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Purgatory: The Two Catholic Views of Purgatory Based on Catholic Teaching and Revelations of Saintly Souls
Is Purgatory almost like Hell? Or is it a place of peace and even joy? The famous Fr. Faber explains both of these classic Catholic views of Purgatory, basing his discussion on Catholic teaching and the revelations of saintly souls, especially St. Catherine of Genoa, in her "Treatise on Purgatory." Fr. Faber’s now famous work (from his "All for Jesus") is both sobering and inspiring. This is a book to help us appreciate the supernatural treasures at our disposal, both to help the Poor Souls, and to help us avoid Purgatory to inspire us to use wisely the rest of our time on earth so that we ourselves one day will not have to go there.
85 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1888
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747 people want to read
About the author
Frederick William Faber
318 books39 followersFrederick William Faber, C.O., was a noted English hymn writer and theologian, who converted from Anglicanism to the Catholic priesthood. His best known work is Faith of Our Fathers. Though he was a Roman Catholic writing for fellow Catholics at that point, many of his hymns today are sung by Protestant congregations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 14, 2025
You know, most people would prefer to avoid the acute Purgatory that uncontrollable anxiety and deep depression can bring. Society has ways and means of making this easy for us all:
And so vast numbers of black 'n chthonic thrones, dominations, princedoms and powers wait on eager alert for the fall of our souls!
To sensitive souls like the ones in this book, some of those ways and means of societal distraction are spurious and secretively suspicious. These gentle souls call it sin, and desperately cling to their own crosses rather that be bemired by it. While all around them the party goes on...
Sooner or later we all pay the piper!
And that’s what these stories are about, SO:
Be prepared to be SPOOKED to your heart’s Core.
Lovers of the Supernatural, Take Note!
If you are a sensitive person, you will be FASCINATED by the strange stories in this old book, now available in this inexpensive reprint.
FOR IT IS A BOOK THAT REVEALS THE ANCIENT CAUSES AND CURES OF OUR DEEP INNER DISQUIET.
One day... way back in my late teenage years, I became aware of a single thread that runs through ALL the great classics of literature and philosophy.
When the eighteenth-century mystic William Blake announced (through a high school English teacher) that he was giving us a Golden Thread to Understanding with his arcane works - back in my sleepy English class - I was Listening!
Call it the Eternal Quest.
It is Quixote‘s curse and the Glory of the great religions.
It is the Search for Meaning.
So when I read this great 19th century summation of the End of that Search, from the ancient Christian point of view - just recently, a full 50 years later - I was more than ready for it.
For I had already, by that time, found my safe harbour at last, in Christian beliefs. Faith’s Armour had vanquished my virulent Self-doubts at last. And my only doubts now were of the world’s honesty!
Ever hear the slogan ‘no pain, no gain?’
That famous line not only refers to wash-board abs on the TV ads - it applies to a healthy soul as well.
That’s where Purgatory comes in.
Even in this life, we can learn an enormous amount from really hard times. Even the hard ordeal of reading a densely profound book can earn us salutary benefits.
And the gruelling uphill struggle of the world to recover its balance after this current débâcle will be no exception.
Our life is a Struggle. So how should we not learn from bad times even MORE in the next world? For what dreams may come... of more Turmoil!
Challenging timeless times that will really put us through the ringer! But can bring a Golden Reward. As in the timeless world of Narnia.
So thought C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, in whose books we can peer right into that next world - though through a glass darkly.
I don’t think you can feel that kind of feeling from watching an hour of Seinfeld on YouTube!
In fact, according to this book, every heartfelt effort we put into our lives will reap a great and golden reward - now - and later.
It is a MUST-READ for all literate believers, a solid and convincing book.
It’s filled to the very brim with anecdotal stories - from the visions of acknowledged saints and historically accurate NDE’s, to legends from early church history.
And it is Endlessly fascinating.
Now that the days are getting grimmer to our horrified angst, now that we’re facing death on a daily basis - and good times now seem a distant memory - we readers could do ourselves a real favour by using our spare time to curl up with and savour the nutritious Soul Food of rare volumes like this one!
For the idle hours we put to work in the care of our souls really pay off.
I gave it four stars, because if I gave five, as I want to, it wouldn’t seem as convincing in the eyes of doubters.
And it’s a real BARGAIN on Kindle... so pick It up cheaply if you have a few bucks to spare!
And so vast numbers of black 'n chthonic thrones, dominations, princedoms and powers wait on eager alert for the fall of our souls!
To sensitive souls like the ones in this book, some of those ways and means of societal distraction are spurious and secretively suspicious. These gentle souls call it sin, and desperately cling to their own crosses rather that be bemired by it. While all around them the party goes on...
Sooner or later we all pay the piper!
And that’s what these stories are about, SO:
Be prepared to be SPOOKED to your heart’s Core.
Lovers of the Supernatural, Take Note!
If you are a sensitive person, you will be FASCINATED by the strange stories in this old book, now available in this inexpensive reprint.
