That's true, you did not mention time. But doesn't the Catholic Church teach that a person will indeed spend an enormous amount of time in Purgatory?
If you scroll down to the section on duration here you will see that your traditions do indeed teach that souls will spend "time" in Purgatory, some until the Final Judgement.
IV. DURATION AND NATUREDuration
The very reasons assigned for the existence of purgatory make for its passing character. We pray, we offer sacrifice for souls therein detained that "God in mercy may forgive every fault and receive them into the bosom of Abraham" (Const. Apost., P. G., I col. 1144); and Augustine (De Civ. Dei, lib. XXI, cap.xiii and xvi) declares that the punishment of purgatory is temporary and will cease, at least with the Last Judgment. "But temporary punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by others after death, by others both noow and then; but all of them before that last and strictest judgment."
That seems like a long time to me.
-ksen
The amount of Purging needed depends upon the person involved. "No one will get out until the last penny is paid."
Mother Theresa may have needed a brief rinsing after her life, but if Timothy McVeigh truly repented he can expect a very "long" process of Purgation.
If you scroll down to the section on duration here you will see that your traditions do indeed teach that souls will spend "time" in Purgatory, some until the Final Judgement.
Souls in Purgatory are not in "time" as it passes here. The amount of "time" that passes between your death and final judgment is almost a crazy question. Those in Purgatory will be aware of what is happening to them and it may indeed seem to take "time" but we can not say for sure.
The Vatican once gave out indulgences in units of time, and this led many to believe that there was a one-to-one correspondance between time in indulgences and "time off" of Purgatory.
I don't think we can really speak of "time" at all after death, but we often have to use such terms anyway.
SD