ask the ECRC Does the
ask the ECRC Does the Catholic Church still hold up the teaching of purgatory? The answer to this question is simply yes. The Catholic Church has and will always hold the teaching of purgatory as an important doctrine of the faith due to its Biblical and historical basis. In this article we will be explaining purgatory based on the official teaching of the Catholic Church and supported by Biblical evidence. In order to understand purgatory, it is important first to understand the destiny of human beings after death. The Church teaches, based on the Bible, that all human beings will be judged at the end of their life. This judgment will determine eternity for them either to be in heaven with God and His angels and saints or away from God in hell with all those who reject Him (2Cor 5:10). The criteria for this judgment is based on our relationship with God at the moment of death; KARAM BAHNAm SPECIAL TO THE CHALDEAN NEWS if we lived our life in friendship with God (in the state of Grace) we will be judged to spend eternity with Him and if we are in a state of mortal sin at the moment of death then we are determined to spend eternity away from God in hell. Most Christians, Catholics included, agree to the fact that the Bible teaches only two eternal destinies for humans after life; that is either heaven or hell. The Catholic Church’s teaching regarding purgatory was never to be a third option to spend eternity. Rather the Church defines purgatory as a temporary state of being for those who have been judged to spend eternity in heaven. We see this teaching clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1030, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” Purgatory did not exist because some pope or bishop thought it was an interesting concept. It came about, rather, from God Himself as a means through which purification happens to those who die in friendship with Him but still have sins at the moment of death. The Bible teaches us that no one can enter heaven with the smallest impurity (Rev 21:27). Based on that, we need to be purified because the Scriptures tell us that we are not pure (see James 3:2; Romans 3:12). Those who die in friendship with God still need some kind of purification (purgation) that will prepare them to enter heaven. This can be seen in one of Paul’s letters (1Cor. 3:12-15): “If anyone builds on this foundation [Jesus Christ] with gold…the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.” In this verse we see St. Paul speaking of people who were saved living in Grace yet they needed to be purified before entering heaven. This purification was depicted by the passing through fire. That does not mean the Church teaches purgatory to be a bowl of fire that will torture us for a period of time, rather the Church teaches that God, through His Grace, has established for us a mechanism through which we can become ready to see Him. This means of purification will one day cease to exist and what will remain for eternity is heaven and hell. We will continue in a future column with misconceptions about purgatory. Karam Bahnam is on the Administrative Committee for the Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center, a lay organization made up of volunteers committed to answering the late Pope John Paul II call to re-evangelize the world so that it may come to an intimate knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Church. We welcome questions to info@chaldeannews.com. 16 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2009
AUGUST 2009 CHALDEAN NEWS 17
