Introduction
In an age when even some Catholics question Purgatory’s existence, the Bible and Sacred Tradition provide unmistakable evidence for this cleansing fire of divine love. As Fr. Donsteve Nnagha emphasized during our 50th Jubilee, while the word “Purgatory” doesn’t appear in Scripture, its reality shines through in key passages and the consistent witness of 2,000 years of Church teaching.
Let’s examine five definitive Scripture texts that confirm Purgatory’s existence and purpose.
1. 2 Maccabees 12:38-46 – Prayers for the Dead
“It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
- Context: Judas Maccabeus orders prayers and sacrifices for fallen soldiers who wore pagan amulets (a mortal sin).
- Key Points:
- Proves the ancient Jewish practice of praying for the dead
- Reveals sins can be forgiven after death
- Shows expiation continues beyond the grave
- Jubilee Insight: Fr. Nnagha called this “the Rosetta Stone of Purgatory theology.”
2. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 – Saved Through Fire
“The fire will test each one’s work… if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
- Context: St. Paul describes the judgment of believers’ works.
- Key Points:
- Some souls are saved after undergoing purifying “fire”
- Distinction between eternal salvation (heaven) and temporary purification (Purgatory)
- Church Father Quote: St. Augustine taught this passage describes Purgatory’s cleansing flames (City of God, 21.26).
3. Matthew 12:32 – Unforgiven Sins “In the Age to Come”
“Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
- Context: Jesus warns against blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
- Key Points:
- Implies some sins can be forgiven after death
- “Age to come” refers to Purgatory’s temporary state
- Jubilee Insight: Bro. Paul Oruche noted: “If no purification existed, Christ wouldn’t mention post-death forgiveness.”
4. Revelation 21:27 – Nothing Unclean Enters Heaven
“Nothing unclean will enter [heaven].”
- Context: St. John’s vision of the New Jerusalem.
- Key Points:
- Even venial sins and attachments must be purified
- Explains why Purgatory is divine mercy, not punishment
- Analogy: Fr. Nnagha’s “white garment” metaphor from our Jubilee: “God cleanses every stain before we see Him face-to-face.”
5. Job 1:5 – Job’s Sacrifices for His Children
“Job would rise early and offer burnt offerings…for his children, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned.'”
- Context: Job intercedes for his family’s possible sins.
- Key Points:
- Shows pre-Christian belief in post-mortem atonement
- Parallels Catholic prayer for the dead
- Tradition Link: The Church’s earliest liturgies included prayers for the departed (Apostolic Constitutions, 8:41).
Objections Answered
Q: “If Purgatory is real, why isn’t it named in the Bible?”
A: Neither is the Trinity—yet both are revealed through Scripture and Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15).
Q: “Doesn’t Christ’s sacrifice eliminate the need for purification?”
A: As Fr. Nnagha explained, Christ’s mercy makes purification possible—just as a doctor’s pardon doesn’t remove surgery’s necessity for healing.
How You Can Help the Holy Souls
- Request a Mass (The most powerful suffrage)
- Pray the Rosary daily with Purgatorian intentions
- Gain indulgences (All Souls’ Day plenary indulgence)
“At death, we will fully understand how one Mass could have freed countless souls.”
—St. John Vianney
Conclusion
From the battlefields of Maccabees to St. Paul’s fiery trial, Scripture consistently points to Purgatory’s reality. As we celebrate 50 years of the Purgatorian Society, let us respond to this truth with renewed prayers for the Church Suffering.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them
