Catholicism Explained: What is Purgatory? Catholic teaching & the Communion of Saints
What do Catholics actually believe about purgatory? In this Catholicism Explained episode, Nicole unpacks the doctrine of purgatory, suffering, and the communion of saints—exploring how Catholic teaching connects living and deceased believers in spiritual community. Far from punishment, this ancient doctrine speaks to healing, belonging, and why your prayers matter for others. Perfect for anyone questioning what Catholics really believe (and why it's so misunderstood).
Episode Takeaways
Purification, Not Punishment: Purgatory is best understood as a divine "washing machine" or hospital for the soul—preparing us to experience the raw, unshielded beauty of God's presence in Heaven.
The Communion of Saints: Catholics believe the Church exists in three states: the Church Militant (believers on Earth), the Church Suffering (holy souls in Purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (saints in Heaven). These three states remain in active, prayerful communion.
Biblical Foundations: While the word "purgatory" is not in the Bible (much like the word "Trinity"), the theological concept of post-death purification and praying for the dead is rooted in both the Old and New Testaments.
Why Our Prayers Matter: Because of our spiritual family bond in Christ, our prayers and sacrifices on Earth can actively aid and comfort the souls undergoing purification.
Key Scriptures Explored
To help you study further, here are the main scripture passages unpacked in this episode:
1 Corinthians 3:15 — Paul describes a soul being "saved, but only as through fire," illustrating the concept of a refining, purifying process after death.
Matthew 12:32 — Jesus refers to sins that can be forgiven "either in this age or in the age to come," implying a state of temporal cleansing after death.
Revelation 21:27 — The biblical truth that "nothing unclean shall enter" Heaven, showing the logical necessity of a final purification for less-than-perfect souls.
2 Maccabees 12:46 — The ancient Jewish practice of praying and offering sacrifices for the deceased, showing that prayers for the dead predate the Christian era.
Revelation 5:8 & 8:3-4 — The depiction of the saints in Heaven offering up the prayers of the holy ones on Earth as holy incense before the throne of God.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between Hell and Purgatory?
Hell is the eternal, self-chosen separation from God for those who die in unrepented mortal sin. Purgatory, on the other hand, is temporary and only for those who are guaranteed entry into Heaven. Everyone in Purgatory will eventually reach Heaven.
Is Purgatory a physical place?
No. Modern Catholic teaching, emphasized by Pope John Paul II, clarifies that Purgatory is a state of being rather than a physical location in space and time. It is an existential purification of the soul's relationship with God.
Why do Catholics pray for the dead?
Because we are united in the Communion of Saints, physical death does not sever our relationship with other believers. Just as you would ask a friend on Earth to pray for you during a difficult trial, we can pray for our deceased brothers and sisters who are undergoing their final trial of purification.
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Episode Transcript: Purgatory & The Communion of Saints
[INTRO] Hey rebels, welcome to the Rebel Saints podcast. I’m your host, Nicole Olea, and this is a podcast for restless hearts—because as St. Augustine famously said, our hearts are restless until they rest in Jesus Christ. So if you want to learn more about the Catholic faith, grow your relationship with Jesus, or you just need some hope-filled truth in your day, welcome. You are in the right place. Welcome to the Restless Hearts Society.
Before we dive in, a quick housekeeping note: I am bulk-uploading several episodes that are also available in video format! If you haven't checked out the video versions yet, head over and take a look. This is a one-person show, so I can't promise Hollywood-level editing or crazy graphics, but I’m doing my absolute best. Let's grow together, raw and unfiltered.
Now, let's get into today’s topic: purgatory and the communion of saints.
[THE STARBUCKS INCIDENT & THE ANALOGY] This topic was inspired by a crazy story that happened to me recently. I was sitting in a Starbucks drive-thru, waiting for my iced latte before heading into DC to cover the St. Patrick’s Day Mass. Out of nowhere, a massive metal gate—one of those heavy gates used to enclose commercial dumpsters—swung open and smacked right into the side of my car. I was trapped in the drive-thru line and couldn't avoid it.
That gate dented the door and shattered the mirror of my four-month-old Tesla. It still had that "just-off-the-lot" new car smell. I was heartbroken.
