Document Title
Purgatory and Hell
Question from on 06-23-2007:
Hello Father Levis, I was recently told that the Catholic Church no longer teaches the doctrine of purgatory. I was also told that the Church has reformed the teaching on Hell, saying now that it is a state of being without connection to God, but not a place of torment, i.e. no fire, no demons, etc. This information came to me from a dubious source, so I want to ask you if it is true, and what exactly the Church teaches about the final destination of the soul. Thank you very much.
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 06-23-2007:
Anon, NOt true. I know of no changes in the dogmatic stance of the Catholic Church on the doctrine of Purgatory. The only exception might be the teaching of the John Paul 2 on the notion of PUrgatory as a state of existence, not a place. Hell remains a state of eternal punishment to which God assigns a sinful soul. The Scriptures describe hell as a place of "unquenchable fire", a "furnace of fire", and eternal fire, but is main pain is eternal separation from God. Fr. Bob Levis
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Perhaps Anon is confusing limbo with purgatory. I know that there was a change in doctrine with reference to unbaptized children and limbo, in which the church has chosen to drop the use of such infants remaining in limbo eternally.
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