The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-05-09
n. S. FEURY.

Purgatory means place where souls dying in
the state of grace 90 to expiate for venial sins
which have not been RENTED or for temporal pun
shment due mortal sins after the eternal punish
ment has been RENTED by Gods mercy. o. 1t is
defined article of faith that the whole punishment
of sin is not awaye RENTED with the offense and
that what remains must be expiated either in this
world or the next. Such was the decision of the
Council of Trent against the reformers of the six
teenth century. 1t simply confirmed the decision
Of prior councils. the teachings of the Fathers and
the tradition and practices of the church Cd
Whether it is state or some particular place Or
whether the actual suffering be that of physical
pain OF mental agony for displeasing God do not
belong to the domain of dogmatc teaching. This
teaching. instead of being opposed to the mercy
and goodness of God, harmonizes with his love and
perfection in the whole economy of creation.
whilst its denial furnishes the mbeliever with
powerful argument against the infinite mercy of
God. In his defense the infdel will say, the
Bible teaches H- ing defed can enter heaven"
Then before .a, ,sn enter heaven and eniov the
beatiic vision he must be perfect. but perfection
in the biblical sens, is not impossible for fraiI
human nature whilst living in this world where
even "a gust nall fall seven times" If the
unpurifed soul not enter heaven, where will it
go! To hell for all eternity. Why? Because of
some slight imperfecton, some small transgression
of Gods law. This would be an impeachment of
Gods infinite justice, mercy and love, yet it fol
lows logically from the denial of purgatory or that
beyond the grave there are only two extremes,
heaven or hell, eternal happiness or eternal woe.
l,a LII Il,
of Christ and following the example of the ancient
prophets teaches that a person who has done pen
ance for misspent life, but still owes debt to his
Creator, is not consigned to eternal ignomy. What
them They consigned to a place of punish
ment to condone for their sins, and when purified
the soul enters the presence of its Maker.
Here Is vindicaton of the justice and mercy
Of God. 1t does not include among the eternally
lost those who die in venial SIM nor does it deprive
those who give their lives to God of the hope of an
adequate reward for the sacrifices they make. 1t
says that punishment after death will be common
'urate with sins committed and unatoned for. and |
future glory equal to the good works
As a man sows, so shall he reap" This teach
ng slences the unbeliever because it is reasonable
II is scripturaI also. Judas "sent twelve thousand
lrachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be
,fered for the sins Of the dead" He. too. said
1T is therefore holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the edad, that they may be loosed from
ms" ii Machabees xii, 43, as. This contravenes
he teaching Of only two extremes beyond the
,rave, does also that of Wiseman, BE not with
'ut fear for sins forgiven" Prayers for the dead
we're always offered up in the synagogue. NJ.
)rach, in the work entitled "The Harmony of the
church and Synagogue t. 1, p. 16. writes: "From