Catholics: Could what people refer to as ghosts (if they do exist) actually be souls in purgatory?

Answer 1

There are no ghosts and there is no purgatory. When you're dead, you're dead. If you are going to heaven, buon voyage. If you're going to hell, see you there. If you're worried, be good now, don't worry about what happens after you're dead, and it's too late to do anything about it.

Answer 2

Ghosts are for the most part demons.

There can only be two sources from where spirits come from, God or the devil.

St. Pio said that more souls from purgatory attended his Masses than people.

It's possible. The reason you would see one is if you were able to help him or her get to heaven.

The problem is that you never know if it's a demon trying to trick you and believe me when I say that they're good at it.

Answer 3

Anything is possible, but i doubt it.

To the best of my knowledge the Catholic Church has no official position on ghosts. The doctrine of heaven and hell would seem to negate any reason for ghosts to be the souls of dead people.

However paranormal phenomena seems to exist. These phenomena may come from sources other than the souls of people in heaven, hell, or purgatory. We simply do not know.

The Church is very suspicious of people who claim to talk to ghosts.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Purgatory is definitely real. I would assume the poster who said that it isn't is not Catholic, or is not faithful to the magisterium. Open your Catechism to paragraphs 1030-1032, here are the first few lines:

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.

This is what the magisterium teaches, it is part of the doctrine of the faith.

Limbo on the other hand was never consideration doctrine, or even a teaching, it's a theological speculation. The Pope recently decided to abandom the 'hypothesis.'

Answer 5

In the bible purgatory is defined as the place were souls go to be cleansed. It is the waiting place where people go who have sins on their souls but truly believe in God and Jesus Christ. This means these people weren't bad enough to suffer for eternity in hell but to just suffer a small punishment and wait until they got into heaven. So i believe it is just skepticism that ghosts are souls in purgatory.

Answer 6

No, I don't think so. I don't believe the Catholic church acknowledges the idea of "ghosts" (although it does recognize the possibility of other rarely occurring supernatural phenomena.)

Purgatory is a post-mortal state of refinement... its not a sentence to wander the streets of London rattling chains like Marley.

Answer 7

i do no longer think of spirits exist reason I even have on no account considered one and that i'm atheist yet unwell answer ur question on account that i replaced into catholic. Now catholics have faith hell is split into layers. the coolest layer is the place souls get trapped yet nevertheless have a hazard to flow to heaven in the event that they flow to god's graces. Now earthbound spirits are spirits who've hosen to proceed to be in this worldwide and not flow directly to a) spirit worldwide b) heaven c)hell it truly is all ideals that come from a sort of myths legends and religions and superstitions. additionally the bible talks approximately spirits yet no longer in the comparable way u are.

Answer 8

There are ghosts that have not accepted they have died/
There are evil entities that come from hell to torment
There are people who have died that are evil and do not want to leave this earth they want to torment because they can not accept that they must face God.
and there are people that are good but they still have unfinished business that they try to tell there loved ones they need to take care of this matter before they go to the light and be with Jesus for eternity

Answer 9

I do believe.....at least this is what I heard at my church, that the Catholic Diocese, or whomever decides what is what, debunked purgatory. I know they did for babies.....unbaptized babies at least.

Anything is possible I guess. But, I no longer believe in purgatory.

Answer 10

Last I heard the Pope said purgatory didn't exist...or was it Limbo...what's the difference? is there one?

my take on ghosts is that they are demons...my opinion.

Answer 11

All witchcraft and ghosts and spells and ungodly manifestations are under the category of : "works of the flesh". The dead are dead and not walking around here.
I have seen an apparition and even heard and sensed one, and I don't know who or what was manifesting, but it wasn't a God-given thing and I don't ever want such to happen again.
It is stupid to say it doesn't happen, but it is truth to say it isn't from God and it isn't our relatives that are appearing. Many say it is demonic apparitions posing as dead people.
I don't know.