Learning
In this section, you will find fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church on Purgatory. Through Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the testimony of the saints, we will delve deeper into this truth of faith that invites us to spiritual charity and eternal hope.
📖 Is purgatory biblical?
Although the word "purgatory" does not appear literally in the Bible, the doctrine is based on passages that confirm the possibility of purification after death. The Church interprets these Scriptures in light of Tradition and the Magisterium.
✝️ Key Bible Verses:
📜 2 Maccabees 12, 45-46
“And if he had not hoped that the fallen would be resurrected, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for the dead. But he considered that a magnificent reward was in store for those who had died piously. How holy and pious is the idea of praying for the dead, that they may be freed from sin!”
✅ This is the most direct basis for prayer for the deceased. Although not all Christians accept the deuterocanonical books, the Catholic Church recognizes them as inspired.
📜 1 Corinthians 3, 13-15
“Each person's work will be exposed... If the work is burned, the worker will be harmed; he will be saved, but only as one passing through the fire.”
🔥 Here a purification after death is described that is not condemnation, but a step toward salvation.
📜 Matthew 12, 32
“Whoever speaks 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.”
📌 Jesus suggests that some sins can be forgiven “in the other world,” which implies an intermediate state.
📜 Matthew 5, 25-26
“Agree with your adversary as you go along with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, or the judge will hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
🔍 Interpreted as a reference to the need to settle the temporal punishment that remains after the forgiveness of sins. The "prison" is understood as a symbol of purgatory: a place where the soul is purified before entering Heaven.
📜 Revelation 21:27
“Nothing profane will enter it [the Heavenly City], nor will anyone who commits abominations or lies, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
🕊️ To enter Heaven, the soul must be completely purified. Purgatory fulfills that function.
🔥 Difference between Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory
☁️ Sky:
It is eternal communion with God. It is the state of perfect happiness where the soul sees God “face to face” (cf. 1 Cor 13:12).
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:9
🔥 Purgatory:
It is the temporary state of purification for those souls who die in grace, but are not yet completely cleansed of sin or attachments.
“Those who die in the grace and friendship of God, but imperfectly purified… suffer a purification after death.”
— Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030
👿 Hell:
It is the eternal separation from God, freely chosen by those who reject his love until the end.
“Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire.”
— Matthew 25:41
🕊️ How to gain plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory?
An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins already forgiven. The Church, by the authority she received from Christ, applies the merits of Jesus and the saints to the faithful.
✅ Conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence:
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Sacramental confession (within 8 days).
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Eucharistic Communion.
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Prayer for the Pope's intentions (Our Father, Hail Mary).
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Total detachment from sin (even venial).
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Perform an indulgent work, such as:
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Visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased (November 1–8).
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Pray the Rosary as a family or in community.
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Eucharistic adoration for at least 30 minutes.
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Read the Bible for at least 30 minutes.
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📌 Only one plenary indulgence can be gained per day, but it can be applied to only one soul in purgatory.
Plenary indulgences in the Jubilee Year 2025
During this year of grace proclaimed by Pope Francis, the Church offers special plenary indulgences. These spiritual graces can be applied to oneself or to the souls in Purgatory, as a work of mercy that brings them closer to Heaven.
“Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5) is the motto of the Jubilee, and every indulgence offered is an act of active hope.
✅ How to gain a plenary indulgence in this Jubilee Year?
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Sacramental confession
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Eucharistic Communion
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Prayer for the Pope's intentions
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Total detachment from sin
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Visit to a Holy Door during the Jubilee Year (or, if this is not possible, performing a specific work of mercy in a Jubilee spirit, as mandated by the Church), along with the usual conditions.
🕯️ Offering an indulgence for a soul in Purgatory is one of the purest forms of Christian charity.
“During the Jubilee, the Church opens her spiritual treasure to liberate not only souls on earth, but also those in Purgatory, through the communion of saints.”
— Saint John Paul II, Incarnationis Mysterium, n. 9
📎 Official reference: www.vatican.va
🕯️ The Saints' Vision of Purgatory
The saints have had mystical revelations and visions about Purgatory that enrich the understanding of the mystery.
The Communion of Saints and Purgatory
We pray for the souls in Purgatory because we form one body in Christ. The faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven are not separated, but deeply united in the love of God.
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice with it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:26
Thanks to the communion of saints, our prayers, indulgences, sacrifices, and Masses offered have a real effect on those in the process of purification.
🕯️ When we light a candle, pray a rosary, or participate in a Mass for the deceased, we are exercising the most perfect charity: that which expects no reward, but is offered for those who cannot repay us.
“The soul that helps those in Purgatory becomes part of the invisible network of God’s mercy.”
— Inspired by Saint Faustina
📚 Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):
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n. 946:
"After having confessed 'the holy catholic Church', the Creed adds 'the communion of saints'. This expression designates first the participation of all the members of the Church in holy things ('sancta'), and then the communion among holy persons ('sancti')."
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n. 958:
"Since the earliest times of Christianity, the pilgrim Church has honored the memory of the deceased with great piety and offered suffrages for them... Our prayer for them can not only help them, but also make their intercession effective on our behalf."
📌 Conclusion
Formation in the faith of Purgatory inspires us to live the most perfect charity: praying for those who cannot help themselves. Every work, prayer, or sacrifice offered for souls is an act of mercy that transforms the eternity of those who await us in God.