The Irish standard., 1903-11-07
DOCTRINE OF PURGAroRY.
what the Church Teaches Ably Set Forth
by Rev. Father Moore.

What the Church Teaches Ably Set Forth
by Rev. Father Moore.
The following sermon, particularly
appropriate to the present month, was
recently delivered by Rev. Terence
Moore at Ascension church, this city.
After paraphrasing the Gospel, from
which the subject of the discourse was
taken, the preacher continues:
''The Doctrine of Purgatory is one
of those teachings of faith for which
proofs may be said to be supert1uous,
since it's roots penetrate the Utmost re-
cesses of the human heart; and it is
in a most remarkable degree COM
patible with all the attributes of God.
Briefly then, the Doctrine of Purgatory
is, that there exists place where the
souls of those who depart this life with
unrepented burial, or unexpiated NOR
tai sin, remain for time, where, by
means of trials and mysterious suf-
ferings, they are purged before being
admitted. This is not only teaching
which the Church has raised to dog
ma of our Faith. but the very instincts
SO to say of all people have taught
them to believe that some souls depart
this life not pure enough to be i'm
mediately admitted into the divine
presence and at the same time not
guilty enough to be eternally deprived
of the Beatific vision. There must
then be a place where the soul can
make it's reparation before appearing
in the presence of that God, who has
found blemishcs in the angels them
selves. This idea was too grand, too
naturally religious, to have escaped the
genius of the great writer's of antiquity
such as Homer, Eschylus, Sophocles,
Plato (ref X, 4G) and Virgil Book IV).
Moreover. rs far as scholars have in
vestigated the sacred books of the
Orientals, the Chinese, Egyptians, etc,
they have discovered that there ex-
lists among them Il tradition Of place
of publication before definitely enter
ing heaven. This is but sacred in
tuition, or rather the unconscious re-
mains of Il primitive revelation-prob
ably both one and the other.
But we need not IL Pagan history to
tell us that men even cherish the idea
of Purgatory. We can learn it in all
it's clearness, beauty and precision by
studying it as it existed among the
Jewish people. Who does not recall
that touching scene where the soldiers
of Judas Macclabeus made a collec
ton and sent it to Jerusalem that
sacrifices be offered for their fallen
comrades? Before the battle their
comrades had been guilty of a crime,
and therefore they felt anxious for
their salvation. But though having
committed the crime, they died bravely
and hcroically for their religion, and
their country; it was hoped they had
been purified in their own blood. A
distressing doubt. however, hung over
their Borrowing friends, and this is
why the soldiers of Judas Maccla-
beus wished to pray for the departed
heroes, with view that God, In his
mercy, listen and purify them in the
next world. For. says the Holy Scrip
turc. at is Il holy and wholesome
thought to pray for the dead, that they
may be l0osencd from sin."-(XIL-4G.)
Although Luther cntlenvOrcd to tear
out the page containing those lumn-
GUS words from the sacred volume.
the page has remained. and will reveal
to the latest postcrity the faith of the
Jewish people in the dogma of Pur-
gatory.
As the Church, like Our Lord, her
founder. "camc not to destroy the law,
but to fulfill it, scarcely had she sue
.ceeded the synagogue, than she gave
life to all those liturgics those forms
Of prayer and worship that are term
ed Apostolic liturgies. All these litur-
Yies abound with evidences of the be-
lief in Purgatory and prayer for the
dead. The stones found in the Cata-
combs speak no less eloquently; all
the fathers of the primitive Church
re-echO the same belief They develop
the proofs of faith in Purgatory; speak
Of its beauty, its wisdom, it's neces-
sity in order to supply the insutticcncy
of the eXpiatiOns of men; to open a
wider range for the action of Gods
goodness. The middle ages followed
in turn, and established it's grand
funercal ceremOnalS. it's perpetual
masses; it's Liberia, it's Dies Irac, it's
solemn feast of the cOmmcmOn ton
of the dead.
Professionalism finally cssnycd to
dent a teaching so universal, so beau
tiful, so noble. SO conSolng-thc
Church then made it the object of one
of her infallible and irrevocable detin-
itiOns of faith. At the Council Of
Trent she pronounced definition
that, rescued from Oblivion and unbe:
lief. and Illuminated with the true
light of Divine Faith all those in
stincts of antiquity. all those remains