Lawrence Feingold on Purgatory

Mar 31st, 2015 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On February 25, 2015, Dr. Lawrence Feingold, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri, and author of The Natural Desire to See God According to St. Thomas and his Interpreters and the three volume series The Mystery of Israel and the Church gave a lecture titled “Purgatory” to the Association of Hebrew Catholics. A handout was provided at the lecture, and this handout is available as a pdf file here. The audio recordings of the lecture and of the following Q&A session, along with an outline of the lecture and a list of the questions asked during the Q&A are available below. The mp3s can be downloaded here.


Purgatoryfire1

As a preface to the lecture, a few propaedeutic points should be made. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory is of course a doctrine with which many Protestants disagree, and thus the disagreement over this doctrine is an ecumenical challenge for reconciling Protestants and Catholics.1 Yet in many cases in which Protestants and Catholics discuss the doctrine, at least in my experience, the paradigmatic nature of the disagreement tends to be overlooked. Such conversations overlook, for example, the relation and role of the difference in the Catholic and Protestant doctrines of the nature of Christ’s atonement, the nature of sin, the good (or evil) of participation in Christ’s work of redemption, and the role and authority of Tradition in doctrine and the interpretation of Scripture. Instead, the doctrine of purgatory is defended or criticized, respectively, on each paradigm’s own terms and concepts. But as we have pointed out here at Called To Communion regarding many other points of disagreement between Protestants and Catholics, the Catholic doctrine of purgatory is essentially situated within and made intelligible by the Catholic theological paradigm constituted by the Catholic conception of these other doctrines and more underlying second order methodological questions. So below I have in places added some comments in brackets to highlight and explain the paradigmatic nature of both the explanation and defense of the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. I’ve also added at the end some replies to common Protestant objections to the doctrine.

Lecture:

Feingold – Purgatory

Brief Review: Hell, Particular Judgment (1′)

Pope Benedict’s Spe Salvi: (3′)

What happens to such individuals when they appear before the Judge? Will all the impurity they have amassed through life suddenly cease to matter? What else might occur? (Spe Salvi, 46)

Purgatory gives us a much greater dignity, the dignity of being able to participate in our own purification (7′)


Lawrence Feingold

[In the Catholic paradigm, active participation in Christ’s redemption is itself a gift of mercy procured by Christ’s redemption. Redemption is not a zero-sum relation in which any degree of participation on our part is one less degree of provision from Christ. That would imply a kind of soteriological Marcionism, as I’ve explained elsewhere.2 On the contrary, Christ’s redemptive work provides the grace by which and in which our participation is at the same time both a divine gift and a genuine, active, contributing participation.3

The reason why God allows us to participate in our ongoing sanctification in this present life is the same reason why God allows us to participate in the process of completing our purification after death, should such purification be necessary: mercy. Claiming that the doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with Christ’s work on the cross entails that our participation in our own sanctification in this present life is incompatible with Christ’s work on the cross. But our participation in our sanctification in this present life is found in Scripture and has been believed and taught from the beginning by the Church universal. Therefore the person making this objection must either make an ad hoc distinction between participating in our sanctification after death and participating in our sanctification before death, or he must accept that sanctification in this life is not by grace but is by human work alone, or he must deny that we participate in our sanctification in this present life. All three horns of that trilemma are problematic.4 ]

Jewish Tradition on Purgatory (7′)

Four elements in the Jewish tradition that are key components of the Catholic understanding of purgatory (10′)

2 Maccabees 12:39-45 (12′)

[On the canon question see Tom Brown’s article titled “The Canon Question,” and Gary Michuta’s Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger. ]

The New Testament on Purgatory (16′)

1 Cor 3:10-15 (16′)

[This interpretation of this passage is supported by St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, and Origen. This understanding of this passage is intelligible only in the agape paradigm, as distinct from the “list paradigm.” The latter paradigm does not allow a distinction between mortal and venial sins.5 One Protestant objection to the Catholic understanding of this passage as referring to purgatory is that St. Paul is speaking of works, and does not mention debt or remaining sanctification. But in the Catholic paradigm, these three are not disconnected. Works create both debts [of merit or demerit] and attachments within the soul. ]

Matthew 12:32 (22′)

Sinning against the Holy Spirit, vs. sinning against the Son of Man

Luke 12:58-59 (26′)

Patristic testimony (27′)

The doctrine of purgatory is presupposed by the early Church’s practice of the liturgy, her offering of the sacrifice of the mass for the living and the dead.

[“Woe to him that receives; for if one having need receives, he is guiltless; but he that receives not having need, shall pay the penalty, why he received and for what, and, coming into straits (confinement), he shall be examined concerning the things which he has done, and he shall not escape thence until he pay back the last farthing. … Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give. If you have anything, through your hands you shall give ransom for your sins.” – Didache (1st century)

One of the earliest references to prayers for the dead can be found in the early third century, in Tertullian’s De corona militis where he refers to prayers for the dead as an Apostolic ordinance, and in De Monogamia (chapter 10) where he advises a widow “to pray for the soul of her husband, begging repose for him and participation in the first resurrection,” and “to make oblations for him on the anniversary of his demise.”

On the patristic testimony to the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and the priesthood, see the “Proof of a Sacrificial Priesthood” section of Tim Troutman’s article “Holy Orders and the Sacrificial Priesthood.”

Also, the early Church’s teaching on the harrowing of hell supports the doctrine of purgatory, because it shows that some defect can hinder the reception of one’s final heavenly reward, even after death. In the case of the Old Testament saints, that defect was the sin of our first parents, by which the gate to heaven was closed even to their descendants who were righteous by faith. (cf. Summa Theologiae III Q.49 a.5 co.) Christ by His Passion and death has opened that gate. Thus in the Supplement of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae we read:

On the other hand, if it be in the state where it is hindered from receiving its final reward, this is either on account of a defect of the person, and thus we have purgatory where souls are detained from receiving their reward at once on account of the sins they have committed, or else it is on account of a defect of nature, and thus we have the limbo of the Fathers [i.e. Abraham’s bosom], where the Fathers were detained from obtaining glory on account of the guilt of human nature which could not yet be expiated. (Summa Theologiae Supp. Q.69 a.7 co.)

Now, after the death of Christ, those who die in a state of grace but having the personal defect of a remaining debt of temporal punishment are also hindered from receiving their heavenly reward until they are completely purified.]

St. Monica’s last request (28′)

[St. Augustine writes:

In the books of the Maccabees we read of sacrifice offered for the dead. Howbeit even if it were no where at all read in the Old Scriptures, of no small weight is the authority of the Church whereby she clearly approves of the custom whereby a commendation of the dead has a place in the prayers which the priests pour forth to the Lord God at His altar. (On the Care of the Dead, 3)

Additional quotations from St. Augustine on purgatory can be found here.]

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (31′)

[Additional quotations from the Church Fathers showing belief in purgatory can be found here and here.

The earliest recorded objection to the Church’s practice of praying for the dead is that of Aërius of Pontus, who lived in the late fourth century, and was an Arian who also rejected the distinction between bishop, presbyter, deacon, and laymen. St. Epiphanius, a contemporary of Aërius, records Aërius’s objection as follows:

Why do you mention the names of the dead [in prayer] after their deaths? If the living prays or has given alms, how will this benefit the dead? If the prayer of the people here has benefited the people there, no one should practice piety or perform good works! He should get some friends any way he wants, either by bribery or by asking friends on his deathbed, and they should pray that he may not suffer in the next life, or be held to account for his heinous sins.” (Panarion 75.3.5)

Aërius’s objection suggests that he doesn’t understand (a) how prayers for the dead benefit them, (b) the distinction between mortal and venial sin, (c) the role of agape in piety and good works, and (d) why it is better to pay any debt of temporal punishment in this present life than in purgatory.

After St. Epiphanius describes the Church’s practice of praying for the dead (75.7.1-4) he then writes:

But I shall take up the thread of this topic [i.e. praying for the dead] once more. The Church is bound to keep this custom because she has received a tradition from the Fathers. And who can violate a mother’s precept or a father’s law? As the words of Solomon tell us, “Hear, my son, the words of thy father, and reject not the precepts of thy mother,” showing that the Father – God, that is – and the Only-begotten and the Holy Spirit taught both in writing and in unwritten form. But our mother the Church had precepts which she kept inviolate, and which cannot be broken. Now since these precepts have been ordained in the Church, and are suitable, and all of them marvelous, this fraud [of Aerius in rejecting prayers for the dead] is confounded in his turn. (Panarion Bk II 75.8.1-3)

Here he shows that the Church’s universal practice of praying for the dead carries the weight of authority of tradition. A few paragraphs earlier St. Epiphanius had written:

But who has better knowledge of these things? The deluded man who has just arrived and is still alive today [i.e. Aërius], or those who were witnesses before us, who have had the tradition in the Church before us and received it in this form from their fathers – and their fathers in turn, who learned it from those before them, just as the Church possesses the true faith and the traditions to this day because she has received them from her fathers? (Panarion Bk II 75.6.3)

As St. Epiphanius explains, the Church’s long-standing and universal practice carries an authority that Aërius as a newcomer does not have. Regarding the patristic witness in support of the doctrine of purgatory, see the “Tradition” section of the Catholic Encyclopedia article on the topic of ‘Purgatory.’ Rejecting this universal practice and patristic testimony would require positing some form of ecclesial deism.]

Magisterial Texts on Purgatory (32′)

Council of Trent on the topic of purgatory (32′)

Since the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, following the sacred writings and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught in sacred councils and very recently in this ecumenical council that there is a purgatory, and that the souls there detained are aided by the suffrages of the faithful and chiefly by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar, the holy council commands the bishops that they strive diligently to the end that the sound doctrine of purgatory, transmitted by the Fathers and sacred councils, be believed and maintained by the faithful of Christ, and be everywhere taught and preached. (Council of Trent, Session XXV)

There is an accompanying infallible anathema in Canon 30 of the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent:

Canon 30. If anyone says that after the reception of the grace of justification the guilt is so remitted and the debt of eternal punishment so blotted out to every repentant sinner, that no debt of temporal punishment remains to be discharged either in this world or in purgatory before the gates of heaven can be opened, let him be anathema. (Session VI)

[On misunderstandings and the proper understanding of the ‘anathemas’ see comment #53 in the “Van Drunen on Catholic Inclusivity and Change” thread.]

