Question For Catholics?

Question

How can you prove purgatory exists. It is not in the Bible. It was created by the Vatican and is one of the largest money makers of all time.

Answer 1

+ Purgatory +

The concept of purgation is hinted at in the Bible. Here are a couple of places:

"But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." 1 Cor 3:15

"So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Pet 1:7

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves on earth into perfect beings in heaven. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people, this can be an easy or slightly harder process. Everyone in purgatory is on his or her way to heaven. I do not think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

+ Sources of Doctrine +

The Catholic Church does not only use Holy Scripture for the basis of doctrine. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

Catholics also believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like
- The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
- Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the ten commandments)
- Which books to include in the New Testament?
- How do our imperfect selves on earth get to be perfect in heaven?

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1030: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art12.htm#1030

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Purgatory is a state of soul not a place for Resurrected bodies like Heaven and Hell.

Common sense and reason show the need for purgatory for most people who die in the state of grace because they do not seem to be detached form all their venial(lesser sins 1 John5;16)since we have to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt5:48)and nobody unclean can enter the state of Heaven (Rev21:27), which is unobstructed union with God.

If we leave this world without being scubbed completely clean by the the Grace and Blood of Christ, the all-sufficient Sacrifice poured out for us once and perfectly at the Cross, we will have to be finally cleansed in a state after death and we will have to "pay the last penny of what we owe(Matt5:26)" as well as account for every idle word (Matt12:36)and little sins of unlove,neglect of the needy and disobedience to God at the Judgement at the Great WhiteThrone of Justice.

Answer 3

The Bible makes no "hint" what so ever to purgatory. It's all just a lie. Refer to John 8:44!

Just like the lie claiming Peter was the first pope.

Yet, in Latan and Greek it say that Simon means "sand" and Peter means "a little stone". Jesus said, "on this rock I will build my church." So Peter could never be that rock because right after that, Jesus calls Peter "Satan". Ponder that! Read 1 Tim. 3:2-5 and John 1:42, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." (a little pebble). Jesus and Jesus alone is the Rock!

"We know without a doubt that Holy Scripture is incomplete. How do we know that? Holy Scripture itself clearly tells us that it is incomplete. Consider the following:
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. (Cf. John 20:30-31)"

How does "signs" prove that God "forgot" to mention purgatory in His Bible? Again, refer John 8:44.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Up Date:

unashamedofhim116 (5 above me), boy you are right on the money! God bless you guy.

The Catechism even says that the Catholic Church created it:
"The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent." Pg. 268-269, #1031

Answer 4

Purgatory IS in the Holy Bible; however, it was taken out of the Protestant version when they made their "great edit."

Look in Maccabees 2 - 12:46
"It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins" (2Macc.12:46).

In fact, read all of chapter 12 there (to much to post).

Answer 5

Jesus gave Peter and the apostles the awesome power to bind and loose, in heaven and on earth.

If purgatory didn't already exist, that would be sufficient to create it.

But why worry so much about something that you say doesn't really exist?

Answer 6

Jesus went to preach to those who were lost before he ascended to heaven (1 Peter 2:19)
You do realize that there is a period of time before the judgment? Jesus uses this time so that all shall come to repentance. BTW there are more verses, but you obviously don't believe. Moneymaker? Hmmm, you have never been in a Catholic Church have you? People pray, and light candles, that must be a real moneymaker (sarcasm)

Answer 7

it in one of the books of some saints and one of the saint ( Gertrude) saw purgatory and my spiritual director wrote a story about this carmelite nun the ppl considered her as a saint but she went to hell because of sacriligious communion and the only way you could reach heaven is to purge your soul

Answer 8

The Catechism even says that the Catholic Church created it:
"The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent." Pg. 268-269, #1031

It cannot be proven to exist because it doesn't exist.

Answer 9

Holiness is a prerequisite in order to enter into the presence of God (Rev 21:27). Few on earth go to heaven without having the need of any kind of sanctification to enter into the presence of the Lord.

In Jesus’ time, the Pharisee would do everything under the law but for material gain. They would gain power and money and reverence under the guise of the Law, and Jesus rebuked them at every turn. Yes, even bad thoughts are sinful for it is said in Mat 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall not commit adultery’. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a women in order to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Is there any one of us who can say that they are without sin or perfect? Therefore everyone needs a cleansing of the soul through water in this world or through fire in the next. Through water to wash away our sins, to be made clean again. Or through fire to burn the stains out as in Isaiah 6:5-7: “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the alter. And he touched my mouth, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.’”

The Jews offered atonement and prayer for their deceased brethren, who had clearly violated Mosaic Law (2 Macc 12:39-42,44-45). Now if this belief was erroneous, then Jesus would have corrected it, as it stands, He did not (see Matthew 5:22, 12:32 below). Why would the Jewish community pray for the soul of the dearly departed if they were either in heaven or hell? There is no need to pray for them if they are already in heaven, and there is no reason to pray for those in hell either because there is no escape from it. Therefore no reason to pray for their souls at all unless there is a place where certain souls can be redeemed. The possibility exists in the Jewish mind.


Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, “You fool!” shall be liable to the hell of fire.


St. Francis de Sales explains the implications of this statement of Christ:

It is only the third sort of offense which is punished with hell; therefore in the judgment of God after this life there are other pains which are not eternal or infernal, -- these are the pains of Purgatory.


Matthew 12:32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.


If sins can be forgiven in the age to come (the afterlife), this must be in purgatory. If this sin cannot be forgiven after death, it follows that there are some sins that can be forgiven. This interpretation was held by St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, and St. Bernard, among others.

In her treatise on Purgatory, Saint Catherine of Genoa wrote in regards to the process of purification:

“A thing which is covered cannot respond to the sun’s rays, not because of any defect in the sun, which is shining all the time, but because the cover is an obstacle; if the cover be burnt away, this thing is open to the sun; more and more as the cover is consumed does it respond to the rays of the sun.

There is nowhere to be read that this process is instantaneous or that it has a duration. There is no way to logically deny either lengths of time. Both Protestants and Catholics alike agree that absolute holiness is necessary to enter heaven. Disagreement arises when the questions of duration come up. How long does this purification, or sanctification take? Some Protestants believe it is instantaneous, while Catholics believe that there is a possibility of duration involved in the sanctification process. It seems that Catholics and Protestants believe in the same thing but name it differently. Because does anybody know how time works in the afterlife. How is time viewed in light of eternity? I believe that I have shown that there is a process of pain to burn away stains on our souls (this process is called sanctification), whether this process takes time will only be known and the end of our earthly lives except for those very few who don’t need to go through it.

God Bless
Robin

Answer 10

Theres no way to prove it. A matter of faith.