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Few, indeed, quit this life in a state of purity and grace which warrants their immediate entrance into Heaven. Still fewer, let us hope, are those to whom the blessed refuge of Purgatory,— that half-way house of our dead,— is closed. I cannot conceive how Protestants can believe as they do on this point, nor is it astonishing that their rejection of Purgatory has been followed, in the case of many, by the elimination of a belief in Hell; for the latter doctrine, taken alone, is monstrous. In fact, all Catholic doctrines are interdependent; they stand or fall together. You cannot pick stones out of the arch, and expect it to stand, for it will not do so. Purgatory is one of the most humane and beautiful conceptions imaginable. How many mothers' aching hearts has it not soothed and comforted with hope for some dead, wayward son!

For some people, Jesus just didn't suffer enough on the cross. You can't make everybody happy, I guess.

To answer the questions about what Protestants believe...

We believe in Justification. It is instantaneous. It occurs at Baptism.

The rest of your life on earth is the process of Sanctification. Growing as a Christian, being made holy throughout your life. We are both sinners and saint at the same time. Fighting the daily fight against our ‘old man’, our ‘old Adam.’ Nobody in this life ever completes Sanctification while alive.

The final thing that occurs for believers at death is Glorification. God fulfills His promise made to us who believe in His atoning death, the atoning death that covers all our sins, and completes the process of Sanctification at death - this is Glorification. It is instantaneous. Because when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. At death the sanctification process ends, and God brings His believers into glory, made perfect and holy.

The main problem is some people believe some get some kind of ‘free ride’ or ‘haven’t done enough’ for God to complete their sanctification instantly at the moment of death. This again is legalism and not taking God at His promises. God has promised to make us holy and that He will complete the good work begun in us (justification and sanctification) - and that is what He does when we go through glorification.

This is what protestants believe. It is hardly outlandish, but based on what God tells us and promises us in His Word.

John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” which I read as a child seems to me to
describe purgatory, taken as part of the spiritual journey of every Christian. Except it focuses on the individual “saint.” and neglects the community of saints. I did hear from a woman Methodist minister at a memorial service, and not to an audience that had an doubt that the deceased is in heaven, that this this person did not cease being a wife, mother and friend now that she was gone, that her demonstrated character seemed to make this clear. Blessed by the ties that bind. But we also know that in life ties can be cut, and never re-establihsed, so that brothers and sisters die estranged, cut off from each other and from the broader community. The fires of purgatory are felt every day, for they are God’s grace working in us, healing suffering. That is what it meet Jesus face to face and when is this possible until death?

Jesus suffered horribly on the cross. I can hardly imagine the pain he endured.

Purgatory doesn’t sound like a place I ever want to visit, much less be stuck there for a long time. The thought of not being allowed to see God is unbearable to me. I know I’m not rotten enough to be sent to Hell, but I don’t think I’m worthy of Heaven, either. It’s a good thing I’m not the judge.

I can only think of 3 people I actually knew in this life who I believe were most likely granted immediate access to Heaven. Ok, maybe 4 people.

Dear Alex,

The Church teaches that Christ's sacrifice was "super-sufficient" for salvation. Namely, we were saved by the sacrifice of the lamb.

Nothing more is needed or can be added to Christ's sacrifice which won us our salvation.

The concept of purgatory takes away nothing from Christ's sacrifice or His winning our salvation. Souls in purgatory are those for whom Christ gave of Himself. They are saved and WILL BE in heaven, no doubt about that.

The STATE of purgatory answers the question -- nearly all of us, no matter how holy, are still unworthy at the time of our death to be in the presence of (note, just about being the presence of , nothing to do with our salvation which was already won by Christ) God

These souls are purified in purgatory -- whatever that may be, The Church is silent.

If you, dear Alex, die tomorrow, Christ's sacrifice would be sufficient for your salvation, yet some "purification" like the purification that Temple priests did would be needed before going into the presence of God.

Now as to plain talk's very valid question -- Jesus saved the thief on the cross (just as He saved us). Was the thief an exceptionally holy man? Or did Jesus Our Lord and Our God also 'cleanse' the theif and bring him to the state of purity needed to be immediately in the presence of God? I like to think the latter, however in either case, purgatory i.e. the "purification" process did happen.

The problem is that purgatory gets thought of as a place, not as a process of cleansing. It is also a place of joy, not torment