A place between Heaven and Hell, where the soul is not bad enough to be sent to an eternity of damnation in Hell, but not good enough to go to Heaven, so it is sent there temporarily where the person suffers, and is purified so that it can be sent to Heaven. Heaven is depicted as being above or in the realm of the sky, while Hell is depicted as below or within the bowels of the Earth. These locations are thought to be physical. Purgatory is often depicted as a mountain mostly due to Dante's Divine Comedy, but it is also sometimes depicted as a middle realm between Heaven and Hell or a level beneath Hell. In most instances, Purgatory is simply seen as a type of limbo perhaps suspended between the upper and lower realms of Heaven and Hell. Purgatory plays a prominent role in Catholic religion. Roman Catholics, among other Christians, believe in the existence of purgatory as a realm of the afterlife, as well as Heaven and Hell.
The Catholic Church used this to pressure people to buy indulgences. The selling of indulgences has really slowed now, but back in the day it was one way the Church made money. If the indulgences were bought from the church, the purchase of the indulgence would excuse/cause God to forgive past sin, and one would spend less time in Purgatory and get to Heaven sooner. The more indulgences one bought, the more extra forgiveness was given to that person. The more the Catholic Church sold indulgences the more they could build their empire on the backs of the poor and their fear of being stuck in Purgatory for a very long time. Purgatory is unbiblical, because it makes it seem like Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our forgiveness was not enough and places working for forgiveness back on the spiritual backs of us. Selling indulgences is totally anti Gospel, let alone unbiblical.
"Marriage is neither Heaven nor Hell, it is simply Purgatory." - Abraham Lincoln
"Of all the inhabitants of the inferno, none but Lucifer knows that Hell is Hell, and the secret function of Purgatory is to make of Heaven an effective reality." - Arnold Bennett
"Marriage is neither Heaven nor Hell, it is simply Purgatory." - Abraham Lincoln
"Of all the inhabitants of the inferno, none but Lucifer knows that Hell is Hell, and the secret function of Purgatory is to make of Heaven an effective reality." - Arnold Bennett
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ November 24, 2009
The tv show "supernatural" defines purgatory as a place where any supernatural creature goes after death
by Boinable April 02, 2017
Can be used as an adjective to describe a weird or surreal experience. A situation described as Purgatory usually has a chaotic energy and makes you extremely uncomfy.
by wanna.be.werewolf August 07, 2019
by HanzWank January 05, 2019
That place on Facebook where your friend requests reside before you accept them as your friend. If someone requests to be your friend you can keep them in purgatory by neither accepting nor rejecting their friendship.
by nlitwiller October 29, 2006
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the souls of God’s people may go to a place called "purgatory" after death, which is a half-way house between Heaven and Hell. They teach that it is a place of purging, in which the soul will suffer for a while before being fit to gain salvation into Heaven. The prayers, candle burning, and financial gifts to the church of a person and his friends is supposed to shorten the length of time that the soul suffers in purgatory.
Purgatory is the place where the soul is purged after death for past sins and thus becomes fit for Heaven.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 29, 2010
A celestial waiting room where christians are punished so that they may atone for their sins before passing into heaven, as written in the Divine Comedy by Dante Algheri. Purgatory is very unlike hell in that it is simply temporary.
If you follow dante's reasoning, most people will spend at least some time in purgatory before they are allowed through the gates of heaven.
by Nathan July 18, 2004