The Following is taken from the book, "Catholic Answers for Catholic Parents" by Maria Compton-Hernandez

The belief in the existence of Purgatory is a fundamental Catholic truth which shows how incredibly merciful our God truly is. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it like this: "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. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned." (CCC 1030-1).

It is a most wonderful sign of the mercy of God that there is another option after death aside from heaven and hell. Let’s look at the scripture references which support the belief in Purgatory:

2 Macc. 12: 43-46: "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."

Now if our options were only heaven and hell, there would be no need of prayers by the faithful after we have departed. One in heaven is not in need of prayers, and one in hell is there for eternity and no prayers could assist them either. So the idea of a place of purification before entering heaven goes back to the Old Testament. In fact, Eastern Orthodox and Jews have always historically upheld the belief in such a place of purification. It was not until the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s that anyone denied this fundamental truth.

The New Testament also has a variety of references to such a place of purification after death:

1 Cor. 3: 13-14 "Every man’s work shall be manifest; for the Day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. ... If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, as yet by fire."

In this verse, the "Day" refers to the great day of judgment when each individual will personally be called to accept responsibility for their lifetime’s actions. The reference to fire as purification for works that were not yet perfect also illustrate the place of Purgatory, as a place for us to be purified before entering into heaven.

We see Jesus refer to this place of purification in another reference:

Matt 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come"

How does this refer to Purgatory? Jesus is referring to sins which can be forgiven in the age to come (after death). If one goes to heaven, they cannot have the sins forgiven there. If an individual goes to hell, their sins cannot be forgiven there, either. There must be a place where certain types of sin which are not against the Holy Spirit can be forgiven. These references to Purgatory are subtle and sometimes it takes a good study bible with extensive footnotes to fully understand them.

Jesus refers to a place of purgation again in this passage:

Luke 12: 58-59 "If you are to go with your opponent before the magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

In this sort of parable, Jesus does not mention Purgatory by name. But he again alludes to it by saying "you will not be released until you have paid the last penny." Jesus is referring to the judgment day in this allegory. Here He insinuates that some payment may need to be made before the judgment will be complete. In Purgatory, one must stay until he has fully satisfied the punishment due to his earthly sins - "not until he has paid the last penny" will he be released and allowed to enter into heaven.

The Church teaches us that the Holy Souls in Purgatory are officially known as "The Church Suffering" because they are undergoing purification before entering into Heaven. There may be said to be a sort of joy in Purgatory, though, despite the suffering which largely results from an absence of God. This joy is because the Poor Souls in Purgatory are assured of their salvation. They have made it to Purgatory, so they cannot be damned to hell. They are confident that after their stay in Purgatory, they will be permitted to enter into everlasting bliss in Heaven and will never have to undergo the permanent fires of hell. The second branch of the Church after "The Church Suffering" is "The Church Militant". We who still are working out our daily salvation are considered to be members of this group. The third branch is "The Church Triumphant", the full company of the Communion of Saints inHeaven.

These three branches of the Church are intermingled - we pray and work together to form the body of Christ. This means that the Poor Souls in Purgatory can pray for us on earth, and we can and should do the same for them. The Poor Souls are waiting for our prayers on their behalf, as they cannot pray for themselves. That is why developing an awareness of Purgatory in your children and a devotion of praying on their behalf is so important.