This is the frst part of a three part series entitled "The Biblical Basis for Catholic Beliefs - Purgatory." In this first part we will discuss the nature of Purgatory as defined by the Catholic Church and the biblical basis for belief in mortal and venial sin.
Read part 2 here.
Read part 3 here.
INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION
Even among Catholics there are many misconceptions about what Purgatory is and what it is not. In light of these misconceptions, a brief definition of Purgatory is in order.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes Purgatory as follows:
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. (CCC 1030)
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:
“As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.” (CCC 1031)
It is important therefor, and for the purposes of any discussion about the doctrine, to note the following points;
- Purgatory is a “Purgation” or “Purification.” The Catholic Church has not defined Purgatory as either a process or an actual place.
- Purgatory is not Hell. Souls of the dead in who are undergoing this “Purification” are saved. Souls “In Purgatory” are assured of entry into Heaven.
- The purification process is required for those who die in friendship with God (a state of sanctifying grace) but do not yet possess the holiness and required to enter Heaven.
DEADLY SIN
Consistent with Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Church continues to classify sin according to its gravity. Sins are described as either venial or mortal.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes venial sin as follows:
One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law, or when he disobeys the moral law in a grave matter, but without full knowledge or without complete consent. (CCC 1862)
Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.” (CCC 1863)
Venial sins are often called “Sins of omission” or “Sins of error” because the often arise out of our fallen nature. Venial sin causes injury to God’s covenant but it does not break it. The injury to God’s covenant caused by venial sin is humanly repairable.
A mortal sin on the other hand, is often characterized as a deliberate act of disobedience against God. Mortal sin breaks the God’s covenant entirely; so much so that no amount of prayer and contrition on the part of the sinner is sufficient to bring the sinner back into friendship with God (into a state of sanctifying grace). The injury to God’s covenant caused by mortal sin can only be repaired by a gift of mercy from God. The ordinary and normal way for a sinner in a state of mortal sin to access God’s free gift of mercy and thereby return to a state of sanctifying grace is through the sacrament of reconciliation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes mortal sin as follows:
Most Catholics are aware of the three conditions for a sin to be mortal. The sin must be a grave matter, and must have been committed with full knowledge and with deliberate consent. In layman’s terms, if the sin involves one of the Ten Commandments, you knew it was wrong, and you did it anyway, it was probably a mortal sin.
St. John – the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Apostle who rested his head on Jesus’ bosom after receiving the first Eucharist - clearly lays out the Catholic doctrine of mortal and venial sin in his first letter. In this master work of Catholic Theology, St. John states that there are two types of sin; that which leads to death and that which does not lead to death. St. John clearly states that sin which does not lead to death (venial) can be repaired (give him life) through (intercessory) prayer. Deadly sin however, leads to spiritual death. In other words, what we now call mortal sin leads to loss of friendship with God.
And it is here that we need to pause for a moment for the sake of clarity. We cannot afford any ambiguity about this point. Mortal sin, as St. John put it, is “Deadly” in every sense of the word. Those who die in a state of unrepentant mortal sin have opened themselves up to the possibility of eternal damnation in Hell.
A mortal sin on the other hand, is often characterized as a deliberate act of disobedience against God. Mortal sin breaks the God’s covenant entirely; so much so that no amount of prayer and contrition on the part of the sinner is sufficient to bring the sinner back into friendship with God (into a state of sanctifying grace). The injury to God’s covenant caused by mortal sin can only be repaired by a gift of mercy from God. The ordinary and normal way for a sinner in a state of mortal sin to access God’s free gift of mercy and thereby return to a state of sanctifying grace is through the sacrament of reconciliation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes mortal sin as follows:
For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.” (CCC 1857)
Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother." The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger. (CCC 1858)
Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin. (CCC 1859)
Most Catholics are aware of the three conditions for a sin to be mortal. The sin must be a grave matter, and must have been committed with full knowledge and with deliberate consent. In layman’s terms, if the sin involves one of the Ten Commandments, you knew it was wrong, and you did it anyway, it was probably a mortal sin.
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. (1 John 5:16-17)
St. John – the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Apostle who rested his head on Jesus’ bosom after receiving the first Eucharist - clearly lays out the Catholic doctrine of mortal and venial sin in his first letter. In this master work of Catholic Theology, St. John states that there are two types of sin; that which leads to death and that which does not lead to death. St. John clearly states that sin which does not lead to death (venial) can be repaired (give him life) through (intercessory) prayer. Deadly sin however, leads to spiritual death. In other words, what we now call mortal sin leads to loss of friendship with God.
And it is here that we need to pause for a moment for the sake of clarity. We cannot afford any ambiguity about this point. Mortal sin, as St. John put it, is “Deadly” in every sense of the word. Those who die in a state of unrepentant mortal sin have opened themselves up to the possibility of eternal damnation in Hell.
LIABLE TO JUDGEMENT
The Sermon on the Mount is a rich source of many Catholic doctrines including allusions to, if not direct references to Purgatory.
Matthew 5:22 records the words of The Lord himself as he speaks about what seems to be a relative gradation of sins. The sixteenth century theologian St. Francis De Sales notes that of the three sins listed, only the third sort of offense is punished with Hell. Sins of lesser gravity do not expose the sinner to the immediate possibility of hell yet they do leave the sinner open to God’s judgment. Christ’s own words seem to compliment John’s doctrine of mortal and venial sin.
That St. John should draw a doctrine of mortal and venial sin from Christ’s own teaching is not surprising. This verse, spoken by the Lord himself, corresponds nicely with the doctrine of mortal and venial sin practiced for centuries by the Catholic Church.
Thus we have the doctrine of mortal and venial sin firmly established in Sacred Scripture.
In part 2 we will discuss the requirements for entry into Heaven and explore some biblical verses which refer to Purgatory directly.
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, “You fool!” shall be liable to the Hell of fire. (Matthew 5:22, NRSV-CE)
Matthew 5:22 records the words of The Lord himself as he speaks about what seems to be a relative gradation of sins. The sixteenth century theologian St. Francis De Sales notes that of the three sins listed, only the third sort of offense is punished with Hell. Sins of lesser gravity do not expose the sinner to the immediate possibility of hell yet they do leave the sinner open to God’s judgment. Christ’s own words seem to compliment John’s doctrine of mortal and venial sin.
That St. John should draw a doctrine of mortal and venial sin from Christ’s own teaching is not surprising. This verse, spoken by the Lord himself, corresponds nicely with the doctrine of mortal and venial sin practiced for centuries by the Catholic Church.
Thus we have the doctrine of mortal and venial sin firmly established in Sacred Scripture.
In part 2 we will discuss the requirements for entry into Heaven and explore some biblical verses which refer to Purgatory directly.
It is through His grace, His calling, our living faith in Jesus Christ, our Baptism, our gift of the new heart and the new human spirit, the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Sacrament of Confession that make us righteous in the eyes of God, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist that gives us the living bread as our assurance of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us so we may grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit to become shining lights in the world. How abundant are the gifts of our loving Father!
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