Every Christian believes that in heaven, no sin is allowed; those who share in the glory of Christ’s eternal light will have no darkness in them whatsoever. And yet, here on earth, even the most righteous among us struggle with conforming our wills to God’s. Most Christian theologies have some understanding of a cleansing that takes place between death and heaven for the righteous; Catholics call that process purgatory. However, the Catholic understanding of that purgative state was among one of the most controversial points of the Continental Reformation. That being said, here’s our question for our community and readership this week:
What’s the best way the Catholic understanding of Purgatory was explained to you so that it made sense in light of scripture and tradition?
What was the best analogy or explanation for purgatory that you heard from a friend, read in a book or article, or came to understand through your own exploration? Please share in the comments, and look for our community response article at the end of the week!
