>>The Catholic Church’s teaching about purgatory (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1030-32) says that all sin, unfortunately, has a life of its own and may have bad effects even after the sinner repents.<<
I certainly agree with the last part. I could slaughter a family, burn the bodies, and let the father live. I could then repent of the deed. There would still be bad effects. Heck, I might even be executed, but I’d still go to be with the Lord, according to Jesus’ words.
Good Point.
Yes, pretty much. Assuming the, sort of, prerequisite relationship, we would say the same thing, or very nearly.
It is too easy to miss that in our thinking purgatory is a kindness of God for us. One problem with the usual way that we Catholics speak of it is that we tend to resort to 'paying a penalty' language, which makes it all sound sort of arbitrary and legalistic.
But that's an inadequate image in many respects. I find myself using therapeutic images. For example, most Christians who are nicotine junkies and quit smoking will say that it was the grace of God that set them free.
But they still had to go through at least two 'trials.' They have to live through the physical withdrawal and they have to go through the change of habits -- NOT reaching for a cigarette whenever they finish a meal or have a cup of coffee, NOT associating taking a brief brake from work with lighting up. You may know what I am talking about.
So, working the analogy, not only is using harmful drugs bad in itself and an offense to God who gave you your body to take care of it, but it also leaves traces, malformed traces, in you that cause a physical and a psychological longing for the harmful practice.
So one way to look at Purgatory is that it is like a 'fat farm' or a 'rehab' place where one goes through the changes required to undo the harm the sin has done in oneself.
Sorry to be so long-winded. If you commit the murders you speak of, there's not only the crime itself. There is the kind of person years of mishandling anger and aggression and of under-appreciating the wonder of the humanity of others and of yourself. There are disordered appetites, affections, and impulses. There are the traces of what you might call a personal orientation toward various evils.
Purgation is about unhooking all those disordered appetites and rehooking them toward love. It is not about "payback" in the strict sense. For one thing payback is impossible. For another, Jesus has taken care of it. It is about making you, the very you you know yourself to be, able to enjoy heaven.
Those in Purgatory are saved. It is not so far off to think of Purgatory as the outskirts of heaven, or the beginning of being fully with the Lord.
As always, I don't mean this to persuade but only to clarify. I hope it is clear.
**but I’d still go to be with the Lord, according to Jesus’ words.**
Not unless the reparation (spiritual) is done for those harmed by your supposed deeds.
Christ is a person of mercy, but at the moment of your death that mercy changes to justice.