WHAT IS PURGATORY?

Venerable Fulton Sheen once said that, "As we enter Heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming towards us and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say, 'a poor soul you prayed for in Purgatory.'"

Purgatory is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Catholic belief, both by Catholics and by outsiders. We tend to think of Purgatory as a third place, secondary to Heaven and Hell.

Saint John Paul II made it clear that Purgatory is not a place. It is a state of being, a process of purification.

We might think of Purgatory as a train. We get on the train when our souls leave our bodies and that train takes us home to Heaven. Depending on how much purification we need, the ride can be short or long or somewhere in-between. Some of us are only a short way from the end Station. Others have a long way to go.

A very few - the people we call "Saints" - don't get on the train at all. They lived next door to Heaven and walk right in the front Gate.

While on the train, we undergo that process of purification. That process is another matter which we misunderstand.

Too many Catholics think that we are being purified of our sins. That's not the case, at all. While we undergo the purification process of Purgatory, we are being cleansed of what the Church refers to as the "temporal effects of sin."

During life, when we partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our sins are absolved. We are Forgiven through God's Grace and Love. However, there are impacts of sin which remain on our souls.

Imagine sin as an injury or wound to the soul. Wounds heal. In this case, the healing comes through the Sacraments. However, wounds often leave behind scars after healing. The point of Purgatory is to remove the scars.

Temporal effects might include elements such as guilt for our past acts or the impact of the harm we did to others. Heaven is a place of Purity and Perfection. That which is imperfect cannot enter. The purpose of Purgatory is to make unblemished those souls which are scarred.

Purgatory - while not Hell - is a state of pain. There are two aspects to the pain human souls experience in Purgatory:
The first is the "Pain of Loss." That is the pain we experience from being separated from God. It is a spiritual pain.

The second form of pain is the "Pain of Purification," which is described as a "cleansing fire." This refers to the purifying process which removes the scars of the soul.

This pain is temporary. We know this for a fact because everyone who goes through Purgatory eventually ends up in Heaven. It may take time. A long time, in some cases.

On the day Pope Innocent III died in 1216 - after his death - he is reported to have appeared to Saint Lutgardis, one of the great mystics of the 13th Century. He revealed that he was in Purgatory and begged her for her prayers by saying:

"Alas! It is terrible; and will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance. In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me!"

Souls in Purgatory are unable to pray for themselves. They need our prayers. There is one prayer - particular - which was composed by St. Gertrude the Great. It is traditionally claimed that every time St. Gertrude's "Prayer For Souls In Purgatory" is recited, a thousand souls are released from Purgatory. Others say that it is not a specific number but that a great number of souls are released.

When it comes to ourselves, we can partake of indulgences. Despite the misstatements of many throughout history, indulgences are not ways for people to buy forgiveness of sins. We need no such purchased mercy. We are freely Forgiven our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Indulgences are acts of prayer and worship which help remove some of our scars while we are still on earth, thereby shortening our time in Purgatory. There are several indulgences from which we can benefit.

One of the most powerful indulgences is the Apostolic Pardon. It is a special Blessing administered by a priest along with the Anointing of the Sick. The Apostolic Pardon actually remits ALL temporal impacts of sin when given at the point of death. Those who commit no further sins after receiving the Pardon are believed to bypass Purgatory entirely.

As Catholics, we should strive to avoid the incidence of sin, to take advantage of the opportunities given us as indulgences and to pray for those who are in Purgatory. St. John Paul II said that, "Praying for the souls in purgatory is the highest act of supernatural charity." St. Padre Pio put it more succinctly. "We must empty Purgatory with our prayers."