understand the boundaries of PoliNation.
Blessings and prayers,
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In the end John Lennon was right.
The love you take is equal to the love you make.
We are here for one thing, to give love and receive it. That is how God works through us all, no matter what our religious beliefs are.
That said,
Even though I am not catholic, I pray that this new Pope will be a spiritual leader for us all. We need someone who can bring us together in heart, and still allow us our individual differences. I pray that Pope Francis will find a way to do that. I am glad he chose that name. I was in a church in the south of France that had ties to Frances of Assissi and I could feel a real sense of peace there. I pray that this Pope will help us all to feel that too. I am just so thankful that we did not get a “progressive” Pope.
Then we would truly be living in the end times.
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