This is Galwithaquestion (Jeanne), and I'm using this real hotmail account that I don't care how much spam they send me!

Some quick and easy questions, and I hope these aren't already answered elsewhere on the list:

1. Does the church still believe in purgatory? 2. Does the church still believe in limbo? 3. Does the church still believe in plenary indulgences? 4. If a prayer has "plenary indulgence of 300 days" underneath it, does that mean you get 300 fewer days in purgatory than you might have if you say it? 5. If the answer to 4 above is yes, how long should the typical person expect to spend in purgatory?

I'm sure these are basic things I should know, but like I said in a previous post, I had been away from the Church for a long time and since Catholicism has changed so much from when I originally left to the present, I just wanted to know, because I never hear these subjects mentioned anymore. Thanks so much, Jeanne

-- Jeanne Fromphoenix (jeanne_in_phoenix@hotmail.com), July 23, 2004

Answers

1. Does the church still believe in purgatory?

A: Absolutely. And the Church will teach this truth until the end of time since it is part of the deposit of Christian faith.

2. Does the church still believe in limbo?

A: Limbo was never a defined doctrine of the Church and still is not. The Church does not deny that it is possible, and Catholics may believe in it if they wish, but it has not specifically been revealed by God, so it is not official doctrine. It is simply one proposed solution to the problem of those who die without personal sin, but unbaptized. The Church's official position regarding such persons is simply "we entrust them to the mercy of God".

3. Does the church still believe in plenary indulgences?

A: Absolutely. It is part of the infallible teaching of the Church, and cannot change.

4. If a prayer has "plenary indulgence of 300 days" underneath it, does that mean you get 300 fewer days in purgatory than you might have if you say it?"

A: No. There are no "days" in Purgatory, since Purgatory exists outside of time. I believe the origin of the "days" associated with indulgences dates back to when confessors would assign a certain number of days penance for serious sin (no five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys in those days). We know that temporal punishment for sin can be expiated by penance either in this life or in the next (Purgatory). Thus, an indulgence of x number of "days" would mean expiation of temporal punishment due to sin, equivalent to that which might be effected by x days of penance here on earth.

5. If the answer to 4 above is yes, how long should the typical person expect to spend in purgatory?

A: Again, since Purgatory exists outside of time, the question "how long" is essentially meaningless. And yet, we know that Purgatory is not permanent. Therefore a particular soul's stay in Purgatory must have an "endpoint", and it is difficult to reconcile this idea with the idea of Purgatory existing outside of time. In any case, the honest answer to this question is "we have absolutely no idea".

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 23, 2004.

Hello Jeanne,

I love your question because I have recently decided to do as much as I can for the souls in purgatory, as Our Lady has requested of us. Offerup good days, bad days, illnesses, discomfort, mass, prayers, Eucharstic Adoration.

Those days attached to indulgences were removed in 1968. Now indulgences are either plenary or partial. I have provided a very brief outline of the definition of both below, along with a website for you to look up.

Norms on Indulgences http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/ This web provides a complete list of information on indulgences.

[from the Enchiridion of Indulgences issued on 29 June 1968.] 1. An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned. This remission the faithful with the proper dispositions and under certain determined conditions acquire through the intervention of the Church which, as minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints.

2. An indulgence is partial or plenary, according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due for sin.

3. No one, acquiring indulgences, can apply them to other living persons.

4. Partial as well as plenary indulgences can always be applied to the departed by way of suffrage.

5. The grant of a partial indulgence is designated only with the words "partial indulgence," without any determination of days or years.

As to the time a soul can spend it purgatory? Hmmm, that would depend on the state of sin the soul was in upon death. Remember, we have eternity to purify our souls to reach heaven. I recently saw a speaker at my church present a talk of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Fascinating topic – and very thought provoking to say the least.

The speaker had an analogy for us to ponder…if saying the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) carried with it 500 days indulgences which would lessen your time spent in purgatory by 500 days, that one prayer may be in reparation for one bad thought, one tiny gossip, one small act of selfishness. Wow, on my best day, I fight to keep my thoughts kind - but it's a REAL struggle when I encounter that one person who grates on my nerves. Could I really spend a few thousand days just burning off one lousy fleshly weekend? Possibly. What’s 500 days when you have forever? Confession is needed to help mitigate the time spent in purgatory. Who’s really knows. But that thought alone has changed the way I pray and offer up things for those poor souls.

Maria Simma, who recently passed away, was a person who claimed to hear the souls in purgatory. There is a book based on an interview with Maria which is interesting reading. THE AMAZING SECRET OF THE SOULS IN PURGATORY [An interview with Maria Simma written by Sister Emmanuel of Medjugorje]

Here is an awesome site to visit regarding the topic ( also has a summary of the interview). Sorry I’m not savvy with links: http://www.freewebs.com/eucharist/Maria%20Simma4.htm

I am not sure if the church approves of Maria, but it is good reading. Life changing stuff.

God Bless you Jeanne, and dedicate Mass this weekend to the souls in purgatory. They will appreciate it and pray for you in return someday.

Jennifer

-- Jennifer (jrabs@jrabs.com), July 23, 2004.

Dear Jeanne, I read a book on purgatory. Its Purgatory explained by the lives and legends of the saints authored by Fr F.X Schouppe S. J. May be you can get it from a catholic library and read. Hope it will help. God bless, Ramanie.

-- Ramanie Weerasinghe (lilanw@yahoo.com), July 24, 2004.

Jeanne, just one thing to add to Paul's and Jennifer's excellent answers. You said "Catholicism has changed so much from when I originally left to the present". Catholic practices and disciplines have changed. Catholicism, that is, what the Catholic Church believes, has not changed and cannot ever change.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), July 27, 2004.

I have deleted Nolan's post. He has cut & pasted it from an article written by Carl Knott, a man with a mission to show Catholics the errors of their ways.

Nolan, just wondering, do you have any thoughts of your own?

Moderator

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), July 27, 2004.