I know there's Heaven and Hell, but what's the 3rd place called in the Catholic religion?

Question

Where you sort of just wait it out, because you weren't too good to go to heaven, or too bad to go to hell. And I think it's when you have to do good deeds also, but I'm unsure since I'm not Catholic.

Answer 1

That would be purgatory.

Answer 2

Catholics believe in Purgatory.

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 into perfect beings.

Depending on the amount of change needed by different people this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on their way to heaven.

I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

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 3

Purgatory is simply the place where already saved souls are cleansed of the temporal effects of sin before they are allowed to see the holy face of Almighty God. Revelation 21:27 tells us that "...nothing unclean will enter [Heaven]."

That there are temporal effects of sin is obvious when one considers that even those who have been baptized, who have a deep and intimate relationshp with Jesus, who are the "elect" or "the saved/being saved," or what have you, are subject to pain, work, death and sickness.


Purgatory is His way of ensuring that Revelation 21:27 is true and that nothing unclean will see Heaven. It is only through Christ's sacrifice that we are shown this mercy! It is Christ and Christ alone Who allows us access to the Father.


It's isn't in the Bible, but neither are the words "Trinity," "abortion," "lesbianism," and "cloning" (or "Rapture," for that matter), and it doesn't matter whether you call the process of purgation "purgatory" or the "Final Theosis": the concept of a "final cleansing" or "purgation" for those who require it is very evident in the Bible, in the writings of the early Church Fathers, and in the Old Testament religion whence Christianity sprang.

Daniel 12:2, Matthew 12:32, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, 2 Timothy 1:16-18, Hebrews 12:14, Hebrews 12:22-23, 1 Peter 4:6 and Revelation 21:10, 27 all speak of Purgatory in their telling of the need for purification, prayers for the dead, Christ's preaching to the dead, or how nothing unclean will see God.


Archaeology also indicates the antiquity of the Christian belief in Purgatory/the Final Theosis: the tombs of the ancient Christians were inscribed with words of petition for peace and for rest, and at the anniversaries of deaths, the faithful gathered at the graves of the departed to make intercession for those who'd gone before.

Orthodox Jewish practices, which branched off from the Old Testament religion, to this day reflect belief in this "place" of final purification which they call Gehenom: when an Orthodox Jewish person dies, a ritual called the taharah is performed by the "Chevra kaddisha -- gmilat khessed shel emet," the "Holy Society" or "Burial Society" of Jews knowledgeable in these traditional duties. They cleanse and prepare the physical body and recite the required prayers (Chevra Kadisha) which ask God for forgiveness for any sins the departed may have committed, and beg Him to guard and grant eternal peace to the departed. For eleven months after the death of a loved one certain members of the family pray a prayer called the Mourner's Qaddish (or Kaddish) for their loved one's purification.

Jews, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox have always proclaimed the reality of the final purification for those who need it. It was not until the Protestant Reformers came in the 1500s that any Christians denied the idea of a final purgation before seeing the face of God.

Answer 4

Purgatory is a step on the way to heaven. It's the process by which all our sin is removed from our souls by the Blood of the Lamb so that we can be fully purified when we enter heaven. It is necessary because as the Bible says, "Nothing unclean can enter heaven."

Everybody in the process of Purgatory is on their way to Heaven, so it's not a "third option."

Answer 5

Catholics believe that the trial by fire described in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 must occur before a Christian can enter God's presence. This place/condition/process in Catholic teaching is called Purgatory.

Protestants also believe that this trial by fire must occur for all Christians, but (1) deny that it must come before entering God's presence, and (2) have differing views on whether a Christian will personally experience suffering during this process.

Answer 6

It's called Purgatory. It is a place where those who die in sin but still in the friendship of God must go to be purified of their sins. Their salvation is assured, as they will not go to Hell, but only heaven once cleansed.

Answer 7

Purgatory. It's the place of purification. You were too sinful to go to Heaven, but good enough for God to have mercy on your soul and save you from Hell.

The belief in Purgatory is supported in Maccabees, which Protestants don't have in their Bible, because Luther threw it out.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1030
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.


1031
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607


As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608


1032
This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:


Let us help and commemorate them. 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.611

Answer 8

Purgatory to atone for your sins

There also used to be Limbo where unbaptised babies and the sinless non-Catholic went, just like Heaven but you'll never see the face of God

... or is that a night-club I'm thinking off?

Answer 9

it is called purgatory- the whole odea of such a place is blasphemous to Jesus- your relatives cannot pray you out and you cannot do enough "good works" to earn oyur way out- another of the Catholic church's fabrications to hold its followers under oppression- with a little research you will se the idea of purgatory is a carry over from pagan beliefs- as are much of what the Catholic church preaches, teaches and practices- then they have taken scriptures out of context and wrapped them around this to make it say what they believe it should.
You either believe Jesus took the penalty for all sins or you believe he did not- you cannot have it both ways.

Answer 10

Purgatory

A State After Death of Suffering and Forgiveness

Matt. 5:26,18:34; Luke 12:58-59 – Jesus teaches us, “Come to terms with your opponent or you will be handed over to the judge and thrown into prison. You will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Pet. 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zech. 3.1; Rev. 12.10), and God is the judge. If we have not adequately dealt with satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.

Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, "be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory.

Answer 11

I've heard of purgatory and I've also heard of limbo. Both come from the Catholic religion but I'm not sure what they are or if they are just two wors for the same thing. I'm not Catholic either. Just trying to hep!