Council of Florence in 1439: (35′)

[I]f truly penitent people die in the love of God before they have made satisfaction for acts and omissions by worthy fruits of repentance, their souls are cleansed after death by cleansing pains; and the suffrages of the living faithful avail them in giving relief from such pains, that is, sacrifices of masses, prayers, almsgiving and other acts of devotion which have been customarily performed by some of the faithful for others of the faithful in accordance with the church’s ordinances. (Session 6)

Second Council of Lyon (1274):

This is the true Catholic Faith, and this in the above mentioned articles the most holy Roman Church holds and teaches. But because of diverse errors introduced by some through ignorance and by others from evil, it (the Church) says and teaches that those who after baptism slip into sin must not be rebaptized, but by true penance attain forgiveness of their sins. Because if they die truly repentant in charity before they have made satisfaction by worthy fruits of penance for (sins) committed and omitted, their souls are cleansed after death by purgatorical or purifying punishments, as Brother John * has explained to us. And to relieve punishments of this kind, the offerings of the living faithful are of advantage to these, namely, the sacrifices of Masses, prayers, alms, and other duties of piety, which have customarily been performed by the faithful for the other faithful according to the regulations of the Church. However, the souls of those who after having received holy baptism have incurred no stain of sin whatever, also those souls who, after contracting the stain of sin, either while remaining in their bodies or being divested of them, have been cleansed, as we have said above, are received immediately into heaven. The souls of those who die in mortal sin or with original sin only, however, immediately descend to hell, yet to be punished with different punishments. The same most holy Roman Church firmly believes and firmly declares that nevertheless on the day of judgment “all” men will be brought together with their bodies “before the tribunal of Christ” “to render an account” of their own deeds [Rom. 14:10 ]. (Denzinger, 464)

First Council of Lyon in 1245: (36′)

Finally, since Truth in the Gospel asserts that “if anyone shall utter blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, neither in this life nor in the future will it be forgiven him” [cf. Matt. 12:32], by this it is granted that certain sins of the present be understood which, however, are forgiven in the future life, and since the Apostle says that “fire will test the work of each one, of what kind it is,” and ” if any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire” [1 Cor 3:13,15], and since these same Greeks truly and undoubtedly are said to believe and to affirm that the souls of those who after a penance has been received yet not performed, or who, without mortal sin yet die with venial and slight sin, can be cleansed after death and can be helped by the suffrages of the Church, we, since they say a place of purgation of this kind has not been indicated to them with a certain and proper name by their teachers, we indeed, calling it purgatory according to the traditions and authority of the Holy Fathers, wish that in the future it be called by that name in their area. For in that transitory fire certainly sins, though not criminal or capital, which before have not been remitted through penance but were small and minor sins, are cleansed, and these weigh heavily even after death, if they have been forgiven in this life. (Denzinger, 456)

Two Different Penalties for Sin (38′)

Mortal and venial sins

[For the explanation and grounding of the distinction between mortal and venial sin see “Why John Calvin Did Not Recognize the Distinction Between Mortal and Venial Sin.”]

The two motions in mortal sin

[The two motions in mortal sin, and their relation to the two penalties for sin, are explained in more detail in “St. Thomas Aquinas on Penance.”]

Thus the two penalties for mortal sin

[In baptism, both the debt of eternal punishment and the debt of temporal punishment are completely removed, as explained in comment #15 of the “Imputation and Paradigms” thread. In the sacrament of penance, the debt of eternal punishment is removed, if the person is repenting of mortal sin, but the debt of temporal punishment is not necessarily removed completely. Again, see “St. Thomas Aquinas on Penance.”]

Why it is fitting that we make satisfaction through sacrifice.

Venial sin (42′): merits only temporal punishment, not eternal punishment

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1472-73 (45′)

The double consequence of sin is explained in the following passages from the Catechism:

1472 To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.

1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.” (CCC, 1472,1473)

Council of Trent (47′)

The Council of Trent infallibly defined the two different kinds of penalty for sin in Session XIV:

[T]he holy council declares that it is absolutely false and contrary to the word of God, that the guilt is never remitted by the Lord without the entire punishment being remitted also. (Session XIV, chapter 8)

Canon 12. If anyone says that God always pardons the whole penalty together with the guilt and that the satisfaction of penitents is nothing else than the faith by which they perceive that Christ has satisfied for them,[88] let him be anathema. (Session XIV, Canon 12)

Canon 15. If anyone says that the keys have been given to the Church only to loose and not also to bind, and that therefore priests, when imposing penalties on those who confess, act contrary to the purpose of the keys and to the institution of Christ, and that it is a fiction that there remains often a temporal punishment to be discharged after the eternal punishment has by virtue of the keys been removed,[91] let him be anathema. (Session XIV, Canon 15)

Indulgences (48′)

[For the theological basis for the Catholic doctrine concerning indulgences see “Indulgences, the Treasury of Meric, and the Communion of the Saints.”]

Pope Benedict XVI’s Spe Salvi (51′)

In this text [1 Cor. 3:10-15], it is in any case evident that our salvation can take different forms, that some of what is built may be burned down, that in order to be saved we personally have to pass through “fire” so as to become fully open to receiving God and able to take our place at the table of the eternal marriage-feast. (Spe Salvi, 46)

Some recent theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself, the Judge and Saviour. The encounter with him is the decisive act of judgment. Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation. His gaze, the touch of his heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation “as through fire.” But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God. In this way the inter-relation between justice and grace also becomes clear: the way we live our lives is not immaterial, but our defilement does not stain us for ever if we have at least continued to reach out towards Christ, towards truth and towards love. Indeed, it has already been burned away through Christ’s Passion. At the moment of judgment we experience and we absorb the overwhelming power of his love over all the evil in the world and in ourselves. The pain of love becomes our salvation and our joy. It is clear that we cannot calculate the “duration” of this transforming burning in terms of the chronological measurements of this world. The transforming “moment” of this encounter eludes earthly time-reckoning—it is the heart’s time, it is the time of “passage” to communion with God in the Body of Christ. (Spe Salvi, 47)

Implications of denying purgatory (55′)

Denying purgatory is denying a mercy of God

St. Thomas Aquinas on God as Justice and Mercy (56′)
Summa Theologiae Q.21 a.4

Pope Benedict XVI: (57′)

The judgment of God is hope, both because it is justice and because it is grace. If it were merely grace, making all earthly things cease to matter, God would still owe us an answer to the question about justice—the crucial question that we ask of history and of God. If it were merely justice, in the end it could bring only fear to us all. The incarnation of God in Christ has so closely linked the two together—judgment and grace—that justice is firmly established: we all work out our salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Nevertheless grace allows us all to hope, and to go trustfully to meet the Judge whom we know as our “advocate”, or parakletos (cf. 1 Jn 2:1). (Spe Salvi, 47)

We can do something for the faithful departed (59′)

Solidarity and the communion of the saints (60′)

Opposed to individualism (61′)

Pope Benedict XVI: (62′)

The belief that love can reach into the afterlife, that reciprocal giving and receiving is possible, in which our affection for one another continues beyond the limits of death—this has been a fundamental conviction of Christianity throughout the ages and it remains a source of comfort today. Who would not feel the need to convey to their departed loved ones a sign of kindness, a gesture of gratitude or even a request for pardon? … [N]o man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse. So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death. In the interconnectedness of Being, my gratitude to the other—my prayer for him—can play a small part in his purification. And for that there is no need to convert earthly time into God’s time: in the communion of souls simple terrestrial time is superseded. It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain. In this way we further clarify an important element of the Christian concept of hope. Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too. As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well. (Spe Salvi, 48)

The meaning of active participation of the faithful in the mass (65′)

Question and Answer:

Feingold – Purgatory Q&A

1. (1′) Was there a time in Church history that was less presumptuous that all would go to heaven, and if so what were some practices of the Church praying for the dead that we can incorporate into our practice today?

2. (5′) With regards to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, are the corporal more meritorious or is there some hierarchy in the order of grace?

3. (7′) Can Gregorian masses benefit a soul who has died having lived outside the sacraments of the Church?

4. (9′) In regard to baptism of desire, are those children lost through miscarriage or stillborn considered baptized if their Christian parents had desired baptism for them and had the intention of having them baptized had they lived?

5. (15′) Don’t priests remove the effects of venial sin at the beginning of the mass, or is that just the forgiveness?

6. (20′) Does the Church believe in different levels of purgatory?

7. (22′) In his literary work The Problem of Pain why did C.S. Lewis suggest something to the effect of annihilationism?

8. (23′) We can conclude that at the cessation of the body, i.e. death, the soul does not cease but perpetually lives by virtue of its nature. Is it correct to assume and profess by faith that through purgatory the soul exists in the presence of the omnipotent God as it awaits the fulfillment of the consummation of salvation history in Jesus Christ?

Some Objections

Objection 1: The Scriptural passages to which Catholics appeal in support of the doctrine of purgatory, at least those passages in the Protestant canon of Scripture, are not sufficient in themselves to establish the doctrine of purgatory.

Response: True. In the Protestant paradigm, if something is not at least logically entailed by Scripture, it does not belong to Christian doctrine. In the Catholic paradigm, however, doctrine is not based only on what can be logically deduced from Scripture alone, because in the Catholic paradigm the Apostolic doctrine was communicated to the Church not only through writing, but orally as well.6 For this reason doctrine is grounded in the Tradition, both written (i.e. Scripture) and oral, which is handed down in and interpreted by the community to which that Apostolic Tradition was entrusted.7 The universal liturgical practice of the Church, and the patristic witness, testify to the Apostolic origin of the practice of praying for the faithful departed, and thus to the Apostolic origin of the doctrine of purgatory. They also allow what is implicit within Scripture to be seen. So the objection presupposes a Protestant conception of what counts as divine revelation, how we access that divine revelation, and what is the role and authority of the unwritten Tradition in the interpretation of Scripture.8 For that reason, the objection presupposes the truth of the Protestant paradigm, and thus presupposes precisely what is in question between Protestants and Catholics. Presupposing the truth of one’s own position, as an objection to an alternative position, is fallacious because it is the equivalent of claiming that the other person’s position must be wrong because it isn’t one’s own position.

Objection 2: The doctrine of purgatory denies the sufficiency and perfection of the work of Christ on the cross. But Christ’s sacrifice was completely sufficient and perfect, and makes all further sacrifices unnecessary. As He said on the cross, “It is finished.” (Jn. 19:30) Therefore, the doctrine of purgatory must be false.