FOR IT IS A BOOK THAT REVEALS THE ANCIENT CAUSES AND CURES OF OUR DEEP INNER DISQUIET.
One day... way back in my late teenage years, I became aware of a single thread that runs through ALL the great classics of literature and philosophy.
When the eighteenth-century mystic William Blake announced (through a high school English teacher) that he was giving us a Golden Thread to Understanding with his arcane works - back in my sleepy English class - I was Listening!
Call it the Eternal Quest.
It is Quixote‘s curse and the Glory of the great religions.
It is the Search for Meaning.
So when I read this great 19th century summation of the End of that Search, from the ancient Christian point of view - just recently, a full 50 years later - I was more than ready for it.
For I had already, by that time, found my safe harbour at last, in Christian beliefs. Faith’s Armour had vanquished my virulent Self-doubts at last. And my only doubts now were of the world’s honesty!
Ever hear the slogan ‘no pain, no gain?’
That famous line not only refers to wash-board abs on the TV ads - it applies to a healthy soul as well.
That’s where Purgatory comes in.
Even in this life, we can learn an enormous amount from really hard times. Even the hard ordeal of reading a densely profound book can earn us salutary benefits.
And the gruelling uphill struggle of the world to recover its balance after this current débâcle will be no exception.
Our life is a Struggle. So how should we not learn from bad times even MORE in the next world? For what dreams may come... of more Turmoil!
Challenging timeless times that will really put us through the ringer! But can bring a Golden Reward. As in the timeless world of Narnia.
So thought C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, in whose books we can peer right into that next world - though through a glass darkly.
I don’t think you can feel that kind of feeling from watching an hour of Seinfeld on YouTube!
In fact, according to this book, every heartfelt effort we put into our lives will reap a great and golden reward - now - and later.
It is a MUST-READ for all literate believers, a solid and convincing book.
It’s filled to the very brim with anecdotal stories - from the visions of acknowledged saints and historically accurate NDE’s, to legends from early church history.
And it is Endlessly fascinating.
Now that the days are getting grimmer to our horrified angst, now that we’re facing death on a daily basis - and good times now seem a distant memory - we readers could do ourselves a real favour by using our spare time to curl up with and savour the nutritious Soul Food of rare volumes like this one!
For the idle hours we put to work in the care of our souls really pay off.
I gave it four stars, because if I gave five, as I want to, it wouldn’t seem as convincing in the eyes of doubters.
And it’s a real BARGAIN on Kindle... so pick It up cheaply if you have a few bucks to spare!
June 4, 2022
My husband asked me about Purgatory recently as he had been scoffingly confronted by a non-believer who informed him, “There is no Purgatory!” I have several books on the subject, but just ran across this one straightening my shelves. It is not new, (original publication 1926) but I had not read it.
If you like learning about a subject through anecdotal evidence, then this is the book for you because that is what it is: Purgatory, Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints. In that respect, it makes for interesting, often fascinating, reading.
The book is organized into two parts, the first is The Mystery of God’s Justice and the second, The Mystery of God’s Mercy. As this book was written before the 1930’s, the time of Jesus’ appearances to St. Maria Faustyna Kowalska and revelations of His Divine Mercy, the second part of the book was somewhat disappointing to me. I kept thinking about what was still to come, and while there was good information here, it always seemed to fall short and felt incomplete.
Despite this small drawback, this is an excellent book and needs to be read by all. No matter how firm your faith and strong your practice of it, we all have the tendency to get so focused on the here-and-now and/or our plans for the future. We fall into the trap of thinking we’ll live forever and/or what we say and do doesn’t really matter that much. Not true! Reading about Purgatory is a stiff reminder that this life has an end and we will all one day be asked to give an account of our time spent here and every single thing we have said, done and not done.
An excellent way to atone sins is to ‘remember the dead’. The three Appendices offer some opportunities for how to do this.
If you like learning about a subject through anecdotal evidence, then this is the book for you because that is what it is: Purgatory, Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints. In that respect, it makes for interesting, often fascinating, reading.
The book is organized into two parts, the first is The Mystery of God’s Justice and the second, The Mystery of God’s Mercy. As this book was written before the 1930’s, the time of Jesus’ appearances to St. Maria Faustyna Kowalska and revelations of His Divine Mercy, the second part of the book was somewhat disappointing to me. I kept thinking about what was still to come, and while there was good information here, it always seemed to fall short and felt incomplete.
Despite this small drawback, this is an excellent book and needs to be read by all. No matter how firm your faith and strong your practice of it, we all have the tendency to get so focused on the here-and-now and/or our plans for the future. We fall into the trap of thinking we’ll live forever and/or what we say and do doesn’t really matter that much. Not true! Reading about Purgatory is a stiff reminder that this life has an end and we will all one day be asked to give an account of our time spent here and every single thing we have said, done and not done.
An excellent way to atone sins is to ‘remember the dead’. The three Appendices offer some opportunities for how to do this.
December 13, 2007
This book was so eye-opening for me. I knew what purgatory was, but I didn't realize how much we really knew about it from visions of the saints. I was amazed by some of the things that had been documented.
