The Origin And Development Of Purgatory

1992 Words8 Pages
Michala Fitzpatrick Introduction to Religion Professor Dost 16 April 2011 The Origin and Development of Purgatory The Catholic Church teaches that when you die there are three places that we can be sent to by God. There is a Heaven, for the righteous, a Hell for the damned, and Purgatory where souls are purified of the damage caused by the sins they have committed during their lifetime. Purgatory is a concept that was introduced during early Christianity and the Middle Ages. There has been speculation over the existence of Purgatory since the Protestant reformation. It is said to be the second realm of Christian afterlife where those who died in the presence of God suffer a temporary punishment in order to prepare themselves for Heaven. Purgatory functions as an intermediate realm where the soul passes after death while on their way to Heaven, thus Purgatory gives unsaved souls a second opportunity to qualify for Heaven. It became extremely popular during the late Middle Ages, so it has been said that Purgatory was first introduced during that time. The word Purgatory is derived from the old French word purgatoire, which came from Latin purgatorium, meaning place of cleansing. The adjective purgatorius arose from the noun purgatorium as the concept of Purgatory. Since the Bible does not make direct reference to Purgatory, it has caused doctrinal disagreement among Christians on the origin and development of such a place. Although the Bible does not directly refer to Purgatory, there are many biblical passages that support the idea. It has been said that praying for the souls who have entered Purgatory, helps their journey to Paradise, which is another name for Heaven. Since the souls of Purgatory are under the Just of God, they cannot pray for themselves, but we can pray for them and God will grant them mercy. Judas Maccabeus, who offers such
Open Document