3. It is therefore necessary for the full remission and—as it is called—reparation of sins not only that friendship with God be reestablished by a sincere conversion of the mind and amends made for the offense against his wisdom and goodness, but also that all the personal as well as social values and those of the universal order itself, which have been diminished or destroyed by sin, be fully reintegrated whether through voluntary reparation which will involve punishment or through acceptance of the punishments established by the just and most holy wisdom of God, from which there will shine forth throughout the world the sanctity and the splendor of his glory.
A run-on sentence, but in essence this is a capsule of the theology of sin and penance. You may detect strains of the Twelve Steps in this. Truly recovering addicts are deeply aware of the harm they have caused. Punishment can often continue throughout life: the denial of once-intimate relationships, financial burdens, and a new existence that, while healthier and more honest, may well be a step far away from a previous life of plenty.
The very existence and the gravity of the punishment enable us to understand the foolishness and malice of sin and its harmful consequences.
Even addicts yet to recover may be aware of this “foolishness and malice.” Sometimes that awareness has to grow into a willingness to leave it behind.
How did we get purgatory? Church teaching would deduce its existence from the biblical witness to the nature of sin. Early theologians based the premise on the Old Testament as well as the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Is it required to believe it exists? In some ways, that is a moot point. Either it does or it does not, and if we die with some kind of purification in the mix for us, we will know soon enough.
That punishment or the vestiges of sin may remain to be expiated or cleansed and that they in fact frequently do even after the remission of guilt(Cf. Numbers 20:12; 27:13-14; 2 Kings 12:13-14. Cf. Innocent IV, Instruction for the Greeks (DS 838). Cf. Council of Trent, Session 6, canon 30 (DS 1580; cf. also DS 1689, 1693). Cf. Augustine, tract on John’s Gospel 124, 5: “Cogitur homo…detinet culpa” (CCL 36, p. 683-684; PL 35, 1972-1973)) is clearly demonstrated by the doctrine on purgatory. In purgatory, in fact, the souls of those “who died in the charity of God and truly repentant, but before satisfying with worthy fruits of penance for sins committed and for omissions (Council of Lyons II, Session 4 (DS 856)) are cleansed after death with purgatorial punishments. This is also clearly evidenced in the liturgical prayers with which the Christian community admitted to Holy Communion has addressed God since most ancient times: “that we, who are justly subjected to afflictions because of our sins, may be mercifully set free from them for the glory of thy name.(Cf. Septuagesima Sunday, Oration; Monday after First Sunday in Lent, Oration over the People; Third Sunday in Lent, Postcommunion)
Is anyone exempt from some kind of supernatural cleansing? Likely not, according to the Church:
For all (people) who walk this earth daily commit at least venial sins;(Cf. James 3:2; 1 John 1: 8, the Council of Carthage gave a commentary on this text for which see DS 228. Cf. Council of Trent, Session 6, Decree On Justification, ch. 11 (DS 1537). Cf. Lumen Gentium 40: “Cum vero debita nostra”) thus all need the mercy of God to be set free from the penal consequences of sin.
Again, arguing against it isn’t relevant. First, that any sort of process that awaits us after contrition and confession is really in the hands of God. After we die, it is certainly a matter for God and the person. Our denial, embrace, or even “meh” won’t alter whatever God’s plans might be. Second, while the Church may be prepared to assist in this purification, their ability to punish is, in the big picture, limited. My sense is that the Church rightly sees this as a ministry of pastoral care. Our task as believers is to help others. Barring a seat granted us on some tribunal, judgments and rendering punishments are entirely out of our hands. Deo gratias.
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Catholic Sensibility 