Purgatory

Introduction:
Since the ancient times, the Church has had extensive faith in the immortality of the soul and rebirth of
the dead. The souls that deserve to go to paradise first have to pass through the purgatory in order to
properly purify for their life in heaven. Specifically the people that have befriended god and have died in
gods good grace, but are imperfectly purified are required to pass through the purgatory. Purgatory is a
painful yet necessary condition of purification.
Biblical Accounts of Purgatory
The New Testament accounts purgatory as an intermediate condition after death and before
resurrection on the last day. In the Book of John, a fire is discussed which would purify people after
bodily death. Moreover, the book of Matthew, discusses a fire, which might burn up the work of a
sinner whereas, at the same time would bless the work of a person with good deeds and an honest
heart. St Fursa, an Irish Abbot from the seventh century, had described his concept of afterlife as a place
where the angels would protect him while the demons pursue him.
Eastern Catholic Churches, belonging to the Syriac tradition used a different name for the Purgatory, i.e.
Sheol. According to them Sheol did not contradict with the concept of purgatory at all and was the
same.
Purgatory as a Physical Place
The concept of purgatory as a physical place was first bought by Jacques Le Goff around 12
th
century.
According to him, many biblical verses and accounts define the existence of purgatory as an actual
physical place. He says that St. Augustine, Gregory the Great and St. Peter had greatly contributed to
defining Purgatory as a physical place.
The medieval otherworld journey narratives including Irish Visio Tnugdali define the concept of St.
Patricks purgatory as a remote island with an entrance that looks like a cave. Other stories have also
described the entrance of purgatory on the Mount Etna of Sicily.
And so, the concept of Purgatory started to become popular. These concepts and beliefs were later also
supported by the imaginations of musicians, poets, painters and many other artists of the medieval
times.
Other Religious Beliefs
Jewish religion also believes in a purgatory. Till date, the concept of Gehenna sounds almost like the
concept of Purgatory. Whereas, in Islam the concept of a particular place exists where the dead will
dwell until they are sent to either paradise or hell on the day of judgement.
Source:
http://www.researchomatic.com/the-existence-of-purgatory-146914.html