Purgatory

Lore & Background

The noun 'purgatory' (Latin purgatorium) appeared perhaps only between 1160 and 1180, encouraging the idea of a place. The belief predates the specific Catholic tradition, with related beliefs in Judaism and practices such as prayer for the dead. The Catholic Church found support in 2 Maccabees, which is part of the Catholic biblical canon but regarded as apocryphal by Protestants and major branches of Judaism. In the late medieval era, metaphors of time, place and fire were frequently adopted. Catherine of Genoa (fl. 1500) re-framed the idea as ultimately joyful.

Reader's Guide

Purgatory has been a significant doctrine in Catholic theology, defined at the Second Council of Lyon in 1274 and reaffirmed by the Councils of Florence and Trent. The doctrine holds that some saved souls need purification after death and benefit from the prayers and pious duties of the living. The Eastern Orthodox churches have different formulations of an intermediate state, and most Protestant denominations do not endorse the Catholic formulation. The term has come to refer to a wide range of historical and modern conceptions of postmortem suffering short of everlasting damnation, and English-speakers also use it analogously to mean any temporary place or condition of suffering.

Did You Know?

• Catherine of Genoa (fl. 1500) re-framed the idea of purgatory as ultimately joyful.
• The Second Council of Lyon in 1274 defined Catholic teaching on purgatory for the first time.
• Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI wrote that the term does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence.