"As All Souls' Day approaches, homilists may find themselves tiptoeing
around discussion of Purgatory. Advising people to pray for their
deceased family or friends can be difficult. Many perceive this as an
insult to the departed, contending that their loved ones are surely in
Heaven already and need no prayers.
"Much of this mindset is based on emotions rather than intellectual
decisions, and so calls for a tactful, gentle response. Part of the
problem, however, arises from misunderstandings about Purgatory. Those
unfamiliar with Catholic theology often confuse Purgatory with Hell.
Even in Catholic circles, popular assumptions imply that genuinely good
people always go straight to Heaven, while Purgatory is for the mediocre
souls not quite bad enough for Hell. Another phrasing of this idea is
that, to compare these states to school grades, Heaven is an A,
Purgatory a C, and Hell an F.
"None of this is even remotely true."
In a recent commentary, writer
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