I would probably only recommend this to Catholics who already understand the doctrine of purgatory. If you are a Protestant, or don't know the teachings of the Church on the issue of purgatory, this isn't the place to start. The book will probably confuse your view of what purgatory is. However, if you're already familiar with the real meaning of purgatory, this book will not only help to expand your knowledge about it, but also inspire you to penance. After reading some of the stories in the book, I was immediately drawn to repentence for my own sins.
I would probably only recommend this to Catholics who already understand the doctrine of purgatory. If you are a Protestant, or don't know the teachings of the Church on the issue of purgatory, this isn't the place to start. The book will probably confuse your view of what purgatory is. However, if you're already familiar with the real meaning of purgatory, this book will not only help to expand your knowledge about it, but also inspire you to penance. After reading some of the stories in the book, I was immediately drawn to repentence for my own sins.
March 18, 2012
Recently, I heard a great quote from an otherwise ignored TV movie: 'a believer doesn't need a miracle, and for a skeptic no miracle is good enough.' This is a great way to preface a life-changing book such as this one. The accounts contained in this book are of such spiritual depth and impact, that no one who faithfully reads each chapter with the eyes of the soul can deny. This book requires a great deal of respect for the mysteries of the spiritual world, in order to draw out its message. The message of this book is clear, and different, for each reader. It really wouldn't be fair to this masterpiece to say anymore. I hope this read will do for others what it's done for me.
December 6, 2020
Eye-opening, life-changing, frightening at times yet always deeply consoling. This book is not an apologetical or theological work; it is a spiritual reading for the good-willed readers already set on the journey towards sanctity. These are the kind of readers that will best profit from reading Father Schouppe's book.
In short, this book will help save your soul.
In short, this book will help save your soul.
January 2, 2024
Great book! Very easy to read. So many saints have witnessed the holy souls. This book will make aware those who are not. The appendixes are vey helpful. Explaining indulgences and more. I'm so happy I've read it. I'm sure the holy souls are also!
January 22, 2019
A great book on the afterlife. Remember to pray for the dead. Offer Devoutly offer Holy Communions for their repose, so they may pray for you when they are in paradise. Memento mori.
January 3, 2019
This book is a chapter excerpted from Faber's book "All For Jesus." It's written in the flowery style of the late 1800s, so I wouldln't recommend it as anyone's first introduction to studying Purgatory. He's also not very much into the background and/or Biblical basis of Purgatory as much as exorting people to just take it up as a devotion. He discusses two views of Purgatory and then amalgamates them into a combined view (fair enough, but it's not really worth titling it for that...?) and then extols the merits of this devotion.
Not bad as reinforcement. But as I said, don't read it as your first book.
The Hoopla version has St Alphonsus Liguori's "What Hell will be like" added to the end, which I'm not sure is how the regular book is formatted. I didn't read that because I already don't want to go to Hell.
Not bad as reinforcement. But as I said, don't read it as your first book.
The Hoopla version has St Alphonsus Liguori's "What Hell will be like" added to the end, which I'm not sure is how the regular book is formatted. I didn't read that because I already don't want to go to Hell.
May 14, 2018
Finally finished it!!! So so good, better understood if you are Catholic. A classic.
February 8, 2014
Where will we go after death?
If you believe in the Afterlife, the usual answer is Heaven or Hell. We hope we will not go to Hell, although if we are honest with ourselves, we know it is difficult if almost impossible to attain absolute sanctity while on earth. We are not perfect! So what happens if you are not worthy of Hell, but not pure enough to go to Heaven immediately after you die? There is a cleansing intermediary state between Heaven and Hell ~ that place is Purgatory.
What is Purgatory? Is it mentioned in Scripture? Why did God create it? What is it like? Is it really a place of painful purification? How long do you stay there? Is there any way to avoid that place? How can I get out of there faster? Can I get my family members out of there?
This book, a classic in Catholic literature, gives you all the answers from three important sources: Sacred Scripture, the Church's teachings, and the biographies and legends of the saints as the title suggests, the last source(s) proving to be the most informative and gripping parts of the book. Provided with so many witness accounts throughout the ages concerning Purgatory, how could anyone doubt its existence? Even the great pagan philosopher, Socrates, believed there had to be a place of purification after death.
This book was originally published c. 1893. It is not difficult to read text-wise, the chapters may be numerous but are short, and the subject is discussed in clear, non-mystifying terms. However, it is hard to get through at times due to the frightening descriptions revealed, and there are many in this book. In all, Purgatory is not a pretty place. Sections of it are only a step or two away from Hell without it being permanent like that place of eternal woe. The visions the saints and other people witnessed and experienced were truly terrifying, the tortures endured differing according to the sins committed on earth by the sinners undergoing their purifications. Other times, the saints received visits from the Holy Souls, the inmates of Purgatory, who revealed their sufferings and begged for prayers. Why beg for prayers from the living? Because we can shorten their time in that place, and in return, they never forget to pray for us. In fact, to pray for the souls in Purgatory is one of the Spiritual Acts of charity: by praying for them you fulfil the obligation of visiting or helping those locked away in prison as Purgatory is a great debtor's prison. A wonderful alternative if you are unable to fulfil the Corporal Act of charity in visiting prisoners here on earth. “I was in prison, and you came to Me.” (Matt. 25: 36) Even if you are not a Catholic, you might be interested in reading the read the book simply for it's 'Life after Death' accounts, but be warned, it is a sobering book about God's Justice as well as His Mercy. Read it, if you dare! Go on, I dare you.
