== definition == 

 Lima says let's work on the definition. I agree. It's been bugging me for a long time that our definition is nonstandard. If my read on him is right, he's working up to saying that we should use the Catechism's defintion as our own. Let's compare our primary def to those found in other reference works. 

 {| class="wikitable" 
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 ! Source 
 ! Definition 
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 | Encyc Brit Online 
 | the condition, process, or place' of purification or temporary punishment in which, according to medieval Christian and Roman Catholic belief, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven.  
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 | OxfordDCC 
 | A term used only in W. Catholic theology for the state (or place) of punishment and purification where the souls of those who have dies in a state of grace undergo such punishment as is still due for forgiven sins and, perhaps, expiate their unforgiven venial sins before being admitted to the Beatific Vision. 
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 | Catholic Encyc. 
 | Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify) in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. (2003 CE has substantially similar wording, incl. "place.") 
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 | current 
 | Purgatory is the process of purification by which, according to Roman Catholic belief, those who die in God’s grace and friendship achieve the holiness necessary for heaven. 
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 | leadwind 
 | Purgatory, in Roman Catholic teaching, is the condition or place of punishment where the saved are purified before attaining heaven. (I want place and punishment in the primary definition because that's what I see in other references. Alternatively, I'd be happy to use EBO verbatim or nearly so. ODCC and CE are too jargony.)   
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 | put your name here 
 | put your proposal here.'' 
 |} 

 Please include your own proposals in the table, and let's agree on a primary definition. I'd be willing to call (yet) another RfC on this important and contentious point. LostCaesar and Lima have staunchly defended purgatory from being defined as related to a place or involving punishment.