Response: I’ve addressed that objection in comment #455 of the “Catholic and Reformed Conceptions of the Atonement” post. The objection presupposes (a) a monergistic [i.e. God alone acts] conception of what it means for Christ’s sacrifice to be sufficient and perfect, such that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient and perfect only if it excludes the possibility of our active participation in it, (b) an implicit conflation of the distinction between eternal and temporal punishment for sin, and (c) a penal substitution conception of Christ’s atonement, which is not the same as the Catholic conception of the atonement, as explained in the article just mentioned. These presuppositions are not entailed by Scripture, but are instead theological assumptions either brought to Scripture or derived from interpretations of Scripture that themselves depend on such extra-biblical presuppositions brought to Scripture.

Regarding the first presupposition, the completeness and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice does not mean or entail that we are not called to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, (Rom. 12:1) or that each Christian is not called to “purify himself, as He is pure.” (1 Jn. 3:3) Again, Christ’s work is not a zero-sum commodity, as the objection presupposes, but is that precisely by which and in which our real sacrifices, offered in the way God prescribes, are acceptable and efficacious, not superfluous.9 Just as Christ’s work on the cross does not mean that we do not participate in our on-going sanctification in this present life by working out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), so Christ’s work on the cross does not mean that we may not participate in that purification after death if we die with some debt of temporal punishment remaining. (See footnote #4 below.) In no place does Scripture teach that the satisfaction that Christ made on the cross eliminates the possibility or necessity of believers making satisfaction for the debt of temporal punishment due to sins they commit after baptism.10 Sufficiency is always with respect to a designated purpose. For example, Christ’s sacrifice is not sufficient in the sense that it guarantees that all who come to faith in Christ are exempt from suffering in this present life. That’s because keeping us from all suffering in this present life is not the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice. Nor does the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice mean that believers need not pray, forgive those who sin against them, care for widows and orphans, etc. That’s because the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was not to do all things for us. Likewise, the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was not to guarantee that believers never pay any debt of temporal punishment. Hence His sacrifice was not insufficient or imperfect in relation to its designated purpose. Christ’s work was so perfect that it allows saints truly to participate in it, for the edification of the Body, because Christ is not jealous, not even in His work of redemption, and does not take to Himself the sole causality of the salvation of the world, but generously shares that causality with His Body, through the grace He gained for us through His Passion and Death. The concept of ‘perfection’ according to which Christ does it all Himself, is a question-begging notion in the objection. Likewise, claiming that the sufficiency of Christ’s satisfaction eliminates the possibility of purgatory presupposes that the purpose of Christ’s satisfaction is to guarantee that believers never pay a debt of post-baptismal temporal punishment. But that presupposition is not found in Scripture; rather, it is a presupposition the claimant brings as a background assumption to the process of interpreting Scripture, while treating it as if derived from Scripture.

Regarding the second presupposition, conflating eternal and temporal punishment creates the impression that the way in which our eternal debt of punishment is removed is also always precisely the way in which our debt of temporal punishment is removed. In no place, however, does Scripture teach either that there is no distinction between eternal and temporal punishment or that after baptism believers cannot accrue a debt of temporal punishment through sin, or that believers cannot make satisfaction for such a debt.

Regarding the third presupposition, conceiving of Christ’s atonement in the penal substitution paradigm implies that if any suffering remains necessary for our salvation, Christ’s work was defective and His blood not sufficiently powerful. The satisfaction account, by contrast, has no such implications. One reason why the notion of believers paying a debt of temporal punishment seems contrary to the work of Christ is that given a penal substitution conception of Christ’s atonement, the notion of any remaining punishment implies that the wrath of God for the sins of believers was either not fully poured out on Christ, or that Christ’s bearing that full wrath was not sufficient to satisfy it, such that God still has more wrath to pour out, particularly on those persons in purgatory. But as the Catechism says, the punishment in question “must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin,” (CCC, 1472) and what sin does to the sinner. (Cf. CCC 1459, 1865). In the satisfaction account, there remaining some punishment or suffering for the believer for post-baptismal sins does not entail that God is indisposed to the believer, or has any wrath toward that believer for those sins. Nor does it entail that Christ’s satisfaction was insufficient if in fact the suffering the persons in purgatory endure is a mercy that allows them to participate in making amends for the consequences and effects of post-baptismal sins, thereby participating in God’s work of freeing them of any remaining debt of temporal punishment and rectifying any disordered attachments within them.

As for Christ’s statement “It is finished,” in the Catholic paradigm He was in that statement referring only to His earthly mission of suffering and dying for us: He was not saying that believers would never need to suffer, either in this life or in purgatory, or never need to work out their salvation in fear and trembling. Thus in these three ways the objection (i.e. Objection 2) presupposes the truth of the Protestant paradigm, and thus presupposes precisely what is in question between Protestants and the Catholic Church.

Objection 3: If there were souls in purgatory when Christ returned, then either He would have to wait for them to be cleansed, or they could be cleansed right away. But if they can be cleansed right away, then the faithful departed now need not endure some period of cleansing after death. Likewise, since the living who are still alive when Christ returns do not need to go through purgatory, apparently, therefore neither do any believers who die before Christ returns.

Response: This objection is addressed in the Supplement of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae. Whereas the first destruction of the world was by water (2 Pet. 3:6), so the final destruction will be by fire (2 Pet. 3:10), and that fire will cleanse both those still alive on earth, and those in purgatory. The fire of the final conflagration affects each of the three groups of remaining persons differently:

This fire of the final conflagration, in so far as it will precede the judgment, will act as the instrument of Divine justice as well as by the natural virtue of fire. Accordingly, as regards its natural virtue, it will act in like manner on the wicked and good who will be alive, by reducing the bodies of both to ashes. But in so far as it acts as the instrument of Divine justice, it will act differently on different people as regards the sense of pain. For the wicked will be tortured by the action of the fire; whereas the good in whom there will be nothing to cleanse will feel no pain at all from the fire, as neither did the children in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3); although their bodies will not be kept whole, as were the bodies of the children: and it will be possible by God’s power for their bodies to be destroyed without their suffering pain. But the good, in whom matter for cleansing will be found, will suffer pain from that fire, more or less according to their different merits. (Summa Theologiae Supp. Q.74 a.8 co.)

Why can those still living who need cleansing be cleansed suddenly?

There are three reasons why those who will be found living [when Christ returns] will be able to be cleansed suddenly. One is because there will be few things in them to be cleansed, since they will be already cleansed by the previous fears and persecutions. The second is because they will suffer pain both while living and of their own will: and pain suffered in this life voluntarily cleanses much more than pain inflicted after death, as in the case of the martyrs, because “if anything needing to be cleansed be found in them, it is cut off by the sickle of suffering,” as Augustine says (De Unic. Bap. xiii), although the pain of martyrdom is of short duration in comparison with the pain endured in purgatory. The third is because the heat will gain in intensity what it loses in shortness of time. (Summa Theologiae Supp. Q.74 a.8 ad 5)

So according to the Supplement, those still living when Christ returns will receive this by the fire of the final conflagration if they need additional purification. And though this fire be shorter in time than would be their stay in purgatory, nevertheless, their suffering through this fire is more intense than that of those in purgatory. So in this way they too go through a kind of purgatory. And if Christ is able to do this for the persons still living, how much more is He able to do this by this same fire for those who are in purgatory when He returns. The objection therefore presupposes that if persons still alive or still in purgatory when Christ returns are purified quickly, then all those who die yet needing further sanctification must likewise be purified quickly. Not only does that conclusion not follow from that premise, but it is an extra-biblical assumption brought to the interpretive process, not one entailed by Scripture itself.

Objection 4: The Scripture teaches that Christ’s blood and death perfectly expiates all our sins. St. Paul writes, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Col. 2:13-14) The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes, “After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:3) And the Apostle John writes, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) But the doctrine of purgatory implies that some sins of believers remain unexpiated, that Jesus did not pay the price for all of our sins. Therefore the doctrine of purgatory must be false.

Response: Objectively Christ’s death perfectly expiates the sins of the whole world. Subjectively we receive the grace He won for us on the cross through the sacraments. As explained above, in baptism both the debt of eternal punishment and the debt of temporal punishment are completely removed. But after baptism, the debt of temporal punishment for sins committed after baptism is not completely removed through the sacrament of penance. The doctrine of purgatory does not imply or entail that objectively Christ did not make satisfaction for some sins of believers (or unbelievers); it has to do with the subjective application of Christ’s objective work. Regarding the verses in question, Hebrews 1:3 is referring to the objective work of Christ as High Priest, and is thus fully compatible with the doctrine of purgatory. In Colossians 2:13-14 St. Paul is speaking of what the Colossian believers received through baptism, as is clear from the immediately preceding verse, which reads, “and you were buried with Him in baptism ….” And this cancelling of all debt at baptism is fully compatible with the doctrine of purgatory. The fact that post-baptismal sins are not forgiven at baptism is shown by the fact that in the Lord’s Prayer, which is the prayer Christ taught us to pray, not only do baptized believers ask for our “daily bread,” we also ask for the forgiveness of our sins, which would not make sense if all our future sins were already forgiven at baptism.11 Regarding 1 John 1:7, the seventeenth century Catholic Scripture commentator Cornelius à Lapide writes, “It means that He has cleansed us from our sins by baptism, that He cleanses us (at the present time) from venial sins, and will cleanse us hereafter from the peril of mortal sins, and at last will cleanse in heaven from all concupiscence.” The present cleansing for those walking in the light of agape refers to the forgiveness of the guilt of venial post-baptismal sins, but not the debt of temporal punishment for such sins. So these Scripture passages are each fully compatible with the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. Hence the objection presupposes a Protestant interpretation of these passages of Scripture, informed by extra-biblical assumptions brought to the text of Scripture, and in that way this objection presupposes what is in question between Protestants and the Catholic Church.

Objection 5: St. Paul wrote “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The doctrine of purgatory contradicts St. Paul’s statement, because the doctrine of purgatory replaces the gospel of salvation by grace with the notion of works righteousness and merit-based salvation.