If you believe in the Afterlife, the usual answer is Heaven or Hell. We hope we will not go to Hell, although if we are honest with ourselves, we know it is difficult if almost impossible to attain absolute sanctity while on earth. We are not perfect! So what happens if you are not worthy of Hell, but not pure enough to go to Heaven immediately after you die? There is a cleansing intermediary state between Heaven and Hell ~ that place is Purgatory.
What is Purgatory? Is it mentioned in Scripture? Why did God create it? What is it like? Is it really a place of painful purification? How long do you stay there? Is there any way to avoid that place? How can I get out of there faster? Can I get my family members out of there?
This book, a classic in Catholic literature, gives you all the answers from three important sources: Sacred Scripture, the Church's teachings, and the biographies and legends of the saints as the title suggests, the last source(s) proving to be the most informative and gripping parts of the book. Provided with so many witness accounts throughout the ages concerning Purgatory, how could anyone doubt its existence? Even the great pagan philosopher, Socrates, believed there had to be a place of purification after death.
This book was originally published c. 1893. It is not difficult to read text-wise, the chapters may be numerous but are short, and the subject is discussed in clear, non-mystifying terms. However, it is hard to get through at times due to the frightening descriptions revealed, and there are many in this book. In all, Purgatory is not a pretty place. Sections of it are only a step or two away from Hell without it being permanent like that place of eternal woe. The visions the saints and other people witnessed and experienced were truly terrifying, the tortures endured differing according to the sins committed on earth by the sinners undergoing their purifications. Other times, the saints received visits from the Holy Souls, the inmates of Purgatory, who revealed their sufferings and begged for prayers. Why beg for prayers from the living? Because we can shorten their time in that place, and in return, they never forget to pray for us. In fact, to pray for the souls in Purgatory is one of the Spiritual Acts of charity: by praying for them you fulfil the obligation of visiting or helping those locked away in prison as Purgatory is a great debtor's prison. A wonderful alternative if you are unable to fulfil the Corporal Act of charity in visiting prisoners here on earth. “I was in prison, and you came to Me.” (Matt. 25: 36) Even if you are not a Catholic, you might be interested in reading the read the book simply for it's 'Life after Death' accounts, but be warned, it is a sobering book about God's Justice as well as His Mercy. Read it, if you dare! Go on, I dare you.
May 18, 2024
If you want to traumatize your children into adulthood, read this book to them with deadly sincerity when they first realize Santa Claus doesn’t exist. This book is premium brimstone. Why, just imagine suffering excruciating pains of Purgatory because you did some embroidery on Sunday, as described in chapter 41? “Now this sin, as we have said, is severely punished in Purgatory. St. Magdalen de Pazzi tells us that one of her sisters in religion had much to suffer after death for not having on three occasions corresponded to grace. It happened that on a certain feast day she felt inclined to do some little work; it was only some simple piece of embroidery, but it was not at all necessary, and could be conveniently postponed to some other time. The inspiration of grace told her to abstain from it….”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2024
A classic that I reread every November to rekindle my devotion to the Suffering Souls in Purgatory.
January 18, 2023
This is between a 3.5 and a 4 for me. At times, it read like a hagiography of Purgatory, with a lot of repetition. However, there are points that illuminated different aspects of theology, related to Purgatory, that made this book well worth it.
I will warn people that are prone to scrupulosity to beware the first part of the book, as it could send them down that path of despair if they're not careful.
I will warn people that are prone to scrupulosity to beware the first part of the book, as it could send them down that path of despair if they're not careful.
June 4, 2019
Powerful. I loved how the author reminded us that God is not only perfectly merciful (which we hear a lot about today which people use to excuse sinful behavior), but also perfectly just. Perfect justice requires recompense for the "debt of pain" we have caused and not amended to our Lord before our death.
June 18, 2010
This is a must read for every Catholic............lead a better life today.
December 19, 2020
A wonderful and fascinating text, and a great companion piece for Fr. Schouppe's book Hell.
Purgatory is a place of expiation for temporal punishment. It has some similar pains and tortures to Hell, but with the consolation that those purifications will have an end and that they are part of satisfying divine justice for our transgressions. The book will remind you over and over again that Purgatory should not be a goal but rather something to avoid, and that we have many means to do so in our life here below. Yet, it is also a place that houses some of our dearly beloved ones, and rather than forget them, as we so often do, we are bound to pray for their release and offer up sacrifices in order to effect those releases.
