Question:  Dear Greg,

        Could you answer the question, “what do the Catholics mean by Purgatory”?  I had a co-worker ask me this and my response was not as good as I wanted.

        Thanks,

        Tom

Answer:  Dear Tom,

        Here’s a brief and general explanation.  The word, “purgatory” is based upon the root word “purge”.  Catholics view purgatory as a destination for the dead who are not deemed sufficiently righteous to go to heaven, but not sufficiently evil to go to hell.  Catholics believe purgatory to be a place of purging, where sins and imperfections are removed in order that heaven is the final destination of those initially sent to purgatory.  Purgatory is seen as a place of punishment and suffering, but unlike hell, purgatory is not viewed as permanent, but temporary.  Once sufficient suffering is endured as “payment” for sins, then the doors of heaven are opened.

        Protestants do not generally agree with this theory, for a variety of reasons.

        In Christ,

        Greg Albrecht