Response: This objection presupposes that because we are saved by grace, and St. Paul contrasts salvation by grace and salvation by works, therefore our salvation must be monergistic, and cannot involve participation on our part. But this presupposition is itself based on the assumption that what St. Paul means by ‘works’ is entirely unqualified, as though grace and works of any sort are immiscible like oil and water. But according to the Tradition with which these epistles were also received, and the community that received them, the Apostle was not excluding a salvific role to acts done in agape out of a heart already infused with living faith and sanctifying grace, themselves gifts of God. Nor by ‘works’ [ἔργων] was he referring to the sanctifying value of sacrifices and sufferings offered to God in agape by those already in a state of grace.12 Rather, the works to which he was referring are acts done apart from living faith in Christ and apart from sanctifying grace.13 Moreover, though in purgatory the human will consents in loving obedience to this cleansing, the cleansing is the work of God through the fire of His love. Purgatory is not a merely human work, but a divine work in the soul, freely consented to and lovingly received by the recipient who is already in a state of grace. Though merit is possible for those still living on earth, no one merits in purgatory.14 So the objection (i.e. Objection 5) is based on particular extra-biblical presuppositions brought to the interpretation of Scripture. Nothing about the doctrine of purgatory contradicts any passages of Scripture, though of course it contradicts certain interpretations of Scripture that depend on certain non-biblical assumptions that are contrary to the Catholic paradigm.

Objection 6: The doctrine of purgatory is a safety net that allows Catholics to live evil lives and then get everything sorted out after death in purgatory. But persons who live evil lives go to hell. Therefore the doctrine of purgatory is false.

Reply: This objection is based on a misunderstanding of the doctrine of purgatory. As was explained in the Feingold lecture above, at the moment of death the will of every man instantly becomes permanently fixed (i.e. inflexible, set, immovable) with respect to his chosen ultimate end. Those who die in a state of mortal sin, that is, those who die having themselves or any other created good as their chosen ultimate end, are judged at that moment in what is called the Particular Judgment, and permanently enter hell.15 They do not enter purgatory. Only persons who die in a state of grace, having agape in their will and thus having God as their chosen ultimate end enter purgatory if they have any remaining debt of temporal punishment. So a person, whether Catholic or not, who lives an evil life and dies in a state of mortal sin does not go to purgatory, and while in a state of mortal sin cannot justifiably assume on the basis of the doctrine of purgatory that were he to die in such a condition he would be able to go to purgatory to “get everything sorted out.” In order to believe justifiably that one will have an opportunity to get things sorted out in purgatory, one must remain in a state of grace, which requires not living in a condition of mortal sin. So the objection is based on a straw man of the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. Could the Church do a better job at catechesis with respect to the doctrine of purgatory? Of course. But the solution to inadequate teaching of an orthodox doctrine is not rejection of that doctrine but improved catechesis.

Objection 7: Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Also, Hebrews 12:23 refers to “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” Similarly, St. Paul “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8) In Philippians 1:21-23 he writes, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” These passages thus teach that after death comes judgment. That leaves no room for a time of purification between the moment of death and the Judgment. Moreover, Jesus says to the repentant thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Therefore, this thief had no need for purgatory, but went straight to heaven with Jesus. Therefore the doctrine of purgatory does not fit with the Bible.

Reply: Regarding Hebrews 9:27, if the judgment in view is the particular judgment (CCC 1021-1022), which takes place at the moment of death, this is fully compatible with their being a time for purgatory after the particular judgment for those who need additional purification. If, however, the judgment in view is the Last Judgment (CCC 1038-1041), one could deduce that non-existence of purgatory only by way of a fallacious argument from silence.16 Such a deduction would have the consequence of entailing something like soul sleep between the moment of death and the Last Judgment. And that consequence contradicts the other passages quoted in this objection. “[T]he spirits of the righteous made perfect” in Hebrews 12:23 consists of persons who either needed no cleansing after death or who already entered heaven from purgatory. Thus this verse in no way entails that there is no purgatory. As for 2 Cor. 5:8 and Phil 1:21-23, we are speaking here of Saint Paul, the apostle whose sufferings on behalf of Christ were already numerous, as he recounts in 2 Corinthians 11, and though the last to become an apostle (1 Cor 15:8), yet he “worked harder than any of them.” (1 Cor 15:10) Given his sanctity and sufferings which he embraced for the sake of Christ, and his possibly foreseeing his martyrdom, St. Paul may very well have known that he did not have any debt of temporal punishment, or that any remaining debt of temporal punishment would be removed by his martyrdom. If so, then what he says in these two passages is fully compatible with the doctrine of purgatory, for he speaks there for himself and for the righteous who need no additional cleansing after death. Regarding the repentant thief, the Catechism teaches the following: “A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.” (CCC 1472) So in the Catholic paradigm, a person who converts with fervent charity can by that act attain such a purification that no debt of temporal punishment remains. For that reason, if the repentant thief did not go through purgatory, this would be fully compatible with the truth of the doctrine of purgatory. Each of these verses is therefore fully compatible with the doctrine of purgatory. They become incompatible with the doctrine of purgatory only when interpreted on the basis of extra-biblical assumptions that presuppose the falsehood of the Catholic paradigm.

Objection 8: “In Christ, we have already been “rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son” (Col 1:3). “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). “Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1) “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). “You have been raised with Christ . . . where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1). Since believers are united with Christ, and clothed with His righteousness, not only do believers have no need for purgatory, the doctrine of purgatory denies what these verses teach.

Reply: Regarding Col 1:3, those in purgatory have been “rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son.” They are in a state of grace, not at enmity with God, just as in this present life those who are in a state of grace but still being sanctified have already been “rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son.” So the doctrine of purgatory is no more incompatible with this verse than is the doctrine of progressive sanctification in this present life. Regarding Romans 8:1, the ‘condemnation’ [κατάκριμα] there refers to the condemnation of eternal damnation, not to temporal punishment. St. Paul is not saying in Romans 8:1 that everyone who is in Christ (i.e. in a state of grace) has no debt of temporal punishment. So in order to treat this verse as incompatible with the doctrine of purgatory, one would have to bring to the interpretive process the extra-biblical presupposition that ‘condemnation’ also includes temporal punishment. Likewise, regarding Romans 5:1, those in a state of grace, whether or not they are free of all debt of temporal punishment, are at peace with God, just as those in this present life who are in a state of grace but still in need of further sanctification are at peace with God. One is at peace with God if one has agape in one’s heart (Rom. 5:5), and everyone in a state of grace has agape in his heart.17 The same applies to 2 Cor 5:17, Phil 3:20, and Col 3:1. What makes us a new creation, establishes our citizenship in heaven, and raises us with Christ, is the infusion of sanctifying grace and agape. That’s true even of those still in need of further sanctification, whether on earth or in purgatory. That infused agape is the righteousness of Christ with which we are clothed.18 But again, that does not preclude the need for further sanctification. So these verses are fully compatible with the truth of the doctrine of purgatory. Only by bringing extra-biblical presuppositions to the interpretive process can one arrive at interpretations that are at odds with the doctrine of purgatory.

Objection 9: That Bible says that in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52) Therefore if we require any remaining purification, God will accomplish it immediately, in the twinkling of an eye. That contradicts the doctrine of purgatory.

Reply: In the Catholic interpretive tradition, the change St. Paul is referring to there is the glorification of the body. Two verses prior, in verse 50 he writes, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” And in the succeeding verse he writes, “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:53) The instantaneous glorification of the body does not mean or entail that the soul must likewise be instantly cleansed. Moreover, since the instant St. Paul is referring to is the moment of the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns, if this were the moment that all departed souls too were cleansed, then during this intermediate time these departed souls that are not fully sanctified could not enter heaven, for nothing unclean shall enter there (Rev. 21:27), and only the pure in heart can see God (Mt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14). This would entail either soul sleep or something even worse than purgatory, namely, a period of waiting for heaven while in an unclean condition with no opportunity for growing in sanctification. In short, the objection depends on reading into this verse something it itself does not say, namely, that the cleansing of the soul takes place instantaneously.

Objection 10: First, the gospel by the very meaning of the term is “good news.” But purgatory does not sound attractive or desirable. A gospel that includes the doctrine of purgatory is not good news, because it does not truly save anyone; it only makes salvation possible for those who work hard enough and suffer enough. In contrast to this doctrine of purgatory, the Reformed gospel shows itself to be the gospel (the “good news”) because the Reformed gospel guarantees that no believer has to go through purgatory at death. Instead at the moment of death we are immediately and painlessly completely sanctified and immediately enter into the blessedness of heaven.19 Second, it is our fallen human nature to want to contribute something, to earn or merit our salvation in some way. Fallen man does not want to accept the full and complete sufficiency of Christ’s work, but instead seeks to add his own efforts to Christ’s completed work. In this way, the doctrine of purgatory is something attractive to fallen man, because it gives him an opportunity to boast and take pride in his own accomplishment. But for precisely this reason we must reject it.

Reply: Notice the catch-22 in this objection. The doctrine of purgatory cannot be true because it is undesirable, and the doctrine of purgatory cannot be true because it is desirable. Heads I win; tails you lose. This shows that such appeals to desirability / undesirability are ad hoc. Both aspects of the objection are forms of kerygmatic consumerism.20 And kerygmatic consumerism is based not on Scripture per se but on interpretations that essentially depend on extra-biblical assumptions. These assumptions include man-made theological claims that judge what message is the gospel by how good the message seems to one’s own [fallen] human reason, or by how bad it seems to one’s own [fallen] reason. Each approach, relying on man-made assumptions that seek to identify the gospel by what we do or don’t want, rather than by what God has revealed, is a form of rationalism that presupposes what is in question between Protestants and the Catholic Church.

In short, each of the ten objections above depends either on presupposing the falsehood of the Catholic paradigm, a failure to understand the Catholic doctrine, or on extra-biblical assumptions brought to the interpretive process. But division between Christians cannot be justified on the basis of extra-biblical assumptions brought to the text of Scripture, or in a toss-up between paradigms.21 When a separation between Christians is based on extra-biblical assumptions, the default position is that of the Catholic Church, as Carl Trueman points out when he writes:

[W]e need good, solid reasons for not being Catholic; not being a Catholic should, in others words, be a positive act of will and commitment, something we need to get out of bed determined to do each and every day.

As I have shown above, however, these ten objections are not “good, solid reasons.” They either misunderstand the doctrine or they presuppose the falsehood of the paradigm to which they object.

May the Lord in His mercy help Protestants and Catholics overcome what still divides us, and may we find agreement in the truth concerning the doctrine of purgatory.

