The doctrine of purgatory is a well-known teaching within the Roman Catholic tradition. Essentially, this dogma posits an intermediate state after death in which souls undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. While purgatory plays a significant role in Western Christianity, the Eastern Orthodox church does not believe in or uphold this teaching. In this blog post, we explore the reasons why the Eastern Orthodox Church rejects the doctrine of purgatory.
4 minutes
Understanding purgatory: The Western perspective
Before delving into the Orthodox position, it is essential to understand what purgatory entails. In Roman Catholic teaching, purgatory is not a place of punishment but a temporary state where souls destined for heaven receive purification from the residual effects of sin. This teaching is rooted in the belief that while Christ’s sacrifice removes eternal punishment for sin, temporal consequences may remain, requiring purification before entering the presence of God.
The Council of Florence (1439) and the Council of Trent (16th century) solidified purgatory as official Roman Catholic doctrine, drawing on passages such as 2 Maccabees 12:46, 1 Corinthians 3:15, and Matthew 12:32. The Orthodox, by contrast, interpret these texts as referring to trials and testing in this life, not post-mortem purification.
The doctrine of purgatory developed gradually in the West, influenced by early Christian writers like Blessed Augustine and St. Gregory the Great, who spoke of a purifying fire after death. However, this idea never took root in the same way in Eastern Christianity. The Church maintained a more mystical and less juridical approach, focusing on the transformative power of God’s love.
The Orthodox understanding of the afterlife
The Orthodox Church affirms a belief in an intermediate state after death. But our understanding is distinct from the Roman Catholic concept of purgatory. Orthodox theology teaches that after death, souls experience a foretaste of their eternal destiny—either communion with God or separation from Him. We sometimes refer to this period as the “particular judgment”. This period is one of anticipation of the final judgment at Christ’s second coming, rather than a process of purification through suffering or punishment.
As Orthodox Christians, we pray for the departed, asking God’s mercy for their souls. However, we approach these prayers from a different theological framework. Orthodoxy’s liturgical and theological tradition emphasizes God’s love and mercy rather than a need to satisfy divine justice through temporal punishment.
Theological reasons for the rejection of purgatory
a) Different understanding of sin and salvation:
Orthodox theology emphasizes healing and transformation rather than legal satisfaction of justice. Sin is seen less as a crime requiring punishment and more as an illness needing healing. Therefore, the idea of temporal punishment in purgatory is foreign to Orthodox soteriology.
b) The sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice:
The Orthodox Church teaches that Christ’s sacrifice is fully sufficient for the forgiveness of sins. While human cooperation with God’s grace is necessary, the need for a separate, post-mortem purgation to satisfy justice is not.
c) The nature of God’s mercy:
Orthodox spirituality places a profound emphasis on God’s mercy and the mystery of salvation. We offer prayers for the dead out of love and hope in God’s compassion, not to reduce time in purgatory.
d) Rejection of scholastic definitions:
The Orthodox Church is wary of overly rational or systematic definitions of spiritual realities. The precise mechanics of purgatory, as developed in scholastic theology, are speculative and not grounded in the patristic tradition.
Contemporary Orthodox teaching
Modern Orthodox theologians continue to reject purgatory as defined by the Roman Catholic Church. Instead, they stress the mystery of the afterlife, the importance of repentance, and the power of prayer for the departed. The Church leaves the final state of each soul to God’s mercy, refraining from dogmatizing the details of what happens after death.
Conclusion
The Orthodox rejection of purgatory is rooted in profound theological, historical, and spiritual differences with Western Christianity. The focus on God’s love and mercy, the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, and the avoidance of juridical models of salvation all contribute to the distinct Orthodox vision of the afterlife. Rather than a place or state of punishment, the Church invites the faithful to trust in God’s compassion, pray for the departed, and seek continual transformation through God’s grace. In this way, the Orthodox tradition remains faithful to the spirit of the early Church and its hope in the resurrection and eternal life.
Keep Reading: 10 Differences Between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches