The Medieval and Modern (Dis)Connection: Purgatory pt. III

The evolution of purgatory in the Catholic Church is one of reformation and the lack thereof. Before the modern doctrine can fully be understood, it is important to look at the progression of the practice and understanding of purgatory from the late medieval period to the modern. Whereas the Catholic doctrine has remained essentially the same in its written form, the conception of purgatory amongst Catholics and its papacy has evolved over the centuries.
The image of the Wild Horde in the 12th century prompted a series of questions in regard to the location of purgatory and where it stood in the cycle of life. Early writings described purgatory as a place of punishment for lesser sins that had to be purged before one could enter the kingdom of Heaven, and on this foundation late medieval and early modern conceptions of purgatory’s place were defined.
The first point of clarity in the development of purgatory was its significant difference from Hell. From its early inception into Catholic doctrine, the place of purgatory had a clear purgative purpose as contrasted to the punishment of eternal damnation. Later medieval theologians expounded on this component to further define purgatory’s place between life and death. First, according to these scholars, purgatory was fundamentally different from Hell in that souls could be released and, through intercessory prayer, were objects of charity. Further, purgatory became defined as the medium, or filter, between Heaven and Earth. Purgation of sins was necessary before entrance into a place with the absence of sin. Thus, even though souls were punished in purgatory, it was only temporal and would eventually lead to paradise. Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote that purgatory was a place of charity and purification, characterized by hope or certainty of release. Thus, in the concept of purgatory, theologians and historians find a great juxtaposition of the pain and suffering of fire and separation from God and the joy of assured salvation and the hope of fulfillment. For the medievalist’s understanding of death, the doctrine of purgatory bridged the gap between “this life and the spiritual life of the soul beyond individual death, making death a vital moment of transition.”
Finally, whereas in Hell all souls are punished equally for their sins, purgatory is, “the place where souls are assigned according to the state of merit or demerit and are cleansed before being conveyed to the beatitude.” For some the punishment in purgatory is less and for others it is more. Theologians went as far as to define the three groups of people in purgatory: those whose contrition was imperfect, those whose penance was insufficient because the clergy had subscribed a penance too light, and those who loved worldly goods. This differentiation of souls in purgatory formed the vital link between the sacraments of purgatory and penance.