(quoting St. Catherine of Genoa) "He who purifies himself of his faults in this present life satisfies with a penny a debt of a thousand ducats; and he who waits until the other life to discharge his debts, consents to pay a thousand ducats for that which he might before have paid with a penny." (xxx)
"...Divine Justice punishes most severely the slightest faults." (p. 57)
"'The efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice is so great: offer for me about thirty Masses, and I may hope the happiest result.' The saint hastened to accede to her request. He celebrated the thirty Masses, and on the thirtieth day his sister again appeared to him surrounded by angels and soaring to Heaven. Thanks to the virtue of the Divine Sacrifice, an expiation of several centuries was reduced to thirty days." (p. 97)
"But Divine goodness asks nothing so painful: it requires only such works as are ordinary and easy - a Rosary, a Communion, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, an alms or the teaching of the elements of the Catechism to abandoned children." (p. 253)
"It was revealed to St. Bridget that he who delivers a soul from Purgatory has the same merit as if had delivered Jesus Christ Himself from captivity." (p. 280)
Purgatory is a place of expiation for temporal punishment. It has some similar pains and tortures to Hell, but with the consolation that those purifications will have an end and that they are part of satisfying divine justice for our transgressions. The book will remind you over and over again that Purgatory should not be a goal but rather something to avoid, and that we have many means to do so in our life here below. Yet, it is also a place that houses some of our dearly beloved ones, and rather than forget them, as we so often do, we are bound to pray for their release and offer up sacrifices in order to effect those releases.
(quoting St. Catherine of Genoa) "He who purifies himself of his faults in this present life satisfies with a penny a debt of a thousand ducats; and he who waits until the other life to discharge his debts, consents to pay a thousand ducats for that which he might before have paid with a penny." (xxx)
"...Divine Justice punishes most severely the slightest faults." (p. 57)
"'The efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice is so great: offer for me about thirty Masses, and I may hope the happiest result.' The saint hastened to accede to her request. He celebrated the thirty Masses, and on the thirtieth day his sister again appeared to him surrounded by angels and soaring to Heaven. Thanks to the virtue of the Divine Sacrifice, an expiation of several centuries was reduced to thirty days." (p. 97)
"But Divine goodness asks nothing so painful: it requires only such works as are ordinary and easy - a Rosary, a Communion, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, an alms or the teaching of the elements of the Catechism to abandoned children." (p. 253)
"It was revealed to St. Bridget that he who delivers a soul from Purgatory has the same merit as if had delivered Jesus Christ Himself from captivity." (p. 280)
June 17, 2023
I’ve given it two stars, but I could have given it five or none for all that it failed to grab my intention. Fair to say that this nineteenth century author didn’t sell purgatory to me, that’s for sure. With the first half of the book taken up by dozens of almost identical case studies in which recently deceased religious types appear in torment to other religious types and ask to be mentioned during mass and prayers so as to get promoted from purgatory to something better, I just kept thinking ‘I know how this ends. Next!’. Reading that purgatory ‘… is DEFINITELY (my capitals) located in the bowels of the Earth’ was another turn off. There were lots of statements such as this. Not for me.
March 11, 2025
Not much to say except that this book is exactly what it claims to be. There are over 100 chapters, each with 2-4 accounts of purgated souls as revealed to pious persons by vision or apparition. Also includes a handy appendix on indulgences.
January 1, 2026
This commentary on purgatory will transform how you offer your prayers and petitions. It offers amazing insight as to how the Church Militant can assist the faithful departed now within the Church Penitential and demonstrates the real effects of our prayers.
August 15, 2025
This book is invaluable and has altered my life for the better! Everyone needs to read this book cover to cover—the information applies to each and every one of us and could prevent so much future suffering. God is mercy!
December 24, 2025
Much like its sensationalist brethren, books like
23 Minutes in Hell
and
A Divine Revelation of Hell
, it is nothing more than a series of anecdotal and fragmentary mystic visions and recordings, rooted deeply in medieval Catholic dogma and medieval Christendom's power politics that feel like Dante's Comedy-inspired fan-fictions taken as absolute truths in order to explore, elaborate and develop the Catholic Church's "Doctrine of Purgatory."
Much is made of 2 Maccabees, "...pray for the dead...," which is a book included as canonical within the Catholic Bible. It is a debated text, however, and is excluded from the canon in the Protestant tradition, especially in light of Christ's assumed act of redemption on the cross.
I'm curious how purgatory and the apparent "necessity" for each individual to expiate their sins through a mandated period of suffering in purgatory plays a role in light of Christ's absolute expiation of sin on the cross. Did Christ not finish the job? If one must continue to "pay the penalty" of one's sins in some altered state, somewhere between heaven and hell (the author records that purgatory is located deep within the earth), then what exactly did Christ accomplish on the cross?