  1. Among the exceptions, besides C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce, see Jerry Walls’s Purgatory: The Logic of Total Transformation.” Walls discussed this some years ago in a First Things article titled “Purgatory For Everyone.” He has also made some videos explaining a Protestant case for purgatory; those can be found here. See also David Gibson’s “Does Purgatory Have a Prayer with Protestants?” which engages Walls’s work. Credo published an issue in 2013 responding critically to Wall’s argumentation. []
  2. See comment #455 in the “Catholic and Reformed Conceptions of the Atonement” post. []
  3. I’ve said more on the difference in the Catholic conception of participation in comment #182 in the Church Fathers on Transubstantiation thread. []
  4. Regarding the trilemma facing monergism on this point, see my conversation with Lance Ferguson in comment #22 of “Trent and the Gospel: A Reply to Tim Challies.” []
  5. These two paradigms and the differences between them are explained here, and in the comments following it. []
  6. See the “VIII. Scripture and Tradition” section of my response to Michael Horton’s last reply in our Modern Reformation interview. []
  7. See “The Tradition and the Lexicon.” []
  8. See, for example, the Pontificator’s third law. []
  9. Regarding Hebrews 10, see comments #77-90 in “Reformed Imputation and the Lords’s Prayer.” []
  10. This first presupposition is also based on the philosophical assumption that God gets more glory when God alone acts. I’ve shown the problem with that assumption in “Trent and the Gospel: A Reply to Tim Challies.” []
  11. See “Reformed Imputation and the Lord’s Prayer.” []
  12. See “A Catholic Reflection on the Meaning of Suffering.” []
  13. See “Justification: The Catholic Church and the Judaizers in St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.” []
  14. See “The Doctrine of Merit: Feingold, Calvin, and the Church Fathers.” []
  15. Regarding the “Particular Judgment” see the Catholic Encyclopedia article on that subject. []
  16. On the conditions necessary for silence to carry evidential weight, see the “Preliminary Principles section of “The Bishops of History and the Catholic Faith: A Reply to Brandon Addison.” []
  17. See “Lawrence Feingold on Sanctifying Grace and Actual Grace.” []
  18. See “Imputation and Paradigms: A Reply To Nicholas Batzig.” []
  19. See Chapter 33 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and Question #86 in the Westminster Larger Catechism. []
  20. I’ve addressed kerygmatic consumerism in comments #97, 108, and 110 of the “Trueman and Prolegomena” thread. []
  21. See the last paragraph of “Does the Bible Teach Sola Fide? []
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  1. Another objection one hears from some Protestants is that the doctrine of purgatory is a “Roman invention.” But in addition to the patristic evidence above that conflicts with this objection, is the fact that the doctrine of purgatory (in essence) can be found in Orthodoxy as well, as can be seen, for example, in Observations on Purgatory from Met. Macarius (Bulgakov) of Moscow’s (1816–1882) Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, Vol. II, p. 752.

  2. This came from an Orthodox friend:

    The 1772 Council of Constantinople on Purgatory:
    We the godly, following the truth and turning away from such innovations, confess and accept two places for the souls of the dead, paradise and hell, for the righteous and sinners, as the holy Scripture teaches us. We do not accept a third place, a purgatory, by any means, since neither Scripture nor the holy Fathers have taught us any such thing.
    However, we believe these two places have many abodes …None of the teachers of the Church have handed down or taught such a purgatory, but they all speak of one single place of punishment, hades, just as they teach about one luminous and bright place, paradise. But both the souls of the holy and the righteous go indisputably to paradise and those of the sinners go to hades, of whom the profane and those who have sinned unforgivably are punished forever and those who have offended forgivably and moderately hope to gain freedom through the unspeakable mercy of God. For on behalf of such souls, that is of the moderately and forgivably sinful, there are in the Church prayers, supplications, liturgies, as well as memorial services and almsgiving, that those souls may receive favour and comfort. Thus when the Church prays for the souls of those who are lying asleep, we hope there will be comfort for them from God, but not through fire and purgatory, but through divine love for mankind, whereby the infinite goodness of God is seen.

  3. Brian,
    Saying that there is ‘some resemblance’ between the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory and the Orthodox understanding of prayers for the dead is hardly an endorsement for the doctrine. There is ‘some resemblance’ between the Orthodox understanding of the Trinity and the Arian understanding of the Trinity. There is ‘some resemblance’ between the Orthodox love and respect for Scripture and Sola Scripture. Metropolitan Macarius was being very diplomatic and non-polemical but it is clear that there are significant differences.

    As for the Patristic evidence you might find an article by James Jorgenson interesting. The reference is James Jorgenson, ‘The Debate over the Patristic Texts on Purgatory at the Council of Ferrara-Florence, 1438’, St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 30.4 (1986), pp 309-334.
    He is an Orthodox priest. He shows that all the Greek Fathers used at Florence by the Catholics either did not actually support the doctrine of purgatory or were false texts under the name of church fathers.
    There is also a great article by another Orthodox priest, Demetrios Bathrellos, that was published in the Journal of Theolofical Studies in 2014, that deals with the underlying issues/ differences. It has the rather cumbersome title of ‘Love, Purification, and Foregiveness versus Justice, Punishment and Satisfaction: the Debates on Purgatory at the Council of Florence-Florence’.
    I have PDFs of both articles and I’m happy to forward them to you if you’re interested.

    Regards
    Stefano

  4. Stefano, (re: #3)

    I did not say that there is “some resemblance” between the Catholic doctrine and the Orthodox view. I said that the doctrine “in essence” (understood as Newman uses that concept in his Essay on Development of Christian Doctrine) can be found in Orthodoxy. I’m aware of the differences, which are important, but the shared essence is incompatible with the Protestant positions, which deny any interim state other than heaven or hell. Jorgenson’s article is compatible with what I said in the post above being true. Jorgenson writes, “[N]one of the Greeks contest the view of Dionysius, Epiphanius, and John Damascene that the prayers of the Church aid the departed in the remission of certain sins.” (p. 326) Bathrellos’s article is also fully compatible with what I said above being true. In his article Bathrellos discusses the disagreement concerning the nature of the suffering in the interim state of those who die in a state of grace yet unperfected, whether it is by fire or by other painful experiences. I’m quite aware of this disagreement, but my point (in comment #1 above) is that there is agreement between the two traditions concerning there being a time of suffering and purification for such persons in the interim state, and that such persons are aided by the prayers and penances of the pilgrim faithful.

    In the peace of Christ,

    – Bryan

  5. Hi Bryan,
    The term ‘some resemblance’ is from Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow.
    I’m happy that you are familiar with the two articles I mentioned.
    While prayers for the dead is an ancient and venerable tradition of the church the system that evolved into ‘purgatory’ is a late development. This is a good example of a doctrine being ‘elaborated’ or ‘developed’ in such a way that it has moved away from the simple pious practice of prayers for the dead.
    Official Roman Catholic teaching like the Council of Trent and the Catholic Catechism has backed away from the outrageous statements like a literal fire and purgatory as a ‘place’ but there is a great disconnect between this and the actual practice amongst priests and lay people. I myself, when I was in Catholic School, remember the Christian Brothers teaching us about the fire and the pain that would be inflicted on us in purgatory.

    Having said this let me state to all readers from a Protestant background, especially Reformed, that prayers for the dead is an apostolic doctrine. God would not ask us to engage in futile gestures so they must ‘do’ something for the departed. The Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church totally agree on this. All faithful Christians should pray for their departed loved ones.

    Regards
    Stefano

  6. Dave Armstrong recently posted a blog article in which he discusses 25 passages of Scripture that support the doctrine of purgatory.

  7. Another resource for patristic evidence regarding purgatory.

    Update: And another.

  8. Joe Heschmeyer on “Jewish Purgatory.”

    Update: Joe responds to N.T. Wright on purgatory.

    Update: “Is Purgatory Biblical?” (Nov. 2, 2023)

  9. Purgatory – Good News for Most of Us,” a talk by Dr. Michael Root (CUA), given on October 2nd, 2018 at George Mason University.

    Speaker Bio:
    Michael Root is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. He studied at Dartmouth College (BA, summa cum laude) and Yale University (PhD. in theology). He has taught at Davidson College, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. For ten years, he was Research Professor at the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France.

  10. Dr. Brant Pitre shows how Jesus teaches about purgatory in Luke 12:

  11. […] H/T Called to Communion […]

  12. Just curious. Does the 2nd Coming of Christ enter into, or alter, the Cat view of purgatory? Eg, for sake of argument, suppose someone dies in 2020 and is due to spend 1000 yrs in purgatory, but that Christ happens to return in say 2030. Does this person’s 990 years in purgatory remain, or is it possibly commuted in some fashion? Or?

  13. Reformed Baptist pastor John Piper explains why he rejects the doctrine of purgatory:

    “What Does the Bible Say About Purgatory? // Ask Pastor John” (May 17, 2021)

    He first uses an argument from silence when discussing 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. (On arguments from silence see the section titled “Conditions for silence to carry evidential weight” in “The Bishops of History and the Catholic Faith: A Reply To Brandon Addison.”) He then offers some passages from the New Testament that he thinks make the doctrine of purgatory unbiblical. In my post above I discuss these passages (Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:8) in Objection 7.

  14. Let us help and commemorate them [i.e. the faithful departed]. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them. -St. John Chrysostom, (late fourth century) Hom. in 1 Cor. 41,5.

  15. Hello Dr. Cross,

    1) You accuse Protestants of presupposing there is no distinction between temporal and eternal punishment for sins and say that Scripture never teaches this, but a Protestant could just as easily accuse you of presupposing that there is a distinction and say that Scripture never teaches that there is such a distinction. Even the example of David that Aquinas proffers doesn’t prove the point, since that is not a temporal debt of punishment that needed to or could be expiated or satisfied but a discipline or a chastisement intended to make him better for the future. John Calvin quotes Chrysostom to explain the difference between the two here: “A son is whipt, and a slave is whipt, but the latter is punished as a slave for his offense: the former is chastised as a free-born son, standing in need of correction.” Indeed, given the many examples of people being freely forgiven in the Bible without any demand for satisfaction and the many verses about God forgetting the sins of those who repent as if they had never happened, the idea of temporal punishment remaining seems very unlikely.

    2) Most of the quotes from the Fathers on prayer for the dead incline towards something like the position of Mark of Ephesus at the Council of Florence, that if people die with certain minor sins unrepented of that prayers can help remit those sins. Even Augustine and Gregory the Great generally restrict their discussion of postmortem temporal punishment to those who have minor sins they haven’t repented of. The idea that there is a temporal punishment for sin separate from the eternal punishment that needs to be satisfied is found nowhere in the Fathers.

