 |
 |
 |
 |
Where does our belief in purgatory come from as I do not recall reading about it in the New Testament?
Joe
Dear Joe:
To keep the answer to reasonable length, I am going to assume you know something of what purgatory is, and I will focus on the origins of the doctrine itself.
From the earliest times it has been the practice of Christians to pray for the souls of the deceased. Some of the tombs in the catacombs, for example, are inscribed with petition prayers for the dead, and often Christians would request a tomb close to that of a holy martyr in order to be favoured with his or her intercession.
Of course, customs or habits are not sufficient grounds for establishing doctrine, but they can help us make important inferences. >From early Christian practices, and from some Jewish ones that preceded them (see 2 Maccabees 12: 43-46), we can conclude that the faithful in the early Church believed the souls of their deceased relatives and friends were in a spiritual condition that either required, or could benefit from, prayer. Such a circumstance would obviously rule out hell, where the soul is eternally separated from God, and heaven, where it enjoys perfect communion with God, so over time the Church assigned the word 'purgatory' to describe this third condition or place, where the souls of the faithful, as the Catechism states, "undergo purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."
Although our sins are forgiven in confession, and we are strengthened by grace, at the core we often remain habituated to, or attached to, sin. Before we can be with God in heaven, therefore, we must atone for our sins; that is, make up for the damage they have caused, and root out our sins at the core. For this we may require a period of purification, of 'temporal punishment' in purgatory. Temporal, in this sense, means lasting for a time only, as opposed to eternal.
There seems to be a consensus among holy writers that this purification is a painful process or state, and some among us might find the idea of punishment for a forgiven sin a little disconcerting, perceiving it solely as a form of Divine retribution. Instead we should regard purgatory as both a time of spiritual growth, and an assurance of our eternal salvation. Indeed the Church speaks of this punishment as a grace, a gift of our loving God, through which we shed the darkness of our sinful nature, until our perfected soul is worthy to live in the eternal light with our Father in heaven.
You may recall that the apostles, and subsequently all the bishops of our Church, received special teaching authority from Christ himself, which the bishops continue to exercise today under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and in communion with the successor of St. Peter, Pope John Paul II. This teaching authority is known as the Magisterium of the Church. The Magisterium is the authentic interpreter, not only of Sacred Scripture, but of Sacred Tradition, which is everything handed down to us from the apostles through the Church.
So it must not be thought that doctrines such as purgatory are somehow plucked out of the air. Operating within Sacred Tradition, the Church engages over the years in a process of discernment, which involves the study and contemplation of Sacred Scripture, and immersion in the teachings of eminent theologians and holy writers. Doctrines eventually come to be considered by the Ecumenical Councils of the Church, the assemblies of bishops summoned to define the great truths of the faith. The Council of Trent (1545-63), which is considered along with Vatican II as one of the greatest councils in the history of the western Church, was one of several Church Councils which reinforced and defined the Catholic belief in purgatory.
More could be said about the origins and the existence of purgatory, especially in connection with some other important topics such as indulgences. The above-mentioned subject of Sacred Tradition is also worthy of greater study, in particular its relationship to Sacred Scripture, with which it forms "one sacred deposit of the word of God ". This quote is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a good place to begin any study.
God bless,
Father Norbert