This introduces the very serious foolishness and danger of a works-based righteousness, where one has to do certain things in order to "earn points with God," or, in this case, "pay off one's debt of sin after death. This is discussed in detail in the book of James as well as by Paul: good deeds and such are done, and should be done, as a response to the propitiation provided as the result of Christ's expiation of sins on the cross, not because it garners some form of credit with God. We love God and our neighbor because we want to love God and our neighbor, because we want to be holy, and not because we earn something for it, or earn some kind of favor with God. God seeks willing hearts who desire righteousness and holiness; who desire to become the very thing.
God does not require our sacrifices, but mercy (Hosea 6:6). He doesn't keep a checklist of the various things you do to "earn" points for people in purgatory or even the things you do for others in the here and now. He requires a repentant and changed heart that leads to the innate desire to become holy; to be, and want to be, humble, loving, serving, and caring for others just as you would yourself. Said differently: "I want to love God because I want to love God, not because He gives me things." "I want to be holy because I want to be holy, not because I want to avoid punishment."
Performing various prayers, indulgences, and masses in order to "aid" the dead in their suffering, or to "earn points" in God's eyes, is the equivalent of following the rule of law only because you can't otherwise get away with not doing so. The law of loving God and our neighbor points to the ideal, not simply the narrow guidelines which we're supposed to follow when no one is watching. You are to become the very thing. With this in mind, purgatory becomes a crude, manipulative and forceful battering of an individual into becoming holy.
In light of Christ's teachings it simply makes no sense.
The very idea of purgatory is about paying your debt of sin, something that one could never have the ability to pay, and which was paid for once and for all by the only One who could have paid it.
If it is sanctification we're discussing, the "making holy" of the individual, then that is the very battle itself that takes place within the heart, mind and soul in every day living. Not something that is paid for through thousands of years of torment after one dies in purgatory. Furthermore, as revealed by the various mystics and saints recorded in this volume, the medium through which one pays this debt is apparently through physical suffering and torment. As mentioned above, it is crude, barbaric, and ridiculous. Purgatory is about points and debt--it has no place within the Christian faith other than perhaps as metaphorical expression of the life of one pursuing that desired holiness through the hardships and sufferings offered by the difficulties of living daily in a fallen world.
Much is made of 2 Maccabees, "...pray for the dead...," which is a book included as canonical within the Catholic Bible. It is a debated text, however, and is excluded from the canon in the Protestant tradition, especially in light of Christ's assumed act of redemption on the cross.
I'm curious how purgatory and the apparent "necessity" for each individual to expiate their sins through a mandated period of suffering in purgatory plays a role in light of Christ's absolute expiation of sin on the cross. Did Christ not finish the job? If one must continue to "pay the penalty" of one's sins in some altered state, somewhere between heaven and hell (the author records that purgatory is located deep within the earth), then what exactly did Christ accomplish on the cross?
This introduces the very serious foolishness and danger of a works-based righteousness, where one has to do certain things in order to "earn points with God," or, in this case, "pay off one's debt of sin after death. This is discussed in detail in the book of James as well as by Paul: good deeds and such are done, and should be done, as a response to the propitiation provided as the result of Christ's expiation of sins on the cross, not because it garners some form of credit with God. We love God and our neighbor because we want to love God and our neighbor, because we want to be holy, and not because we earn something for it, or earn some kind of favor with God. God seeks willing hearts who desire righteousness and holiness; who desire to become the very thing.
God does not require our sacrifices, but mercy (Hosea 6:6). He doesn't keep a checklist of the various things you do to "earn" points for people in purgatory or even the things you do for others in the here and now. He requires a repentant and changed heart that leads to the innate desire to become holy; to be, and want to be, humble, loving, serving, and caring for others just as you would yourself. Said differently: "I want to love God because I want to love God, not because He gives me things." "I want to be holy because I want to be holy, not because I want to avoid punishment."
Performing various prayers, indulgences, and masses in order to "aid" the dead in their suffering, or to "earn points" in God's eyes, is the equivalent of following the rule of law only because you can't otherwise get away with not doing so. The law of loving God and our neighbor points to the ideal, not simply the narrow guidelines which we're supposed to follow when no one is watching. You are to become the very thing. With this in mind, purgatory becomes a crude, manipulative and forceful battering of an individual into becoming holy.
In light of Christ's teachings it simply makes no sense.
The very idea of purgatory is about paying your debt of sin, something that one could never have the ability to pay, and which was paid for once and for all by the only One who could have paid it.
If it is sanctification we're discussing, the "making holy" of the individual, then that is the very battle itself that takes place within the heart, mind and soul in every day living. Not something that is paid for through thousands of years of torment after one dies in purgatory. Furthermore, as revealed by the various mystics and saints recorded in this volume, the medium through which one pays this debt is apparently through physical suffering and torment. As mentioned above, it is crude, barbaric, and ridiculous. Purgatory is about points and debt--it has no place within the Christian faith other than perhaps as metaphorical expression of the life of one pursuing that desired holiness through the hardships and sufferings offered by the difficulties of living daily in a fallen world.
April 23, 2022
As another reviewer has said, this is not an apologetics book about Purgatory, but one that assumes that belief and sketches out different visions of it based on private revelations to saints and mystics.