    3) Protestants could argue that even if baptism doesn’t forgive future sins, if one sincerely repents of those sins after they are committed, they are restored to the state of baptismal innocence without any satisfaction. Indeed, given that baptism remits temporal punishment on a Roman Catholic account it seems that there is no strict necessity that it must be expiated.

    4) I don’t see how a satisfaction model of atonement isn’t susceptible to the criticism that if Christ satisfied for all human sins then there can be no additional satisfaction.

    5) Dr. Feingold says at 43:35 that the penances that priests assign might not be sufficient to satisfy the temporal debt of punishment. From a pastoral perspective, this seems like it would stimulate scrupulosity and despair among the faithful.

    6) Penitential satisfactions for sin such as saying Hail Maries and Rosaries are completely unrelated to any concrete sins and seem to encourage a rote attitude towards sin.

    7) How would you respond to Protestants who say that the New Testament overwhelmingly portrays the afterlife as a place of peace and joy for believers and that is inconsistent with the idea of purgatory?

    Thank you,
    Sai

  16. Dr. Cross (re: #8)

    Joe Heschmeyer’s point about the thief on the cross undermines the case for purgatory. He says that since the thief was “totally repentant”, there is no need for him to undergo purgatory. But Catholic doctrine states that repentance on its own is insufficient to remit temporal punishment and acts of satisfaction are also needed.

  17. According to Catholic theology those who are in purgatory are no longer able to sin and, furthermore, are no longer able to acquire merit. But if this is the case, sanctification after death is neither necessary nor possible.

  18. Sai,

    I said, “By any reasonable reading of the text, the man had both a profound conversion, and even suffered bodily torments for his sins, even to the point of enduring the death penalty for what amount to property crimes. He doesn’t seem to be holding on to how great thieving was: he seems horribly and painfully aware of the awfulness of sin, and totally repentant. From a Catholic perspective, his soul looks like it’s been (very quickly and very painfully) purified. What further purgation would Wright demand of him? In other words, at most, the argument proves that this one guy didn’t go to Purgatory… and it makes totally sense that he didn’t.”

    How does that “undermine[] the case for purgatory?” I’m not arguing that there was “repentance alone,” am I?

  19. Hello Patrick (#17),

    Purification after death is necessary because many of us do not die in absolutely perfect friendship with God and love of neighbor. Heaven, however, is precisely “the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.” (Catechism 1026) Heaven is perfect friendship with God and harmony with neighbor. In order to enter into heaven, then, we have to be purified after death.

    This purification is possible even though there is no merit in Purgatory. There is a difference in Catholic theology between merit and purification. For example, a newly baptized infant girl is fully justified and sanctified, but she has not merited anything. This is because she cannot exercise her will. Rather, God justifies and sanctifies her in view of Christ’s merits, not her own.

    Likewise, the purification in Purgatory takes place without the need for a woman to merit while in Purgatory. It is a gift of God that is given to her in view of Christ’s merits, those merits of the saints offered on her behalf through Christ, and whatever merits she received during life through grace.

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  20. What exactly is it that a soul in purgatory has to be purified of? Moreover, if a soul in purgatory is purified in view of Christ’s merits it is by having Christ’s merits imputed on the soul and not by the soul’s sanctification.

  21. Hello Patrick,

    A soul in Purgatory is purified of any imperfections of love of God and neighbor.

    If you would like to discuss imputation in any depth, I’d suggest another thread. There are several articles and blog posts that deal specifically with that topic. I’ll simply say here that by definition, imputing Christ’s merits to a person does not purify their soul. Imputation is an event where God acts as if a person is righteous even though they remain internally unrighteous. In contrast, the purification that happens in Purgatory is internal, giving the person true, internal love of God and neighbor.

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  22. Hello Jordan

    If a soul in Purgatory has any imperfection of love of God and of neighbour, this soul sins against the two most important commandments. But as mentioned before according to Catholic theology people in Purgatory are not able to sin. But even if this was possible, I don’t see why God could not purify a soul without the soul having to suffer. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what according to Catholic theology God does when a person is baptized.

  23. Hello Patrick,

    An imperfection is different than a sin. An imperfection is a defect in the will, while a sin is an act of the will. For example, a man might sin unknowingly (and thus venially) before bed, fall asleep, and then die. In such a state, he died with a will that was not perfectly oriented toward love of God and neighbor. This is an imperfection but not in itself a sin. In Purgatory this imperfection will be purified.

    I’ll stop there before we discuss the question of suffering. Do you agree that an imperfection is different than a sin? If not, can you please explain why you think they are identical?

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  24. What seems strange to me is that even though in baptism as well as in the sacrament of confession sanctifying grace is infused into the person benefitting from the sacrament, the respective effect of such infusion is not the same. While in baptism both eternal and temporal punishment is eliminated, in the sacrament of confession this usually applies only to the former. But this means that one and the same cause has different effects. In order to explain this, I can only think of three possibilites: 1. In the sacrament of confession one receives a lesser amount of sanctifying grace than in baptism. 2. The sanctifying grace received in baptism and that received in the sacrament of confession are of a different kind. 3. In the sacrament of confession God keeps sanctifying grace from realizing its full potential.

    In my view this incosistency clearly shows that the Catholic view concerning the requirements for having one’s sins forgiven is not the one the apostles held. In my view in the Apostolic era the common view was that a Christian could attain forgiveness of sins the same way as a non-Christian, namely by repentance and faith. But, as I assume, in the early second century, based on a false interpretation of John 3:5, the view that the means to attain forgiveness of sins is by repentance and faith was replaced by the view that repentance and faith were not sufficient to attain the forgiveness of sins, but that baptism was absolutely necessary in this respect. But as baptism can be administered only once, this doctrinal novelty posed the problem that there was no way to attain forgiveness of (grave) sins after baptism. As a consequence, in the early church there was no unanimity on how to deal with post-baptismal sin. In this respect, the following excerpt from a book on the sacrament of penance, written by the Catholic scholar Kenan B. Osborne, O. F. M., is very informative:

    “One must … keep in mind that in the history of this sacrament there has not been an organic development. One generation’s practice did not, at times, lead smoothly into the next generation’s practice. From the patristic period to the twentieth century, there have been several “official” positions of the church as regards the ritual of this sacrament. As we read and reread this history, we find many stages of “new beginnings” and “slow endings,” both in theory and in practice. In this regard, the history of the sacrament of penance differs considerably from the history of baptism and eucharist. In these latter two sacraments, the history has been far more organic and orthogenetic, whereas the history of the sacrament of penance is far more jagged and disconnected.”

    Kenan B. Osborne, O. F. M., Reconciliation and Justification: The Sacrament and Its Theology, Eugene, Oregon 2001, pp. 52-53.

    That the history of the sacrament of penance is characterized by rupture can be seen from The Shepherd of Hermas, Book II, Commandment 4, Chapter 3. There the author states that the orthodox view concerning forgiveness of one’s sins is that the only way to receive such forgiveness is by means of baptism. But then he presents the doctrinal novelty, based on a divine revelation, that there is a possibility to receive forgiveness of sins after baptism as well, but only once.

    Another problem that this doctrinal novelty posed was more of a theoretical nature. If baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, how could people who lived before the sacrament of baptism was established, in particular the Old Testament saints, be saved? Also with respect to a solution to this problem there was no unanimity in the early church. One solution was the assumption of a post-mortem baptism (The Shepherd of Hermas, Epistula Apostolorum), another the view that before the establishment of the sacrament of baptism there was no need to get baptized in order to be saved but that faith was sufficient in this respect (Tertullian). However, the latter view leads to the assumption of two ways of salvation, one for the members of the Old Covenant and the other for the members of the New Covenant. But according to Romans 4 and Galatians 3:6-29 for all people there is only one way of salvation, namely by faith. This view is confirmed by the first letter of Clement, probably the first extant post-Apostolic Christian writing, written in the mid-90s of the first century. In 1Clem 32:4 its author points out that the Christians are saved in the same way as the Old Testament saints were, namely by faith. Concerning salvation no reference is made to baptism, neither with respect to the Old Testament saints nor with respect to the Christians.

    Notice that for Clement being transferred from the state of sin to the state of grace happens when a person has faith and not when a person is baptized. He doesn’t mention baptism at all. Interestingly reference to Abraham and his faith with respect to justification was also made by those who against Tertullian held the view that baptism is not necessary for salvation (see De baptismo 13).

  25. Hello Jordan

    Can a soul in Purgatory really have imperfections? But even if this is possible, it can again be asked why such purification requires suffering. Can’t God just remove these imperfections without the soul having to suffer? What exactly is the point of such suffering? Moreover, has Christ died only for our sins, but not for our imperfections as well?

    As for the first question in his book “Purgatory and the means to avoid it” Catholic theologian Martin Jugie answers in the negative:

    “Immidiately on its entering Purgatory, the soul is perfectly holy, perfectly turned towards God, filled with the purest love.”

    (Source: https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/juridical-purgatory-and-the-temporal-punishment-of-sin/)

  26. Hello Patrick,

    Did you see the comment and question I posted in #23? I didn’t see that addressed in your latest post, but I know there is sometimes a delay in when comments get posted. I’d like to resolve that question before moving on to anything else.

    In #24, you made some similar comments as you made in comment #20 on the blog post, “Alister McGrath’s Conversion on Justification.” Rather than start multiple threads on the same topic, I’d recommend that you use that thread if you’d like to pick up that conversation again.

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  27. Patrick,

    The problem with your argument is that there is no contemporaneous documentary record of significant controversy over the necessity of baptism for salvation. Given how conservative the early Christian community was, their willingness to die rather than give up their faith, and that there were massive disputes about things as trivial as the date of Easter, the idea that they would have just allowed some novel idea like that to take hold is implausible. The controversy in the third century over whether heretical baptisms are valid presupposed a universal belief in the necessity of baptism for salvation.

  28. Hi Patrick,

    I can see your response in comment 25 now. You ask a lot of questions there about suffering, but before we get to those, could you clarify your view on my previous question? Do you agree that an imperfection is different than a sin? If not, can you please explain why you think they are identical?

    Thanks!

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  29. Jordan

    I addressed what you wrote in comment 23 in comment 25.

