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What is purgatory?

In short: Purgatory is the final purification that those who die in God's grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified undergo before entering heaven. It is not a second chance at salvation, but the completion of a journey already assured.

The Catholic Church teaches that when a person dies in God's grace and friendship, their eternal salvation is certain. Yet many souls still carry the weight of venial sins, unhealthy attachments, or the temporal consequences of forgiven sins. These cannot enter the full joy of heaven as they are. Purgatory is the name the Church gives to the process by which such souls are finally and completely purified so they can stand before God in the holiness heaven requires.

It is important to understand what purgatory is not. It is not a second chance for those who rejected God in life, nor a halfway house between heaven and hell. Only those who are already saved — those who die in God's friendship — pass through purgatory. The Catechism is explicit that this final purification is 'entirely different from the punishment of the damned' (CCC 1031). Hell and purgatory are not parallel paths; one leads inevitably to the beatific vision of God, the other does not.

The scriptural roots of this belief run deep. The Second Book of Maccabees records that Judas Maccabeus collected money to offer sacrifice in Jerusalem for soldiers who had died in battle, so that they might be 'absolved from their sin' (2 Maccabees 12:46). This practice of praying for the dead implies a state in which the dead can still benefit from the prayers of the living — a state neither heaven (where no purification is needed) nor hell (where no change is possible). Jesus himself speaks of sins that will not be forgiven 'either in this age or in the age to come' (Matthew 12:32), a phrase that led early Church writers to conclude that some sins can be forgiven after death. Saint Paul also speaks of a man whose work is burned up but who 'will be saved, but only as through fire' (1 Corinthians 3:15).

The Church formally taught the doctrine of purgatory at the Councils of Florence (1439) and Trent (1563). The tradition speaks of a 'cleansing fire,' drawing on St. Gregory the Great's reflection on Matthew 12:32: 'As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire... certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come' (CCC 1031). This imagery of fire signifies purification, not the punishment of the damned — the burning away of everything in us that is not yet fully conformed to God's love.

Because the souls in purgatory are on their way to heaven and are united to the Church, the living can help them. The Church has always prayed for the dead, especially through the Mass. Indulgences, almsgiving, and other works of penance offered on behalf of the deceased are also part of this ancient practice of solidarity across death. As St. John Chrysostom put it, 'Let us help and commemorate them... Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them' (CCC 1032). This mutual charity, binding the living and the dead together in Christ, is one of the most consoling aspects of Catholic faith.

If you would like to know more about the Catholic faith, you can find a Catholic Mass near you, explore confession times in your area, or read about the saints who now enjoy the heaven that purgatory prepares us for.

What the Catechism says

All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. 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.
This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: Therefore Judas Maccabeus made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin. 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.

In Sacred Scripture

Frequently Asked Questions

Is purgatory in the Bible?

The word purgatory does not appear in the Bible, but the doctrine rests on biblical foundations. 2 Maccabees 12:46 records prayer and sacrifice for the dead so they might be absolved from their sin. Jesus refers to sins not forgiven in the age to come (Matthew 12:32), and Paul speaks of being saved as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:15). The Church has drawn on these texts, together with centuries of tradition, in teaching the doctrine.

Does the Catholic Church teach that purgatory is a second chance at salvation?

No. The Church is clear that only those who already die in God's grace and friendship undergo purgatory. It is not a second chance for those who rejected God in life. Purgatory is the final stage of a salvation already secured — a purification, not a re-trial.

Can Catholics help souls in purgatory?

Yes. Because the souls in purgatory are part of the communion of saints, the living can assist them through prayer, the Mass offered for the dead, indulgences, almsgiving, and other acts of penance. The Church has practiced this from the earliest centuries, seeing it as an act of charity toward those we love who have gone before us.