Where to go after we die? Purgatory Perhaps?

PURGATORY

A holding place called Purgatory.

We all know about heaven and hell and what their purpose is, but what about purgatory? Most religions do not have a concept on what is called a intermediate place or holding place for the dead that I know of (at this moment in time). The Catholic Christian Faith does and according to its’ definition:-

Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify) in accordance with the Roman Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due for their transgressions.

Modern Protestants (all other churches that are non-Catholic), while they avoid the name purgatory, frequently teach the doctrine of "the middle state," and Martensen ("Christian Dogmatics," Edinburgh UK, 1890, p. 457) writes: "As no soul leaves this present existence in a fully complete and prepared state, we must suppose that there is an intermediate state, a realm of progressive development, in which souls are prepared for the final judgment" (Farrar, "Mercy and Judgment," London, 1881, cap. iii).

Source http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm

There is proof that purgatory exist. Spirits or souls who have realized their past mistakes, often come back to the living - asking for help to be released from a place of darkness and sorrow where they are often alone and lonely (probably left to think out their past mistakes – like a naughty child being put in a quiet corner). How long they are there is another matter. For as long as it takes I suppose. One such example is about the famous King Henry the 8th of England as in the following story.

In an article by Lyn Picknett on Return of the Tudors, she tells the story about a British clergy/priest of Peterborough Cathedral, England who became interested in England’s history about King Henry the 8th and his many wives. One day while at his sister’s house in 1921, he met a medium (someone who can talk to the dead). He was to talk to the dead through her for many years later. The late king’s wife Anne Boelyn, through the medium revealed his future as a priest which in time did come true in every way.

One day in 1922 William Pakenham-Walsh, the person we are talking about, received a letter from a Christian psychic who often communicated with the dead who had once lived during the same period of Henry VII. She herself received a message from a dead person called Alwyn who mentioned that Anne Boleyn needed to clear her conscious even though she has departed from this Earthly existence for a long time. Her relationship with the King also needed to be mended as the King had her head chopped off so that he could marry again. Of course any normal person would be angry and hurt if they were murdered by their spouse, even IF he was a powerful king. He, King Henry the 8th needed to be aware of his sins and seek forgiveness to those he had hurt during his lifetime including his previous wives so that he too could be cleansed of sins and past mistakes. For this to happen the priest was invited, along with his medium so that they could get together all the spirits from King Henry’s past and resolve their differences once and for all.

William Pakenham-Walsh was then introduced to a psychic (Mrs Hester Dowden) who communicated with the dead through automatic writing. It was through her that information was received from King Henry VII first wife Katherine of Aragon who wanted them to help the king. Since she was his first wife, she was the only one who seemed to care about what happened to his soul. Pakenham-Walsh and a few others talked to King Henry VII for quite some time. They discovered that he was not in ‘Summerland’ but in a lower plane of existence or purgatory/hell as we know it. It was dark and desolate and there was no body to talk to. He still believed that he had the authority and power of a king and got angry quite often during the communication when the living tried to tell him that he needed to understand his weaknesses and ask forgiveness from others. In the end King Henry finally showed remorse especially when told that with forgiveness, he will be able to move from that awful place and go to a better place where his two sons already were.

The longing to see and be united with his sons made him determined to reconcile with all those who he had hurt during his lifetime, especially his former wives. In June 1933, in the company of two mediums, King Henry the Eight repented and asked forgiveness from all those he had wronged. His executed wives and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I, were all there. Pakenham-Walsh acted as priest, blessed the gathering including both the living and the dead. With this, the dead rested in peace and were gone, having reconciled in the after-life.

I personally believe that the above story does to a certain extent prove that there is a purgatory (I do believe in life after death as I am trying to prove in this article) and that even Kings and leaders of countries are not exempted from judgment from God let alone the common man and woman.

Quite recently I received an article through my email on Purgatory. This information is about the revelation of an obscure pamphlet on Purgatory which suddenly came to light again after disappearing for many years (Published in Illinois, USA and printed in 1958). Copies can be obtained by giving a small donation for the Xerox copy. Send to

Spirit Daily,
2 Citation Drive,
Latham, NY 12110,
USA

According to the pamphlet “Purgatory is a place of mercy and of goodness,” The unknown person who wrote the pamphlet seemed to have had an experience or insight to Purgatory and said “In that cleansing fire I have found the goodness and mercy of God as my soul sought it. My soul asks God, ‘May I live once more? Can I yet make amends?’ Then God says: ‘Yes, you are now entering the novitiate of Heaven. You must now suffer and expiate all your sins. Thereby you will be made pure.’ The unknown author says that God gives everyone a second chance to be sorry for all the wrong things that they have done before and that it is possible to be cleansed while in Purgatory. It reads “Truly it is a place of redemption where souls have gathered at the brink of the abyss,”. That means when the soul has reached the point of no return (almost) and is doomed for Hell then Purgatory is his/her last chance so that he/she can enter Heaven one day and find peace at last. It also says that “God is not severe, not cruel toward the poor souls, as many imagine Him to be,” and that is why many are sent to Purgatory for God is good, full of compassion and love for people and gives them this second chance.

Source: Internet Article By Michael H. Brown

Purgatory then is a cause for hope for those who have failed to seek forgiveness from others that they have wronged while still alive on Earth. Roman Catholic Christians believe in praying for the dead in Purgatory (Asking for forgiveness of souls) and the pamphlet seems to support the idea. It says ‘As soon as they awaken in purgatory, the Light of God begins to purify them and the souls grow more receptive to the benefits of prayers, religious Masses, and good works on their behalf’ and ‘When we pray for the Poor Souls they are most grateful to us and pray for us in return’. So if a poor deceased soul comes to you for help, be it is person (spiritually of course) or dream, do them a favour and pray for the forgiveness of their soul. One day we too might need the prayers of others - like it or not. Just be prepared.