It's a beautiful text, but a warning that if it's one of the old TAN editions, it will likely break apart from the cheap glue that they used for their bindings for a period of time. Still, even falling apart in your hands, it's worth a read.
"For what judgment can be light which God has prepared for sin?" (p. 17)
(regarding the souls in Purgatory) "They are a portion of the Church without either priesthood or altar at their own command." (p. 41)
"Ah, those on that side [of] the grave little reckon how dearly they will pay on this side for the lives they live!" (p. 43)
"Three times a day St. Francis de Sales put himself in the presence of God as before his judge and tried to judge himself in his Saviour's way." (p. 53)
"[T]here was no place where there were so many devils, or where they were so active, as in an infirmary, because it is there that the soul fights its last battle for eternity." (p. 65)
"[T]he dead fade from the memory of the living almost as soon as they have vanished from their eyes." (p. 67)
(quoting St. Catherine of Genoa) "O Lord, if I could but know the cause of Thy so great and pure love of rational creatures." (p. 74)
It's a beautiful text, but a warning that if it's one of the old TAN editions, it will likely break apart from the cheap glue that they used for their bindings for a period of time. Still, even falling apart in your hands, it's worth a read.
"For what judgment can be light which God has prepared for sin?" (p. 17)
(regarding the souls in Purgatory) "They are a portion of the Church without either priesthood or altar at their own command." (p. 41)
"Ah, those on that side [of] the grave little reckon how dearly they will pay on this side for the lives they live!" (p. 43)
"Three times a day St. Francis de Sales put himself in the presence of God as before his judge and tried to judge himself in his Saviour's way." (p. 53)
"[T]here was no place where there were so many devils, or where they were so active, as in an infirmary, because it is there that the soul fights its last battle for eternity." (p. 65)
"[T]he dead fade from the memory of the living almost as soon as they have vanished from their eyes." (p. 67)
(quoting St. Catherine of Genoa) "O Lord, if I could but know the cause of Thy so great and pure love of rational creatures." (p. 74)
December 22, 2022
3.8
"No," says St. Francis de Sales, "we do not sufficiently remember our dear departed friends. Their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells, and we forget that the friendship which finds an end, even in death, was never genuine friendship."
This book is divided into two parts: The Mystery of God's Justice and The Mystery of God's Mercy. Each chapter tackles a specific subject regarding the torments experienced in the Purgatory, what does it look like and its indescribable pain that brings the souls, as well as the methods that can be done in this life in order to lessen the rigorous suffering and the time of staying in the Purgatory. It has dense examples from the recorded lives of the religious people and saints. This is a very fascinating piece of literature on the topic of religion—especially Christianity. I must admit that I paused a lot while reading to either fully comprehend the text and/or have a debate session with the book as it comprises a lot of claims which contrast to my current knowledge and belief as a Catholic but not a religious one. Nevertheless, I have acquired lessons and meaningful contemplations upon reading one of the most intriguing and perhaps controversial(?) topics in the spiritual field.
"No," says St. Francis de Sales, "we do not sufficiently remember our dear departed friends. Their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells, and we forget that the friendship which finds an end, even in death, was never genuine friendship."
This book is divided into two parts: The Mystery of God's Justice and The Mystery of God's Mercy. Each chapter tackles a specific subject regarding the torments experienced in the Purgatory, what does it look like and its indescribable pain that brings the souls, as well as the methods that can be done in this life in order to lessen the rigorous suffering and the time of staying in the Purgatory. It has dense examples from the recorded lives of the religious people and saints. This is a very fascinating piece of literature on the topic of religion—especially Christianity. I must admit that I paused a lot while reading to either fully comprehend the text and/or have a debate session with the book as it comprises a lot of claims which contrast to my current knowledge and belief as a Catholic but not a religious one. Nevertheless, I have acquired lessons and meaningful contemplations upon reading one of the most intriguing and perhaps controversial(?) topics in the spiritual field.
June 27, 2022
Is this the Catholic version of scared straight? It might work.
December 4, 2024
This book gave me a miniature personal crisis, so read at your own risk.
Please also be warned that this book was originally published in 1893, translated from the original French, and reprinted several times. The paperback version which I read was published in 1986, and contains several outdated terms.
I would consider this book an anthology. Fr. Schouppe collected and organized as many stories about purgatory as he could find and source in his own time (1893) and grouped those stores by theme into short chapters. Similarly, the book is divided into halves, the first half being stories emphasizing Divine Justice and the second half being stories emphasizing Divine Mercy.
As Fr Schouppe himself points out, the stories in this book are what the Catholic Church refers to as "private revelations", that is, supernatural messages or experiences received by individual people. Catholics (and others) are free to decide whether or not to believe in such stories, so long as the story does not have clearly objectionable content.
As a whole work, I view this book as a representation of how Catholics in the late 19th century (and previous centuries) thought about the concept of Purgatory and communicated their ideas about purgatory to one another by passing on these stories.