    Sai

    As for the supposed lack of a controversy over baptismal regeneration one can point to what Tertullian wrote in De baptismo 13. There he deals with people holding the view that baptism in not necessary for salvation. As for the view that if baptismal regeneration was a novel idea it could not have taken hold one can point to the fact that there was no known controversy over Millenialism in the second century. Not even do we not know about such a controversy, but Justin Martyr in Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 80 even pointed out that one could either hold or reject this view and still be regarded as orthodox. Justin Martyr himself thought that Millenialism is true, as did other theological heavyweights of the early Church such as Irenaeus of Lyons and Tertullian. Interestingly, as far as I can see in Catholic theology as well as in Eastern Orthodox theology Millenialism is widely if not entirely rejected. But if the rejection of this doctrine is justified, this means that a post-Apostolic doctrinal novelty could take hold without causing any theological controversy. Obviously there was the view that in order to be regarded as orthodox one did not have to agree on every theological viewpoint, and baptismal regeneration may have been such a viewpoint.

    The same also seems to apply to the question when to celebrate Easter. By all appearances the Quartodeciman Controversy you mention was not really a controversy at all, as it was widely held that one could disagree over this issue and still be orthodox. It seems that there was but one person who thought otherwise, and this was the Roman bishop Victor, and significantly he did not succeed in his intentions in this respect.

    As I pointed out before, one can find traces of the view that baptism is not necessary for salvation in 1Clem 32:4 and in De baptismo 13. That baptismal regeneration became the predominant and ultimately the only view may be due to the fact that those who held this view could point to John 3:5 in support of it. The interpretation or I would say misinterpretation of this passage in favour of baptismal regeneration gave this view so to speak an Apostolic stamp of approval. The same may also be true with respect to two second century writings that at least some thought to have been written by companions of the apostle Paul and that explicitly teach baptismal regeneration, namely the Epistle of Barnabas and The Shepherd of Hermas.

  30. Greetings gentlemen,

    I’m unable to participate here in the conversation for the next five weeks. But speaking as moderator let me request that if you wish to discuss baptismal regeneration, you do so under the article on that topic, and reserve this thread for discussion of the subject of purgatory. That allows the conversations to be more focused and more fruitful, as explained in our guidelines. Thank you.

    In the peace of Christ,

    -Bryan

  31. Hello Jordan

    Whether or not imperfections in general are sins I can’t say. One would have to look at specific examples of imperfections and decide whether or not they are sins.

  32. Hi Patrick,

    Thanks for your response. Let’s take my example in #23 to start. Do you think in that case there is a difference?

    Or alternately, could you give an example of a case where you think they are identical and a case where you think they are different?

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  33. Hello Jordan

    In comment 23 you don’t provide a specific example of an imperfection. Your example of a man sinning unknowingly is too vague. One would have to ask what exactly this sin that he unknowingly committed consists of.

    Now I’m going to provide a specific example of a sin and its implication concerning a person’s fate after death, about which you or anyone else can comment. A man – let’s call him John – has committed adultery. He feels very bad about it and intends to go to confession because of it. However, before he can put his intention into practice, he dies. Now, where does John end up? As he died in a state of mortal sin it would have to be Hell. After all, the Catholic Church clearly teaches that if someone dies in a state of mortal sin he goes to Hell. However, in this case, since he was truly repentant and intended to go to confession he is treated by God as if he had died in a state of grace, although he didn’t. So, the rule that people who die in a state of mortal sin go to Hell has exceptions. Now, one might object that John actually died in a state of grace, that the moment he intended to go to confession this intention resulted in his changing from being in a state of mortal sin to being in a state of grace. However, if this is true, the mere intention to go to confession already has the effect of infusing sanctifying grace into a person. But since everyone who goes to confession must first have the intention do so, in every person the intention to go to confession should have the effect mentioned above. But if this so, in order to have one’s sins forgiven going to confession strictly speaking is unnecessary. One might ask why not simply repenting of one’s sins has the effect of having one’s sins forgiven.

    Now, let’s look at another person. Let’s call him Muhammad. He is a former Muslim who is about to get baptized. Like John he has committed adultery, but unlike John is not repentant of this sin. Soon after Muhammad gets baptized he dies. Now, unlike John, who has to spend some time in Purgatory in order to get punished for his adultery and maybe for other sins as well, Muhammad goes straight to Heaven, even though he is not repentant of his adultey and may generally be an unrepentant sinner.

    Both Muhammad and John have received sanctifying grace, Muhammad for the first time, John for another time. But while in Muhammad receiving sanctifying grace results in his having removed the eternal punishment for his sins as well as the temporal punishment for his sins, in John it only results in having the eternal punishment for his sins removed and consequently his having to spend time in Purgatory in order to endure the temporal punishment his sins, even though, unlike Muhammad being a repentant sinner, he certainly is more deserving of being immidiately admitted to Heaven.

    Now, let’s contrast the Catholic soteriology, which is full of inconsistencies to the view I hold, according to which in order to have one’s sins forgiven and the punishment for one’s sins removed one has to repent of one’s sins and to put one’s trust in Christ, no matter whether or not one is baptized. Unlike the Catholic view my view has no inconsistencies and does not lead to the absurd conclusion that an unrepentant sinner is better off after death than a repentant one.

  34. Hi Patrick,

    I totally understand if my example isn’t specific enough. Could you instead give your own example of where you think imperfection and sin are identical and a case where you think they are different? It seems like the examples you give in #33 are not intended in that way but are rather meant to make a separate criticism.

    I’m harping on this sin/imperfection point, I know, but I don’t want to move on to other topics without resolving that question first. Otherwise, I’m afraid we’ll be talking past one another too much.

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  35. Hello Jordan

    You seem to hold the view that a soul in Purgatory can have imperfections and that the suffering the soul experiences there has the purpose of removing them. However, as can be seen from the following contribution, notable Catholic theologians have argued that souls in Purgatory don’t have any imperfections:

    https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/juridical-purgatory-and-the-temporal-punishment-of-sin/

    Now, if it is true that souls in Purgatory don’t have any imperfections and that they can’t sin as well, when dealing with Purgatory the answer to the question of whether or not imperfections are sins is irrelevant.

    If contrary to what these theologians argue you think that souls in Purgatory can have imperfections it is up to you to make a case for your view or at least to point to Catholic theologians who support your view. Furthermore, since you seem to agree with the view that souls in Purgatory cannot sin it is also up to you to provide examples of imperfections that are not sins.

  36. Hi Patrick,

    I gave an example of an imperfection that is not a sin in comment 23. If you don’t want to clarify your understanding of the difference or lack thereof between sin and imperfection, than we can’t really proceed any further, unfortunately. Any discussion we’d have about different theologians or about Magisterial documents or any other doctrine of Purgatory would require us to have a common understanding of the terms “sin” and “imperfection.” Otherwise we are talking past each other instead of to each other.

    God bless your week.

    Peaceful days,

    Jordan

  37. Hello Bryan, or other readers. If anyone is able to consider this question, I would be grateful for your response!
    There are three points of this teaching (as I understand the teaching) which I have been unable to reconcile after considering the content above.

    A. Purgatory is necessary to purify us of affection for sin; this includes/entails cleansing us of concupiscence.

    B. Concupiscence remains after baptism, even though all debt of temporal punishment is remitted therein.

    C. Purgatory is not necessary for a soul who receives baptism and then dies without committing subsequent sin.

    I do not understand how C is possible if A and B are true. Wouldn’t the baptized Christian, even if he/she dies without committing post-baptismal sin, need to be purified of concupiscence?

    I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere on the site, or if it seems pedantic. Thank you for any consideration!

    Best,

    Henry

  38. Hello Henry (re: #37),

    That’s a good question. See comment #7 and comment #15 in the “Imputation and Paradigms” thread. If that doesn’t answer your question, please let me know.

    In the peace of Christ,

    -Bryan

  39. Hello Bryan,

    Thank you for the references! Having now carefully read those comments, I feel my question has been answered. I appreciate your thoughtful explanations.

    In prayerful gratitude,

    Henry

  40. I recommend Fr. Luke Wilgenbusch’s recent book Saved As Through Fire: A Thomistic Account of Purgatory, Temporal Punishment, and Satisfaction (Emmaus Academic, 2023) Fr. Wilgenbusch is a priest in the Diocese of Nashville, and the director of vocations for the diocese.

  41. Both of Mike Gendron’s objections to the Catholic doctrine of purgatory (i.e. Heb. 1:3 and 1 John 1:7) are addressed in the article above in the Reply to Objection 4.

  42. The doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with the ***nature*** of all seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

    It’s incompatible with Baptism – for in that Sacrament, it’s acknowledged that both the debt of eternal punishment and the debt of temporal punishment are completely removed. This means it’s possible for sacramental grace to cancel the *debt* of temporal punishment despite the distinction between Baptism (analogous to operative grace) and Penance (analogous to co-operative grace).

    That this sacramental grace would, inevitably, come to be negated when it comes to Penance means that the sacramental grace of Baptism, after all, in the final analysis, is dependent on our participation and acts. In other words, it’d be best to describe the grace of Baptism itself as divided into operative and co-operative as found in Eastern Orthodoxy, i.e., one as according to nature (passive) and the other as according to the person (i.e., active).

    This means that despite the claim that Baptism and Penance are supposedly two distinct Sacraments, they in fact overlap and virtually synonymous (i.e., sharing the same qualities) with one another.

    This being the case, the possibility and plausibility of Penance possessing the sacramental grace that remits the debt of temporal punishment will always be there despite the Church’s teaching and objection. This is complemented by the inviolability of the seal of confession irrespective of whether the penance prescribed is performed or not. Meaning that this, in principle, presupposes and implies that it’s always possible for the debt of temporal punishment to be removed, at least, in advance or ahead of the prescribed performance or act of penance. In short, the feeling of shame and, by extension and inclusion, remorse, from and in the confession of sins can on their own constitute a form, at least some part, of fulfilment or satisfaction of the debt of temporal punishment.

    It’s merely that the prescribed acts or performance constitute the outward sign of an inward reality.

    When looking at the Sacrament of Marriage which is meant to reflect the character of Christ’s relationship with His Bride and Spouse, the Church, we can easily and readily see how is it that Purgatory is simply incompatible thereof. Taken further, the indissoluble bond of the Sacrament of Marriage is also supposed to union and communion of the Holy Trinity. How sacramental grace, even applied and dispensed differently lead to further and additional purification which presupposes and implies a temporary divorce and hence, breaking up of the bond?

