Why Catholics Believe in Purgatory—and Why It's Good News

Purgatory isn’t about punishment—it’s about love that purifies. Dr.Sri unpacks one of the most misunderstood Catholic doctrines and reveals how the “fires” of purgatory are really the fire of God’s love—healing, cleansing, and transforming our hearts so we can love Him completely.

Shownotes

Scripture References

Matthew 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.

1 Corinthians 3:15

“If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

Hebrews 12:29

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Exodus 3:2 

“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.”

Exodus 13:21

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”

Acts 2:3 

“And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.”

Galatians 2:20

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 / Luke 10:27

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

1 John 4:8

“He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.”

Saint Quotes

St. John of the Cross – The Living Flame of Love

“The soul is like a log of wood that must become transformed into fire. The fire first dries the log, then blackens it, and finally makes it so bright that it becomes fire itself.”

St. Thérèse of Lisieux (paraphrased)

“I feel it when I’m truly loving someone purely—it’s not me, it’s God’s love working through me.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church Quotes

CCC 1030–1031

“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... The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire.”

CCC 1032

“From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them... so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.”

Resources

Life Everlasting: Heaven, Hell, Death and Judgement

Life Everlasting is a five-session study that explores what the Catholic Church teaches about death, judgment, heaven, and hell—the Four Last Things. Through Scripture, the Catechism, and engaging video sessions, Dr. Edward Sri and Dr. Jeff Morrow reflect on life’s ultimate realities and dive into why it is important to live each day in light of eternity. Rooted in hope, it offers a clear and faith-filled understanding of what awaits us beyond this life and how those truths give meaning to the present.