Purgatory

The Catholic Church believes in Heaven and Hell after death, as well as Purgatory. But what is that place? Our Catechism explains: 'The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned...we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire...we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.' 'This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore (Judas Maccabeus) made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."' So who will go to Purgatory? The Catechism teaches: '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.' Venerable Fulton Sheen said Purgatory is a way of 'reaching excellence' and 'achieving a perfection that would be known'. And he used two beautiful examples: just like raw diamonds which look so dull and so full of flaws, and every single one would need to be cut and then polished by an expert, however it would be a rather painful process if the diamonds were conscious of it. Purgatory is also like a dark room for a photographic film, where it is treated with burning acids in order to reveal all the hidden colour and beauty. Indeed, we might have carried out a lot of seen and unseen good works or works with good intentions in our lives, but they did not always sink into the depths of our hearts and souls. As the Venerable Archbishop described: "Look at how many undone duties there are in our lives, loose ends, muddling through responsibilities, wrong turns retraced and then taken again lightly, opportunities missed, intentions were good but not wholly carried into act... " Oh yes, so many of us will not be ready. Yet, because God is full of Mercy and Love, so even His Judgement is final, He still gives these souls who die in the state of grace a chance to cleanse the remains of sin which not yet atoned for, a provision made for making up for their failings, before they reach their Eternal Happiness.

(Source & Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraphs # 1030-1032 Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, "Catholic Catechism - Lesson 45: Purgatory", recorded in 1965)