A place between
Heaven and Hell, where the soul is not bad enough to be sent to an eternity of damnation in Hell, but not good enough to go to Heaven, so it is sent there temporarily where the person suffers, and is purified so that it can be sent to Heaven. Heaven is depicted as being above or in the realm of the sky, while Hell is depicted as below or within the bowels of the Earth. These locations are thought to be physical.
Purgatory is often depicted as a mountain mostly due to
Dante's Divine Comedy, but it is also sometimes depicted as a middle realm between Heaven and Hell or a level beneath Hell. In most instances, Purgatory is simply seen as a type of limbo perhaps suspended between the upper and lower realms of Heaven and Hell. Purgatory plays a prominent role in Catholic religion. Roman Catholics, among other Christians, believe in the existence of
purgatory as a realm of the afterlife, as well as Heaven and Hell.
The Catholic Church used this to pressure people to buy indulgences. The selling of indulgences has really slowed now,
but back in the day it was one way the
Church made money. If the indulgences were bought from the church, the purchase of the indulgence would excuse/
cause God to forgive past sin, and one would spend less time in Purgatory and get to Heaven sooner. The more indulgences one bought, the more extra forgiveness was given to that person. The more the Catholic Church sold indulgences the more they could build their empire on the backs of the poor and their fear of being stuck in Purgatory for a very long time. Purgatory is unbiblical, because it makes it seem like Jesus’ sacrifice
on the cross for our forgiveness was not enough and places working for forgiveness back on the spiritual backs of us. Selling indulgences is totally anti Gospel, let alone unbiblical.
"Marriage is neither Heaven nor Hell, it is simply Purgatory." - Abraham Lincoln
"Of all the inhabitants of the inferno, none but Lucifer knows that
Hell is Hell, and the secret function of Purgatory is to make of Heaven an effective reality." - Arnold Bennett