The point is not to evaluate whether or not an English nobleman or a French servant actually saw a soul return to earth after death hundreds of years ago, but to gain a greater understanding of what purgatory is and what role this belief played in popular piety by hearing the way that 19th century Catholics (many of them unable to read or write) described purgatory and recommended ways to prevent going there and to rescue loved ones and strangers after death.
Please also be warned that this book was originally published in 1893, translated from the original French, and reprinted several times. The paperback version which I read was published in 1986, and contains several outdated terms.
I would consider this book an anthology. Fr. Schouppe collected and organized as many stories about purgatory as he could find and source in his own time (1893) and grouped those stores by theme into short chapters. Similarly, the book is divided into halves, the first half being stories emphasizing Divine Justice and the second half being stories emphasizing Divine Mercy.
As Fr Schouppe himself points out, the stories in this book are what the Catholic Church refers to as "private revelations", that is, supernatural messages or experiences received by individual people. Catholics (and others) are free to decide whether or not to believe in such stories, so long as the story does not have clearly objectionable content.
As a whole work, I view this book as a representation of how Catholics in the late 19th century (and previous centuries) thought about the concept of Purgatory and communicated their ideas about purgatory to one another by passing on these stories.
The point is not to evaluate whether or not an English nobleman or a French servant actually saw a soul return to earth after death hundreds of years ago, but to gain a greater understanding of what purgatory is and what role this belief played in popular piety by hearing the way that 19th century Catholics (many of them unable to read or write) described purgatory and recommended ways to prevent going there and to rescue loved ones and strangers after death.
January 14, 2019
This book was absolutely life-changing for me. I will be forever grateful for this book. It has been far too many years since reading it for me to comment in any detail. However, it was due to this book that I made an appointment to make a general confession. This is a session when one makes an appointment with a priest to confess all of the sins of one's lifetime - or as much as one can remember. Depending on one's age, history, and state of life, this could take a few hours. This is very helpful if one's confession habits over a lifetime have been haphazard. I link this book with that general confession as I might never have made that appointment if I had not been inspired by what I read in this book. I hope to reread this someday so that I can revisit this review with more details.
March 26, 2020
This book talks about legends mostly of the Saints. Stories of someone in Purgatory appearing to the Saints and pleading for prayers or Masses to be said for their sins. Then when they have been purified they let the Saint know that they are going to heaven. So briefly, even dying in the state of grace is not enough to have us go straight to heaven. Of course we can pray for ourselves to help us purify ourselves before we die. Or we can pray for the Poor Souls who will remember our prayers and pray in turn for us. The book ends with 3 appendixes. 1st one is on Indulgences, the 2nd on The Brown Scapular, and the 3rd is Prayers For The Poor Souls. I learned a lot from this book. I recommend it to all who wants to know more about Purgatory.
October 25, 2023
This book was truly eye-opening. The countless stories of all these mystics/saints having visions of Purgatory or being visited by a poor soul from Purgatory was fascinating to read about. If you don’t already have a devotion to the poor souls in Purgatory this book will most definitely help you to develop one. This book has made me think just how extremely blessed I am to be a Traditional Catholic and to have a sacramental relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist. The poor souls in Purgatory would give everything in order to receive the Sacraments and to gain eternal bliss! How lonely and devastated the Poor souls in Purgatory must feel to be deprived from The Beatific Vision or when we, The Church Militant fail to pray for them.
July 13, 2023
This book is not for the faint of heart.
The first part is on the Justice of God, and how it is mistaken to believe that everyone goes right to heaven. It gives testimony of various mystics and saints within the Catholic Church
The style of writing reminds me of another European book I have read - the testimonies that the Church compiled re: the sanctity of Padre Pio.
The second part of the book is less intimidating, detailing the Mercy of God, and how purgatory helps us all so that we can appear before God without any blemish of sin.
This is a good book; I am glad I read it. It will increase my devotion to the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
The first part is on the Justice of God, and how it is mistaken to believe that everyone goes right to heaven. It gives testimony of various mystics and saints within the Catholic Church
The style of writing reminds me of another European book I have read - the testimonies that the Church compiled re: the sanctity of Padre Pio.
The second part of the book is less intimidating, detailing the Mercy of God, and how purgatory helps us all so that we can appear before God without any blemish of sin.
This is a good book; I am glad I read it. It will increase my devotion to the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
December 10, 2025
This book tells us about the beauty that is God's mercy and we must all do the things written in it if we want to enjoy heaven when we leave this world.
I loved reading these stories and I strive to be accepted in the number of saints in heaven from now on. I was already doing this, but reading this book has made me want it more.
This book is recommended to anyone who would love to know what it takes to make it to heaven and maybe for those who want to know what others did to get there. It is not that difficult to get there, but it is still hard for some people so it is good to know.
I loved reading these stories and I strive to be accepted in the number of saints in heaven from now on. I was already doing this, but reading this book has made me want it more.
This book is recommended to anyone who would love to know what it takes to make it to heaven and maybe for those who want to know what others did to get there. It is not that difficult to get there, but it is still hard for some people so it is good to know.
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