PURGATORY
AS a boy, my great desire was to be accepted into the 'gang'.
Each area in our town had it's own gang, composed of boys whose
ages ranged from ten to thirteen. We all had our own territory,
and it would be a brave boy who invaded it. Many a battle was
fought between the gangs. Home-made swords, tomahawks, bows and
arrows and swords were the favourite weapons. Hurleys were used
when things got very serious. The battles usually took place on
Saturdays, and the interrogations by our teachers took place on
Monday mornings, as they viewed the battle-scars. "I fell
off the bike, Sir"; "I tripped over the dog, Sir";
"I slipped on a banana skin, Sir," were some of the
excuses the teachers had to listen to, as we were all too tough
to admit we had been wounded by the enemy.
We liked to think we were fearless warriors but, once each month,
usually on the first Friday, we were all very subdued, as we
walked from the school to the Chapel, to have our confessions
heard. Now, we didn't mind going to confession at all, but even
the most fearless of the warriors dreaded the possibility of
having to visit 'Box No. 6'.
In the Chapel were six double confession boxes. Priests occupied
five of them, and all of us would try to ensure we confessed to
our favourite priest, usually the one who didn't give you too
many prayers to say for your penance. But box number six was
different from the others. On top of this confession box was a
figure of the Archbishop's hat, and it was known as the 'Bishop's
box.' If the priest we had confessed our sins to felt he could
not grant you absolution because your sin was too serious, he
would send you to the Bishop. The sin would then have to be
confessed to him, in the hope that he would pronounce
forgiveness.
The great fear we had was, firstly, being seen waiting outside
box number six, before going in to see the Bishop. Everybody knew
that if you had to visit this confession box, you were a 'serious
sinner,' and we dreaded the thoughts of any of our neighbours
seeing us, and telling our parents. Secondly, we greatly feared
that the Bishop may think our sin to be so serious that he could
not give us absolution, and we would remain in a state of mortal
sin. We had been taught that, if we died in a state of mortal
sin, we would go directly to Hell.
So, one of the prayers before confession was a plea to the
Blessed Virgin to ensure full remission for our sins: "O
most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ my
Redeemer, intercede for me with Him. Obtain for me the full
remission of my sins and perfect amendment of life to the
salvation of my soul, and the glory of His name."
We were not too worried about the venial sins, as we had been
told that they were not as serious as the mortal ones. According
to what we had been taught:
"We are obliged to confess all mortal sins and therefore, as
far as we can remember, the number of times we have committed
them; . . . We are not obliged to confess venial sins,
."‡
The final destination of your soul, we were taught, depended upon
whether you died in a state of mortal or venial sin. To die in a
state of mortal sin meant the soul would go to Hell, but to die
in a state of venial sin meant the soul would eventually go to
Heaven, but not before it spent some time in Purgatory, where it
would suffer the 'Fire of Purgation,' thereby being cleansed and
made fit for Heaven.
So, dying in a state of mortal sin was our greatest fear, as we
were growing up and, even if it meant a visit to box number six
to obtain absolution, we reckoned it was worth it. The thoughts
of dying in a state of venial sin, and going to Purgatory did not
bother us too much. Even though we had been told that the
suffering would be intense, we believed that some day it would
end, and we would then go to Heaven. Our time in Purgatory could
be shortened, if our families and friends prayed for us and got
the priests to say masses for us. In the month of November, each
year, the priests would send out a list to each home in their
parish. People would write the names of their deceased relatives
on the list and return it to the priest, who would say masses for
the souls in Purgatory. The length of time a soul spent in
Purgatory was shortened each time a mass was said for them, and
each time people prayed for them.
I remember praying for all my deceased relatives and friends,
especially on 'All Souls' Day', believing my prayers would help
shorten their stay in Purgatory. Interestingly enough, as I
examined the Scriptures many years later, I could not find even
one reference to a place called Purgatory. Heaven and Hell were
dealt with in great detail in the Bible, but there was not even a
single reference to a place called Purgatory!
Where then, I asked myself, could sin be purged if, as the
Scriptures taught, there was no such place as Purgatory? This
question was answered as I read in God's Word: "-When he had
by himself PURGED our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high." 1 "And almost all things are by the
law PURGED with blood; and without shedding of blood is no
remission."2
God was saying here in His Word that when HE, (Christ) had, by
Himself, purged our sins, He ascended to Heaven, to His Father's
side. Christ purged our sin! A Person purged them, not the 'Fire
of Purgation', in a place called Purgatory.
It was also clear here that Christ purged our sins before He
ascended to Heaven. This means that sin was purged in the PAST,
and NOT in the FUTURE. The LOCATION at which the purging of sin
took place is also very clear in the Scriptures. Christ purged
our sins at Calvary. Sin is never dealt with, is never purged, at
any other location. Sin was purged at the cross. The MEANS
employed in the purging of sin is also very clear in the
Scriptures:
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all." 3
Jesus Christ purged our sins when He suffered on the cross. As He
shed His blood, while laying down His life, He bore our
punishment. What we would have suffered in Hell, Christ suffered
on the cross, as our substitute:"Without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness" 4
There is no other means by which sin can be purged.
Now, once again, I could see a great difference between what I
had been taught, and what God's Word said. I had believed that;
(a) My sin would be purged in the future, (after I died). God's
Word says my sin was purged in the past.
(b) My sin would be purged by the 'Fire of Purgation.' God's Word
says that Christ purged my sin.
(c) My sin would be purged in a place called Purgatory. God's
Word says my sin was purged at a place called Calvary.
(d) I would have to suffer for my sins (in Purgatory). God's Word
says that Christ suffered for my sins, as my substitute:
"But he was wounded for my transgressions, he was bruised
for my iniquities: the chastisement of my peace was upon
him;-" 5 Yes, my sin had to be purged! But it was purged, by
Christ, at Calvary.
‡ "A Simple Prayer Book," p. 52.
1. Hebrews 1:3.
2. Hebrews 9:22.
3. Isaiah 53:4-6.
4. Hebrews 9:22.
5. Isaiah 53:5.
Click here to read the next chapter