Purgatory: The Often Misunderstood Doctrine

     Like devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, belief in purgatory is something that sets Catholics (and Orthodox) apart from Evangelical Protestants. All the Reformers rejected belief in purgatory, and to this day purgatory is a sticking point between Protestants and Catholics. Many Catholics are confused on the issue as well; some Catholics believe that purgatory is no longer a teaching of the Church – others believe purgatory is a “third place” for people too good for hell but too bad for heaven. Both of these are erroneous concepts.

The Four Last Things

     In a world of wild conspiracy theories about the present and afterlife, many people have erroneous opinions about what the Catholic Church teaches on these doctrines.  The church teaches dogmatically about the existence of heaven, hell, a judgment and the finality of death and thus provide clear guideance in uncertain times.