What is the difference between purgatory and limbo?

Question

I know in catholic doctrine they both exist, but I am not sure what the difference is?

Answer 1

Purgatory is like a waiting room before going to heaven, Limbo is in hell where people wonder aimlessly.

Answer 2

** What's the difference between limbo and purgatory? ** Apparently not much, the unbaptized infants that are at peace have now been allowed to go to heaven, thank God . It is truly an awesome sight to see the princes of religion back pedal. Amazing absolutely amazing, what's next, idols . Such a thing as this is done to quiet the unbaptized baby question. The below story was on the Yahoo front page. Catholic Church buries limbo after centuries By Philip Pullella Fri Apr 20, 2:21 PM ET The Roman Catholic Church has effectively buried the concept of limbo, the place where centuries of tradition and teaching held that babies who die without baptism went. In a long-awaited document,... I really liked this part of the article. Pope Benedict, himself a top theologian who before his election in 2005 expressed doubts about limbo, authorized the publication of the document, called " The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die Without Being Baptised." The verdict that limbo could now rest in peace had been expected for years. The document was seen as most likely the final word since limbo was never part of Church doctrine, even though it was taught to Catholics well into the 20th century. Have a pleasant day.

Answer 3

Actually, as of last week, Pope Benedict decreed that Limbo doesn't exist.

Tp put it simply, purgatory is like a bath. We Catholics believe that sin leaves a stain on our souls, even when it is forgiven, and that that sin must be washed away. When we die, we go to Purgatory, where the sin is washed away, most likely in fire, but truthfully we don't really know how. What we do know is that there is an end to our time there, and that the end is followed by Heaven. Nobody goes to Purgatory who is not going to Heaven.

Limbo was the place we believed that the unbaptized and unknowing went. Belief in Limbo has been waning for MANY years, however, and Limbo has not ever been a solid teaching in Catholic doctrine.

Answer 4

The closest Biblical account for a “limbo” concerns “Abraham’s bosom” and “Paradise” in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Although it is a parable, to teach a truth concerning prophecies declaring the kingdom of God, the places mentioned must exist or Jesus would not have used them. Parables are not based upon imaginary objects and locations, but things which are real. So, before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there were two places souls went to upon death. One place is at the side a Abraham (often described as Abraham’s bosom); this would be people who died in faith in God’s promise, just as Abraham did, and were declared righteous by faith just as he was (Genesis 15:4-6; Romans 4:13-24). Those who died in unbelief went to a place of torment. The Greek word used is Hades and probably is the best Greek word for the Jewish “Sheol,” literally the lowest pit. It is clearly a place of great torment.
The idea of Limbo as a realm in between Heaven and Hell, sort of another Purgatory, is not Biblical. If there is any sort of a Limbo, it is the temporary holding place of the wicked (Hades / Sheol), which will eventually be emptied into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Answer 5

Actually they do not both exist in Catholic doctrine. Limbo was never a doctrine of the Catholic Church. Rather it was a popular belief that gradually developed in an effort to explain the apparent conflict between the biblical fact that Jesus said you cannot enter the kingdom with out baptism (being reborn through water and the spirit), and the biblical fact of a just and loving God, Who would surely not send innocent children to hell for lack of baptism. Purgatory on the other hand is a core Christian doctrinal belief which addresses the fact that while the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to provide salvation for all mankind, we receive that free gift only to the extent that we respond to Christ and live our lives according to His holy will. That's why not all people are saved. And that is also why those who are saved are not all equally ready to enter heaven. Some, though they have not rejected Christ outright and are not damned for eternity, still bring with them a baggage of sin that requires purification, since the Bible tells us that nothing impure can come before the throne of God. If not for Purgatory, one of two things would be necessary - either anyone with the slightest spiritual imprefcetion would be doomed to hell; or, those who have walked the line between wordly living and God's plan would simply walk into heaven alonside those who have used their entire earthly lives in submission to God's plan, and in God's service.

Answer 6

“According to the teaching of the [Roman Catholic] Church, the state, place, or condition in the next world . . . where the souls of those who die in the state of grace, but not yet free from all imperfection, make expiation for unforgiven venial sins or for the temporal punishment due to venial and mortal sins that have already been forgiven and, by so doing, are purified before they enter heaven.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. XI, p. 1034) Not a Bible teaching.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary says that Limbo is a “region on border of hell, supposed abode of pre-Christian righteous persons and unbaptized infants; . . . condition of neglect or oblivion.” Concerning Limbo, the New Catholic Encyclopedia says: “Today the term is used by theologians to designate the state and place either of those souls who did not merit hell and its eternal punishments but could not enter heaven before the Redemption (the fathers’ Limbo) or of those souls who are eternally excluded from the beatific vision because of original sin alone (the children’s Limbo).”

However, the same encyclopedia also says: “The fate of infants dying without Baptism is indeed a very complex problem. . . . The question of Limbo still belongs among the unsettled questions of theology. An official endorsement of Limbo’s existence by the Church is not to be found.” In confirmation of this, The New Encyclopædia Britannica states: “Because the Roman Catholic Church has never officially endorsed the doctrine of limbo as an existing state or place, the concept of limbo remains a question that is unsettled.”

In spite of this, many devout Catholics accept the concept of Limbo. But please consider this point carefully: Why should babies be condemned to exist in a mysterious, incomprehensible place for all eternity simply because they were not baptized?

Does the Bible mention Limbo? No, God’s Word never mentions it. So this raises the vital question: Where do people, including babies, go when they die?

Answer 7

Limbo exists on tropical themed cruise ships. Purgatory is that place between mortal life and eternal life. I prefer limbo.

Answer 8

Nothing. According to the Bible, neither exist. The bible says the dead are not aware of anything, their thoughts perish. The dead go to the grave, in hebrew the word was Sheol and greek, Hades. Both words mean man's common grave.

Purgatory and limbo are from paganism brought in to the church for extra money and property from the pagans that came in.

Answer 9

Actually, Limbo is no longer a part of Catholic Doctrine. I'm not sure when it was removed.

Purgatory is a temporary place or state of purification for those souls who are heaven-bound.

Answer 10

Purgatory is not heaven and it is not hell. It is for those souls who aren't perfect but don't deserve to go to hell either. They need to be purified. (So if you die and go to purgatory jump for joy and do your happy dance cause your on your way to heaven) Limbo is the place where all the dead people went before Christ came. People couldn't go to heaven because even if they were perfect saints they could not go to heaven because Christ did not die for their sins yet. So they just stayed somewhere and waited for Christ. That somewhere is called Limbo.
If you're talking about the Pope canning the concept of Limbo, basically people believed that unbaptized babies (aborted babies, etc.) Couldn't go to heaven because they still had original sin on their soul but they couldn't go to hell either because they hadn't sinned either. So it was just assumed they went to Limbo although the church never made it official. Pope Benedict changed that and said all aborted babies go to heaven because they were never given the chance to be baptized.