So, I dropped off my car at the collision center and picked up a rental—a Mazda CX-5. Now, don't get me wrong, it was a perfectly fine car. Under normal circumstances, I would have been thrilled to drive it. But after getting used to the Tesla, this rental felt off. When they handed it to me, the windows were dusty. The interior smelled faintly of old cigarette smoke, and there was this weird, greasy, filmy texture on the steering wheel and dashboard. It got me where I needed to go, but it felt hazy. Sticky.
I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95, feeling a little guilty for being so picky, when a thought hit me: This is exactly like purgatory.
Hear me out. That pristine, brand-new Tesla? That’s what a soul looks like right after baptism. You are washed completely clean of sin, free of past penalties, totally spotless.
But then, life happens. We pick up spiritual dents and scratches. Even after a sincere Confession—where God completely forgives our guilt and saves us from eternal separation—we can still carry around leftover attachments, bad habits, and the spiritual wounds that sin leaves behind. Confession restores us to state of grace, but the damage to our character still needs healing.
The collision center? That’s purgatory. It’s not an angry waiting room. It’s not a second chance. It’s God’s loving repair shop—the final detailing before we enter glory.
The rental car is like our current state on earth—covered in a hazy film that keeps us from seeing and living out our full potential. But that restored Tesla waiting for me at the shop? Perfectly clean, detailed, and shiny? That is what heaven is like. A soul completely healed, completely free, and totally at home with Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is in full self-driving mode for this one, rebels. Let's unpack why the Church holds onto these beautiful teachings.
[WHAT PURGATORY ACTUALLY IS] When people hear the word "purgatory," they often picture a gloomy, bureaucratic waiting room like something out of the movie Beetlejuice.
Let’s set the record straight: Purgatory is not a third final destination. It is not a holding pen for the undecided. It is the final, merciful healing for souls who die in God’s grace and friendship, but who still carry the leftover residue of sin—wounds, disordered attachments, and parts of themselves they haven't fully surrendered to Christ.
Nothing impure can stand in the blazing presence of God’s perfect holiness. Heaven isn't just a place with better weather; it is total, unmediated communion with Divine Love. If we belong to Christ, but we aren't fully like Him yet when we die, His love finishes what He started. Purgatory is the application of the cross’s power in us. It’s God saying, "I love you too much to leave you unfinished."
To put it simply:
Heaven is perfect union. It’s the open road on a gorgeous, sunlit day with the windows down—total freedom and joy.
Hell is the final, definitive "no" to God. It is a soul choosing to be completely totaled, heading to the junkyard by its own free will.
Purgatory is the collision center. It is the refiner's fire. It’s not punishment; it is restoration.
St. Catherine of Genoa, who experienced profound mystical visions of this state, said that the souls in purgatory actually rejoice in the fire because they know it is love doing the burning. They wouldn't want to enter heaven a single second before they are fully ready to receive God's gaze.
[TACKLING THE OBJECTIONS] I can already hear the objections, so let’s tackle them head-on.
Objection 1: "The word 'purgatory' isn't in the Bible." True. But neither is the word "Trinity," yet the reality of the Trinity is woven throughout scripture. In 1 Corinthians 3, St. Paul talks about a person whose work is built on Christ but is tested by fire: "the person will be saved, but only as through fire." That can't be hell, because people in hell aren't saved. It can't be the immediate joy of heaven, because there is no testing or pain there. It is the process of purification. Furthermore, Jesus Himself hints in Matthew 12:32 that certain sins can be forgiven in the age to come.
The early Christians understood this. If you go down into the Roman catacombs—I've done the Scavi tour under the Vatican and stood near St. Peter’s tomb—the ancient walls are covered in graffiti. Inscriptions written by early Christians saying things like, "Peter, pray for us," or asking for prayers for their deceased loved ones. Why would they pray for the dead if those souls were either already in perfect bliss or beyond all help?
Objection 2: "Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient. Purgatory denies the power of the Cross." This sounds compelling, but it misunderstands the Catholic view. Purgatory is entirely powered by the Cross. It doesn’t add to what Jesus did; it applies the infinite merits of His blood until every last wound is healed.
