Purgatory facts for kids
Purgatory is a belief in the Catholic Church. It is a place or state where souls go after death. These are souls who are sure to go to Heaven but still need to be made perfectly pure.
Imagine it like a final cleaning. People who die in God's friendship but are not yet completely holy go to Purgatory. There, they become pure enough to enter the great joy of Heaven.
Some people believe Purgatory has different levels. The lowest levels are thought to be closer to Hell. The highest levels are believed to be closer to Heaven. It is said that many souls leave Purgatory on Christmas Day.
Souls in Purgatory pray to God very much. Sometimes, no one on Earth prays for them. In these cases, God lets them benefit from the prayers of other people.
It is also believed that God sometimes allows these souls to appear to their families on Earth. This is to remind people that Purgatory exists. It also encourages people to pray for these souls. These prayers help the souls get closer to God.
Purgatory in Stories and Art
One of the most famous stories about Purgatory is in a book called The Divine Comedy. It was written by Dante. The second part of this book is named Purgatorio. It describes Dante's journey through Purgatory.
Another famous example is in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The Ghost in the play might also suggest a belief in Purgatory. This shows how the idea of Purgatory has appeared in many works of art and literature.
Related places
Images for kids
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Image of a fiery purgatory by Ludovico Carracci
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Image of a non-fiery purgatory (Gustave Doré: illustration for Dante's Purgatorio, Canto 24).
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The island of St Patrick's Purgatory
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Dante gazes at purgatory (shown as a mountain) in this 16th-century painting.
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The Dormition of the Theotokos (a thirteenth-century icon)
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel and purgatory, Beniaján, Spain
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel and purgatory, North End, Boston
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Our Lady, St Monica and souls in purgatory, Rattenberg, Tyrol
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Our Lady of Passau in St Felix Church, Kientzheim, Alsace
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Purgatory, 1419 drawing by unknown artist from Strasbourg
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Painting by Michel Serre in the Saint Cannat Church, Marseilles
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Altar predella in the town church of Bad Wimpfen, Baden-Württemberg
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Request for prayer for the souls in purgatory
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Stained-glass window in Puerto Rico Cathedral
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Purgatory by Venezuelan painter Cristóbal Rojas (1890)
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Ceiling of St Ulrich Church in Pillersee, Tyrol, Austria
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Our Lady Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory, by Andrea Vaccaro
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Miniature by Stefan Lochner showing souls in purgatory
See also
In Spanish: Purgatorio para niños
