Purgatory

There are three major components of purgatory: prayer for the dead, an active interim state between death and resurrection, and a purifying fire after death. Not explicitly cited in the Bible, the notion of purgatory developed principally from the doctrines of medieval Catholic theologians.

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Purgatory finds roots in the Bible, such as the leaders atoning for the idolatry of fallen soldiers by providing prayers and an offering and the suggestion in Matthew forgiveness of sins is key in the world to come. Jesus’s only words from the story of the resurrected Lazarus suggest an interim period before the Judgment Day during which the damned may hope for respite and receive a reward for their correction.

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Some theologians write of a fire that tortures the damned, tests and purifies the mix, and pleases the saints. (The Old Testament suggests God is a “consuming fire.”) Augustine suggested the question of salvation or damnation is settled at of death, and that only the saved through purgatory.

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The idea of purgatory as a physical place also is rooted in the early Medieval era. Entrances were thought were to be scattered across Europe and the Middle, including on a remote Irish island and in a mountain in Jerusalem.

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This concept of purgatory is the foundation of present-day supernaturalism