There is a major distinction between the eternal punishment of sin (which Christ paid for completely) and the temporal consequences and interior damage that sin leaves behind in our character.
Imagine a father who spent years tearing his family apart with anger, but repents on his deathbed. God forgives his guilt instantly. But do the deep-seated habits of anger in his soul instantly vanish? Forgiveness is a moment; transformation is a process. Why would we assume that sanctification—which is gradual on earth—cannot continue its final steps after death?
Objection 3: "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Absolutely. Souls in purgatory belong to Christ completely. They aren't afraid of hell. But they are not yet experiencing the beatific vision—the face-to-face glory of God. The "pain" of purgatory is the beautiful, aching desire of seeing perfect Beauty just out of reach while you are being cleaned up to receive it.
As a mother of three, I think of it like labor pains. I would go through that intense suffering a thousand times over because I knew my greatest love was waiting at the end. It’s a hope-filled ache.
[THE MASSIVE COLLISION: CATHOLICISM VS. PROSPERITY THEOLOGY] As Catholics, we embrace the reality of redemptive suffering. This is where Catholic Christianity and modern "prosperity theology" (the health-and-wealth gospel) have a massive head-on collision.
We’ve all seen it on late-night TV or social media: the idea that if you just have enough faith, God is a cosmic vending machine who will drop off a new car and a clean bill of health. They call it "seed faith"—give money, and God is contractually obligated to pay you back. Honestly, it sounds a lot like the historical abuse of selling indulgences.
But more than that, it completely misses the gospel. If suffering means you lack faith or have failed spiritually, then everyone in the New Testament failed. Christ suffered. The apostles were martyred. The saints suffered immeasurably.
Our Savior didn't redeem the world through material prosperity; He did it through the wooden beams of a cross. Jesus didn’t say, "Take up your wealth and follow me." He said, "Take up your cross."
If suffering has a profound, transformative purpose here on earth, it makes perfect sense why God would use a purifying, loving fire to finish His work in us after death. It is the fire of divine love burning away our spiritual laziness, pride, and selfishness.
[THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS: YOU ARE NOT ALONE] This entire picture only makes sense when you understand that you are not a "Lone Ranger" Christian. You belong to a massive family existing in three distinct states:
The Church Militant: That’s us right now on earth. We aren't "militant" with weapons, but in a spiritual battle against sin, temptation, and our own messy hearts. We are the pilgrims.
The Church Suffering: Our brothers and sisters in purgatory who are being healed in that purifying fire. They are assured of heaven, and they are longing for it.
The Church Triumphant: The saints in glory, face-to-face with God, cheering us on like a stadium crowd of millions.
Death did not break the Body of Christ. The unity of this family is stronger than the grave. As St. Paul says, if one part of the body suffers, we all suffer.
When we ask the saints to pray for us, we aren't bypassing Jesus. He is the one mediator. But just as you ask a friend on earth to pray for you, we ask our family in heaven to do the same. They aren't historical museum pieces; they are family members who made it home to Sunday dinner, and they want you at the table, too.
[OUTRO] So, rebels, what does this mean for us today?
It means your prayers, your small daily sacrifices, your rosaries, and your Mass intentions for the holy souls in purgatory matter. They provide real spiritual relief. And in a beautiful loop of charity, those souls are praying for us right back.
You are not alone in this fight. This week, I challenge you to pick one saint—maybe your confirmation saint, St. Thérèse, St. Joan of Arc, or St. Padre Pio. Talk to them. Tell them what is weighing on your heart.
Let us pray: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the grace that unites us in Jesus Christ. We ask that your Holy Spirit guide us always deeper into the truth of the Gospel. May our shared love for the Cross heal our divisions, and help us stand together as one family in your name. Amen.
Rebel saints, God’s mercy is thorough. He doesn’t just pardon us; He makes us radiant.
Go to Confession if it's been a while. Pray for the dead. Live holy lives today so your own detours through the repair shop are short. Share this episode with a friend, leave a review, and come find us on Patreon or social media.
Stay rebellious against anything that waters down what Christ gave us. Heaven is cheering you on.
I'm Nicole, and this is Rebel Saints—for restless hearts called to be saints. You are welcome here.
