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A Question on Purgatory From: phillip.duffin To: apologetics@marysremnant.org Sent: Monday, May 27, 2002 5:00 PM Subject: APOLOGETICS Dear sir, I would like to ask you as a catholic myself; why do we have to be punished for our sins in purgatory even after we have truly repented of them and been forgiven them by God in the sacrament of confession? Does this not contradict the plain and simple teaching of the new testament that christ died for our sins and took ALL the punishment due for our sins on the cross of calvary CF 1 PETER CH 2 V 24 AND HEBREWS CH 10 V 1-26. I have had a fear of death because of the doctrine of purgatory. I do believe that redeemed christians will be made perfectly holy at death, CF HEBREWS CH 12 V 23. and then taken at once to the glory of heaven. Thank you for your time and co-operation yours in christ phillip duffin Dear Phillip, First of all, I'm not a professional apologist by trade, so I will answer your question to the best of my ability then reference a few other links that address your question here. I will also tell you up front that my arguments here will not be "mine" so much as those whom I trust and follow the teachings of the Church. See the links at the bottom for the sources for my response. I don't have any "answers" myself as much as a general grasp of scriptural exegesis and skill at finding the right answers. The section on purgatory in the is only three paragraphs long (CCC 1030-1032). In essence, there are only three points on the matter which the Catholic Church insists: (1) that there is a purification after death, (2) that this purification involves some kind of pain or discomfort, and (3) that God assists those in this purification in response to the actions of the living. Among the things the Church does insist on are the ideas that purgatory is a place or that it takes time 1 PETER 2: 24 He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. We both agree on this, of course, but it does not address the concept of purgatory and neither is it a proof text against purgatory. Remember: Purgatory is simply the last stage of sanctification. Sanctification in this life involves pain, for "For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. . . . [And] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant" (Hebrews 12:6, 11), yet no one says suffering infringes on Christ's sufferings. In the same way, the suffering during the final sanctification in no way infringes on Christ's sufferings or implies they were insufficient. Quite the contrary! The fact is that the suffering we experience in sanctification in this life is something we receive of Christ's sacrifice for us. His sufferings paid the price for us to be sanctified, and his sufferings paid the price for of our sanctification-both the initial parts. Thus it is because of Christ's sacrifice that we receive the final sanctification in the first place! If he had not suffered, we would not be given the final sanctification (or the glorification to which it leads), but would go straight to hell. Thus purgatory does not imply Christ's sufferings were insufficient; rather it is of Christ's sufferings that we are given the final sanctification of purgatory in the first place! Hebrews 10: 1-26 1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, 2 and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year. 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, 4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. 5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: 3 "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. 7 Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" 8 First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, 4 you neither desired or delighted in." These are offered according to the law. 9 Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; 13 now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. 15 The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: 16 "This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: 'I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their minds,'" 17 he also says: "Their sins and their evildoing I will remember no more." 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin. 19 Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary 20 by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have "a great priest over the house of God," 22 let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. 25 We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near. 26 If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries. I think with this text there are several things to address. PENANCE: God requires satisfaction of the sinner on account of His holiness and justice, and the injury done to Him, and also for the purpose of the sinner's reformation. E.g., the impure man may be forgiven his sin, and yet be punished (naturally or supernaturally) by ill health. The murderer, both in terms of God's Law and man's laws, may have to expiate for his crime in the electric chair. Penance includes the sorrows, miseries, and trials of life, and also the sufferings in purgatory. Others can make reparation for one's sins also, according to the Communion of Saints in the Body of Christ. Every sin causes a disturbance in the cosmic order established by God, along with the destruction of moral values in the person and society. Sin is not only a rejection of Divine Law, but also a rejection of the friendship of God. The very existence and weightiness of the punishments of penance ought to impress us with the folly and gravity of sin and its harmful consequences to mankind. The Council of Trent declares: Neither is this satisfaction so our own as not to be through Jesus Christ. For we can do nothing of ourselves; He cooperating strengthens us (Phil 4:13). Thus, man has not wherein to glory, but all our glorying is in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17; Gal 6:14): in Whom we live; in Whom we merit (cf. Acts 17:28) . . . no Catholic ever thought that, by this kind of satisfactions on our parts, the efficacy of the merit and of the satisfaction of our Lord Jesus Christ is either obscured or in any way lessened. {"On the Most Holy Sacrament of Penance and Extreme Unction, chapter 8, Session 14, November 25, 1551} Biblical examples of penance include Adam and Eve's exclusion from the Garden of Eden, the disobedient Jews in the desert wandering for 40 years, Moses forbidden to enter the Promised Land, David's sufferings due to his murder and adultery, and sickness and death resulting from taking Communion unworthily (1 Cor 11:30-32). Jesus Christ gave His disciples (by extension, priests) the power not only to "loose" sins (i.e., forgive in God's name), but also to "bind" (i.e., impose penances): Mt 16:19; 18:18; Jn 20:23. The faithful on earth can render atonement for one another by means of good works performed in a state of grace. The effect is the remission of all or part of temporal punishment for sin. This vicarious atonement among Christians is grounded in the unity of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, and is no different in kind than intercessory prayer for one another - indeed the most effective form. Examples in the Bible include Moses (Ex 32:32), Job (Job 1:5), and in St. Paul's teaching and practice (Col 1:24; 2 Cor 12:15; 2 Tim 4:6). I realize I have not answered each line of the excerpt from Hebrews. However, please take a moment to explore these links below. There is a wealth of wisdom and scriptural explanations in these links, and I would be happy to discuss this subject further. http://www.petersnet.net/research/retrieve_full.cfm?RecNum=3302 http://www.petersnet.net/research/retrieve_full.cfm?RecNum=1391 http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/PUGTRY.TXT http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/CATHFUND.HTM http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/BASISPUR.HTM http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/HOW2PURG.HTM http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PURGATOR.HTM http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PURGBAS.HTM http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2HEAVN.HTM#Purgatory http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/PURGATRY.TXT http://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology/PURGATRY.HTM http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ300.HTM http://ic.net/~erasmus/ERASMUS6.HTM Sincerely, Dr. Brian Kopp