Purgatory

From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science

Purgatory, in Catholicism, is the place where those who are saved who have not received sufficient punishment for their sins on earth go to be purged of their wickedness. Within Catholicism, Purgatory is also called the "final purification of the elect". It is taught that Purgatory is experienced only by those souls judged by God at the moment of death to be destined for heaven, and only by those that are not yet perfectly holy. Purgatory involves temporal punishment for venial sin, which is entirely different from the eternal punishment of the damned in hell.

Flowchart of Purgatory and its role in the Roman Catholic concept of the afterlife

History of Purgatory

Many believe that purification before entering heaven was a term that originated from the Catholic Church. It actually originated from Romans, Greeks, and many other races. It was adopted by the Council of Trent in 1548. In the 16th century, the Catholic Church was making indulgences, full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven, by the church. There were many people being robbed of their money because of the belief that the pope could grant forgiveness of your sins. This belief made the Protestant Reformation launch.^{[Reference needed]}

Related References

• Purgatory by Catholic Encyclopedia
• Purgatory: Gold Mine of the Priesthood be Chick Publications
• Indulgence Wikipedia Article

See Also

• Heaven
• Hell
• Christianity
• Judaism