    Surely too, Purgatory means that that the indelible mark or character as found in Ordination as well as in Baptism both of which reflects consecration (in their own right, respectively) co-exists with the existence of the remaining debt of temporal punishment. If what constitutes a spiritual mark (i.e., imprint on the soul) can’t be removed, conversely, why is it that which constitutes a temporal blot can’t be removed instantly or instantaneously?

    If *not* so, isn’t it the case that the difference is therefore stark – as that which corresponds to the spiritual (ultimate) on the one hand and the temporal (penultimate) on the other.

    In so far, as the temporal is concerned, how can the Church then claim exclusive or dominant role impinging on the role and place of the State and Society (including the family) in regulating human affairs? Purgatory then would seem to represent the transgressing of the eschatological limits by the Church.

    Lastly but not least, the incompatibility of Purgatory with the Sacraments of the Church is even more vividly illustrated and embodied by the Sacrament of the Last Rites or Viaticum where the administration lacks any preparation for the intermediate state. Instead the the Christian in danger of death is prepared for the resurrection of the body on the Last Day and, by extension, eternal life.

  43. Hello Jason (re: #42),

    You wrote:

    The doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with the ***nature*** of all seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

    Ok, let’s see your argument for that claim.

    It’s incompatible with Baptism – for in that Sacrament, it’s acknowledged that both the debt of eternal punishment and the debt of temporal punishment are completely removed. This means it’s possible for sacramental grace to cancel the *debt* of temporal punishment despite the distinction between Baptism (analogous to operative grace) and Penance (analogous to co-operative grace).

    Yes, it is possible for God to cancel the debt of temporal punishment through the satisfaction of the atoning work of Christ applied to us through baptism, but that is fully compatible with the truth of the doctrine of purgatory. Sanctifying grace does not in itself cancel debt, including the debt of temporal punishment.

    That this sacramental grace would, inevitably, come to be negated when it comes to Penance means that the sacramental grace of Baptism, after all, in the final analysis, is dependent on our participation and acts.

    It is true that the reception of sacramental grace of baptism depends in part on us, for those who have reached the age of reason. If, at baptism, the recipient does not wish to be baptized, and is being baptized against his will, he is not in fact baptized, even if water is poured on him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. That’s true also of the other sacraments. You can’t enter into marriage, for example, against your will. But all this is fully compatible with the truth of the doctrine of purgatory.

    In other words, it’d be best to describe the grace of Baptism itself as divided into operative and co-operative as found in Eastern Orthodoxy, i.e., one as according to nature (passive) and the other as according to the person (i.e., active).

    The grace of baptism in Catholic baptism is not divided into operative and cooperative. Insofar as your argument against the doctrine of purgatory is based on the Catholic doctrine of the grace of baptism being divided into operative and co-operative, your argument is based on a straw man of Catholic doctrine.

    This means that despite the claim that Baptism and Penance are supposedly two distinct Sacraments, they in fact overlap and virtually synonymous (i.e., sharing the same qualities) with one another.

    This claim depends on what you mean by “overlap.” And “virtually synonymous” is sloppy as a criterion, because it is ambiguous. Yes, each of these two sacraments brings a person from a condition of being dead in sin to being alive in sanctifying grace. So they have that in common. But they are distinct sacraments, because they are different from each other. Here are two reasons why. A person cannot receive the sacrament of penance without first being baptized, whereas one can be baptized without first receiving the sacrament of penance. This is why penance is referred to as a second plank of salvation. Also, while baptism removes the debt of temporal punishment, the sacrament of penance does not. So because they are different, they cannot be the same sacrament, and therefore are actually distinct. And because they are distinct they cannot be conceptually synonymous.

    This being the case, the possibility and plausibility of Penance possessing the sacramental grace that remits the debt of temporal punishment will always be there despite the Church’s teaching and objection.

    This would follow only if they were one and the same sacrament. But I showed above how your argument above does not actually show that they are the same sacrament. From them having something in common (i.e. translating a person from being dead in sin to being alive in sanctifying grace) it does not follow that the sacrament of penance also removes or can remove the debt of temporal punishment. And again, it is not sanctifying grace that removes debt.

    This is complemented by the inviolability of the seal of confession irrespective of whether the penance prescribed is performed or not. Meaning that this, in principle, presupposes and implies that it’s always possible for the debt of temporal punishment to be removed, at least, in advance or ahead of the prescribed performance or act of penance. In short, the feeling of shame and, by extension and inclusion, remorse, from and in the confession of sins can on their own constitute a form, at least some part, of fulfilment or satisfaction of the debt of temporal punishment. It’s merely that the prescribed acts or performance constitute the outward sign of an inward reality.

    All of this builds on and presupposes the error in your argumentation above.

    When looking at the Sacrament of Marriage which is meant to reflect the character of Christ’s relationship with His Bride and Spouse, the Church, we can easily and readily see how is it that Purgatory is simply incompatible thereof.

    Please provide an argument for us 1.38 billion Catholics who don’t “easily and readily see” what you see about the incompatibility of the doctrine of purgatory and the sacrament of marriage.

    Taken further, the indissoluble bond of the Sacrament of Marriage is also supposed to union and communion of the Holy Trinity. How sacramental grace, even applied and dispensed differently lead to further and additional purification which presupposes and implies a temporary divorce and hence, breaking up of the bond?

    Yes, marriage signifies the bond between Christ and His Church. But that does not mean or entail that for any particular person, once-saved-always-saved. Nor does it entail that every person is instantly, perfectly, and permanently sanctified at baptism. That marriage is a sign of Christ’s union with the Church does not entail that none of the elect acquires a debt of temporal punishment after baptism. So that’s why there is no conflict or contradiction between the doctrine of purgatory and the sacrament of marriage.

    Surely too, Purgatory means that that the indelible mark or character as found in Ordination as well as in Baptism both of which reflects consecration (in their own right, respectively) co-exists with the existence of the remaining debt of temporal punishment. If what constitutes a spiritual mark (i.e., imprint on the soul) can’t be removed, conversely, why is it that which constitutes a temporal blot can’t be removed instantly or instantaneously?

    Sure, but questions are not arguments. Merely asking a question does not show an incompatibility between the doctrine of purgatory and the doctrine of any sacrament. As for your question, the answer is that Christ has not instituted the sacrament of penance to remove the debt of temporal punishment.

    If *not* so, isn’t it the case that the difference is therefore stark – as that which corresponds to the spiritual (ultimate) on the one hand and the temporal (penultimate) on the other.

    Whether differences are stark or not stark does not show or entail that the doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with the doctrine of the sacraments.

    In so far, as the temporal is concerned, how can the Church then claim exclusive or dominant role impinging on the role and place of the State and Society (including the family) in regulating human affairs?

    Again, questions are not arguments. No question shows the incompatibility of the doctrine of purgatory with that of the sacraments.

    Purgatory then would seem to represent the transgressing of the eschatological limits by the Church.

    Nothing you have said so far entails that the doctrine of purgatory “represents” or *is* a transgressing of the eschatological limits by the Church. To do that you would first have to establish what are what you are referring to as the “eschatological limits of the Church.”

    Lastly but not least, the incompatibility of Purgatory with the Sacraments of the Church is even more vividly illustrated and embodied by the Sacrament of the Last Rites or Viaticum where the administration lacks any preparation for the intermediate state. Instead the the Christian in danger of death is prepared for the resurrection of the body on the Last Day and, by extension, eternal life.

    There is no sacrament of “Last Rites.” Viaticum is not the sacrament of penance; nor is it the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Viaticum is the sacrament of the Eucharist, for those who are about to leave this life. The brief liturgy for the reception of Viaticum does not mention purgatory (to the best of my recollection), but this is fully compatible with the truth of the doctrine of purgatory. And receiving the Eucharist (with the right disposition) as Viaticum is an act that certainly does help prepare us for purgatory, and for heaven and the resurrection of the body.

    As for your initial claim that “The doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with the ***nature*** of all seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church,” nothing you have written so far shows that the doctrine of purgatory is incompatible with the Catholic doctrine of even one of the sacraments, let alone all seven.

    In the peace of Christ,

    -Bryan

  44. The idea that the lack of fulfilment of the debt of temporal punishment can be covered by the purifying fires of Purgatory implies that whatever prescription of penance by the Church can never suffice – for there’s no legal *equivalence* between the two. This despite the application of the merits of Christ in the form of actual and habitual graces.

    And your appeal to the more than 1 billion Catholics in an attempt to refute my point is fallacious given that this in itself negates the legitimacy of the Magisterium.

  45. Hello Jason (re: #44)

    You wrote:

    The idea that the lack of fulfilment of the debt of temporal punishment can be covered by the purifying fires of Purgatory implies that whatever prescription of penance by the Church can never suffice – for there’s no legal *equivalence* between the two. This despite the application of the merits of Christ in the form of actual and habitual graces.

    The term ‘suffice’ can never stand alone, but always requires a “with respect to what.” If you mean that the prescription of penance can never suffice for the removal of the debt of temporal punishment, that conclusion does not follow from the premise that any remaining debt of temporal punishment can be paid through the suffering of purgatory. The ability of the prescribed penance on some occasions to remove all the debt of temporal punishment is fully compatible with it being true that any remaining debt of temporal punishment can be paid through the suffering of purgatory. But the purpose of the sacrament of penance is not to remove all the debt of temporal punishment; its purpose is to reconcile us to God by putting us in a state of grace. Criticizing a sacrament for not doing what Christ didn’t intend it to do is question-begging, i.e. presupposing the very point in question.

    And your appeal to the more than 1 billion Catholics in an attempt to refute my point is fallacious given that this in itself negates the legitimacy of the Magisterium.

    When you claim in #42 that “we can easily and readily see” that the Catholic doctrine of the sacrament of marriage is incompatible with the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, my pointing to the fact that 1.38 billion Catholics (not to mention all the Catholics of the past and all the Catholic theologians who have studied this over the centuries) do not see such an incompatibility is not a fallacy, but evidence against your mere assertion of the ease of seeing (i.e. the self-evident character) this incompatibility. But we can set aside the question of how easy it is to see such an incompatibility, and together investigate whether there is in truth such an incompatibility. All you need to do is lay out an argument showing the incompatibility of those two doctrines. Otherwise the claim that there is such an incompatibility remains a mere unsubstantiated assertion.

    In the peace of Christ

    -Bryan

    Saint Casimir, pray for us.

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