“until all these things have taken place.”

See Also – Link to Liturgy Lesson - Purgatory
 
The last aspect of eschatology is purgatory. Purgatory is something that the Church has always believed and continues to teach. Many of our separated brethren and even fellow Catholics struggle to believe in the doctrine of purgatory. However, it is a teaching of the Catholic Church that can be found in Scripture as well as Tradition.
 
What does “purgatory” mean? The word purgatory comes from the Latin root for “cleansing” or “purifying”. Purgatory is where those who have died in God’s grace and friendship but are still not perfect must go through purification in order to enter the joy of heaven. [1] An analogy that I like to use is with children and parents. If a child breaks a rule and is grounded, they may come to the parents and seek forgiveness. The parent accepts the child’s apology, forgives them, and will always love them. However, the child is still grounded as punishment for breaking the rules. God forgives all of our sins in confession but we still have to serve our due punishment.
 
Purgatory should not be seen as a safety net or something that everyone must go through. Our aim and goal should always be heaven. As St. Teresa said, “How sweet will death be for the person who has fully repented of all personal sins and can leap over purgatory”. [2]
 
What happens in purgatory? In purgatory, our souls are purged from the attachment to venial sins. It is a cleansing fire to make us pure again. “The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: ‘so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’” [3] Purgatory is the highest of highs because if a soul is in purgatory they will eventually enter heaven. No soul in purgatory will ever end up in hell. Purgatory is also the lowest of lows because a soul cannot remove them self. This is why we as the Church Militant must pray for them. In fact, as Christians here on earth we are called to intercede with our prayers. “In intercession, he who prays looks ‘not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. [4]
 
Why do Protestants not believe in purgatory? Some of our Protestant brothers and sisters claim that purgatory is not found in the Bible. This is true in the sense that we do not find the word “purgatory” used in Scripture or its fully developed doctrine. However, there are clear passages that demonstrate the doctrine of purgatory.
 
Where in the Bible is the doctrine of purgatory shown? The two most distinct passages are 2 Maccabees 12:45 and 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.
 
In 2 Maccabees, Judas Maccabeus sends 12,000 soldiers to Jerusalem to make sacrifices for the sins of the dead. (Cf. 2Mac.12:45) The belief in praying and making offerings for the dead supposes that there is life after death and that our actions here can affect the deceased in a positive way. Thus, “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God…The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead…” [5]
 
In 1 Corinthians, Paul says, “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1Cor. 3:15) Paul is speaking about the Last Judgment and says that a person is saved even if their deeds in life were imperfect, for they will go through a fiery process of suffering in order to have ultimate joy. [6]
 
A bonus Scripture verse is Matthew 12:32 where Jesus says that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit “…either in this age or in the age to come.” (Mt. 12:32) Pope St. Gregory the Great writes, “He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.” [7] In other words, Jesus is telling us that even after death there are faults that can be forgiven.

[1] Cf. CCC 1030
[2] Way of Perfection, 40:9
[3] CCC 1031
[4] CCC 2635
[5] CCC 1032
[6] Cf. Dr. Hahn Catholic Bible Dictionary pg. 746
[7] CCC 1031