Purgatory – Part 2
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III continues presenting the Orthodox teaching that rejects the idea of purgatory as it is taught in the Catholic Church, explaining that it contradicts the doctrine of redemption, atonement, and salvation through the Blood of Christ. He affirms that forgiveness and purification take place through repentance and God’s grace in this life, not through sufferings after death.
First: No Purification After Death
The teaching stresses that there is no salvation after death, based on the words of Holy Scripture, and that whoever dies in his sins cannot receive a new opportunity for repentance.
True purification is an inner work accomplished in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in the book of Ezekiel about giving a new heart and a new spirit.
As for suffering, it does not purify but is considered atonement, and atonement is only through the Blood of Christ alone.
Second: Rejection of Timed Punishments
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III discusses the idea of “indulgences,” which are calculated in days and years in exchange for certain prayers, visits, or recitations.
He confirms that forgiveness in the biblical understanding is either complete or not present, not something calculated by numbers or years.
Forgiveness comes through sincere repentance and the Blood of Christ, not through repeated prayers without spirit or contrition.
Third: The Intercession of the Saints Is Not Payment of Debts
The teaching clarifies that the intercession of the saints is a blessing and spiritual help that leads to repentance, not the transfer of a “credit” of forgiveness or payment of debts on behalf of others.
Every saint asks for forgiveness daily, and it is not possible that he has “surplus merits” to distribute to others.
Scripture teaches that no matter what a person does, he remains an unprofitable servant, and Christian perfection is a continuous call to growth, not a stored credit.
Fourth: The Centrality of the Blood of Christ in Salvation
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III affirms that any teaching that weakens faith in the Blood of Christ as the only source of forgiveness is rejected.
There is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood, and no salvation except through redemption.
Any concept that makes salvation the result of calculated works, visits, or recitations loses its spiritual essence.
The Spiritual Message
Salvation is a divine gift received through sincere repentance and living faith in the Blood of Christ, not through time calculations or formal works.
Purification takes place in the heart here on earth, and a person is called to strive for holiness and perfection in his present life, because after death there is no other opportunity for repentance.
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