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 PURGATORY

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PURGATORY

especially in North America, recommended it to their clergy. The direction of the association is in the hands of the general-director of the Archconfraternity of Lanibach, who enters the members in a special regis- ter. The official organ for both is the "Benediktus- stimmen", published by the Abbey of Emaus in Prague (cf. Seeberger, op. cit., 301 sqq.).

A work of atonement to procure relief and liberation for the most needy and abandoned souls in purgatory by the celebration of many Masses was founded in 1884 in the parish of La Chapelle-Montligeon, Diocese of Seez, France. Until 1893 this association was aggre- gated to thearchconfraternity of S. Maria in Monterone, but it was declared by Brief of 2 October, 1893, an hon- orary archconfraternity and prima-primaria. Only associations united with that of Montligeon may adopt the same title and statutes. This association of many million members is blessed by the pope, and recom- mended by numerous bishops. To become a member, one must have one's name enrolled, and contribute five centimes annually for the objects of the associa- tion; persons who make a single contribution of five francs have a permanent share in all the Masses cele- brated for the deceased. Seven Masses are said weekly for the souls in purgatory, three monthly for deceased priests, and in addition many thousand Masses are offered annually. A monthly organ of the association is issued in various languages (cf. Seeberger, loc. cit., 304sqq.; Beringer, op. cit., II, 478sqq.). The Order of Cluny have always been conspicuous for their special devotion to the poor souls. Since 99S, St. Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, had All Souls' Day celebrated by his monks on 2 November, which day was grad- ually devoted by the entire Church to the relief of the poor souls. In memory of this fact, a new archcon- fraternity was erected at Cluny in the parish church of Our Lady. By Brief of 25 May, 1898, Leo XIII granted this "Archconfraternity of Prayer for the Poor Souls of Purgatory" the indulgences of the old Roman Confraternity of Prayer and Death (see above) , and authorized it to aggregate similar confraternities throughout France and its colonies (" Analectaeccles.", 1898, p. 328; Beringer, "Die Ablas.se", II, 475 sqq.). The " Associazione del Sacro Cuore di Gesu in suffragio delle .A.nirae del Purgatorio" was canonically established in Rome (Lungotevere, Prati) in a church of the Sacred Heart, and granted indulgences and privileges by Leo XIII (1903-5). The director of this association, which includes non-residents of Rome in its membership, is Victor Jouet, who edits "Rivista mensile dell' .\ssociazione".

Having named the best-known and most wide- spread modern confraternities for the poor souls, we must not forget that, among the numerous other confraternities and pious associations, there is scarcely one — if indeed any — which does not seek to promote with special devotion the intercession for, and help of, the poor souls. Indulgences of the confraternities are ever applicable to the souls in purgatory, and the privilege of the altar for churches and for priests, who are members, may be used in favour of dead members or of all the poor souls. The formation of the "Catholic League for Constant Intercession for the Poor Souls in Purgatory" was proposed by certain pious citizens of Rome, approved by Leo XIII in the last years of his reign, and enriched with indulgences. The only requisite for membership is to recite thrice daily the prayer, " Requiem Eeternam dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis. Re- quiescant in pace. ."Vmen ", thereby gaining once daily an indulgence of 200 days (cf. Raccolta, 1898, pp. 539 sq.). In conclu.sion we must mention the thousands and perhaps millions of the faithful, who have made the heroic act of charity (q. v.), thus assisting in the most perfect manner the souls in purgatory, and finally the crown of all these associations, in this work, is the Order of the Helpers of the Holy Souls.

Man. Germ. Hist. Libri confrntrrnitalum. ed. Piper (Berlin, 18S4); Necrologia Germania, I-III (Berlin. 1&88-1905); Reccuil des historiens de la France. Obituaires, I-II (Paris. 1902-6); Z.\PPERT, op. cit.; Ebneb, op. cit.; Molinier, Lc.5 obituaires /rantais (Paris. 1890); Berinoeb. Die Abtdsse. ihr Wesen u. Gcbrauch (Paderborn. 1906; French tr. Paris. 1905); MtGNE, Diet, des confreries in Encyclopidie Thtologique, L.

Joseph Hilqers.

Purgatory. — The subject is treated under these heads: I. Catholic Doctrine; II. Errors; III. Proofs; IV. Duration and Nature; V. Succouring the Dead; VI. Indulgences; VII. Invocation of Souls; VIII. Utility of Prayer for the Departed.

I. Catholic Doctkine. — Purgatory (Lat., jtur- gare, to make clean, to purify) in accordance with 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 to their transgressions. The faith of the Church concerning pm-gatory is clearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council of Florence (Mansi, t. XXXI, col. 1031), and in the decree of tlic Council of Trent which (Sess. XXV) defined: "Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recently in this (Ecumenical sjTiod (Sess. VI, cap. xxx; Sess. XXII, cap. ii, iii) that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Siicrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavour to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful" (Denzinger, "En- chiridion", 983). Further than this the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of the Fathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to ex])lain the teaching of the councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of the faithful.

Temporal Punishment. — ^That temporal punish- ment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things (\\'is., x, 2), but still condemned him "to eat his bread in the sweat of his brow" until he returned unto dust. God forgave the incredulity of Moses and Aaron, but in punishment kept them from the "land of promise" (Num., XX, 12). The Lord took away the sin of David, but the life of the child was forfeited because David had made God's enemies blaspheme His Holy Name (II Kings, xii, 13, 14). In the New Testament as well as in the Old, almsgiving and fast- ing, and in general penitential acts are the real fruits of repentance (Matt., iii, 8; Luke, xvii, 3; xiii, 3). The whole penitential system of the Church testifies that the voluntary assumption of penitential works has always been part of true repentance and the Council of Trent (Sess. XIV, can. xi) re- minds the faithful that God does not always remit the whole punishment due to sin together with the guilt. God requires satisfaction, and will punish sin, and this doctrine involves as its necessary con- sequence a belief that the sinner failing to do penance in this life may be punished in another world, and so not be cast off eternally from God.

Venial Sins. — .^11 sins are not equal before God, nor dare anyone assert that the daily faults of human frailty will be punished with the same severity that is meted out to serious violation of God's law. On the other hand whosoever comes into God's presence must be perfectly pure, for in the strictest sense His "eyes are too pure to behold evil" (Hab., i, 13). For unrepented venial faults, for the payment of temporal punishment due to sin at time of death, the Church has always taught the doctrine of purgatory.