3 November, Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Pains of Purgatory

1. The tradition of the Fathers and the ordinary teaching of the Church describe the pains of Purgatory in such a fashion that they should prompt us to avoid even the smallest sin, not only because it is an offence against the most amiable God, but also because it will be severely punished by Him. This teaching, moreover, should move us to pity for the poor suffering souls who are enduring such torments.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem states that the sum total of the sufferings of this world is nothing in comparison with the sufferings of Purgatory. He adds, moreover, that the pains of Purgatory equal in severity the torments of Hell; the only difference is that the latter are everlasting, whereas the former will have an end. St. Augustine assures us that the least pang of suffering in Purgatory is sharper than all the torments which it is possible to undergo on earth. Moreover, he adds, in comparison with the fire which afflicts the suffering souls, earthly fire is hardly even real. St. Bede the Venerable tells us that even if we could imagine all the tortures to which tyrants subjected the martyrs, such as iron hooks, red-hot pincers, roasting gridirons, and boiling pitch, we should still have failed to form any idea of the pains of Purgatory. But what is the reason for such severe torments? It is that God loves these souls and desires that they be purified of sin as soon as possible and made worthy of infinite happiness. The fires of Purgatory are nourished by a twofold love—the love of God, Who desires the purification of souls, and the love of these souls, who desire to expiate their faults in order to become worthy of being united with Him forever.

2. In the course of her vivid description of Purgatory, St. Catherine of Genoa writes: "The suffering souls experience such torments as the human tongue could not describe nor the human intellect comprehend unless God Himself revealed them by means of a special grace."

The ordinary teaching of the Church includes fire as the principal torment. However, the Church has never defined the nature of this fire, nor determined whether it is physical or spiritual. It is certain that this fire is as real as the flames of Hell and is created by God, not to be an instrument of service to men, but to be a means of expiation and purification. This is why it is a far more tormenting fire than that which we know and use on earth. St. Thomas holds that it is actually a physical fire. He meets the objection that material fire could never touch a spiritual soul by saying that even as the soul is affected on earth by the suffering of the body to which it is joined, so it can be subject in the next life to the action of the fires of Purgatory. (St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 7, a. 3)

3. When we have considered the doctrine of the Church on this particular question, we should react in two ways. On the hand, we should have a great horror of sin, even of venial sin, because it offends the good God and earns for us such fearful punishment. On the other hand, we should offer our sufferings on behalf of the holy souls who are now enduring these torments and who will enjoy one day the everlasting happiness of Heaven. We shall be able to trust in the power of their intercession for us with almighty God, the enjoyment of Whose Beatific Vision we shall have helped them to achieve.