Does Purgatory Exist?
Orthodox Christians often object to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, claiming it has no basis in Scripture or the early Church Fathers. As St. Mark of Ephesus argued at the Council of Florence: „If the Orthodox faith does not teach that the souls in Purgatory are purified by fire and thereby receive remission of sins, then what is the use of prayers for the dead?‟ Orthodox theology emphasizes God’s mercy in forgiving the sins of the repentant without requiring punishment after death.
Orthodox Christians often object to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, claiming it has no basis in Scripture or the early Church Fathers. As St. Mark of Ephesus argued at the Council of Florence: „If the Orthodox faith does not teach that the souls in Purgatory are purified by fire and thereby receive remission of sins, then what is the use of prayers for the dead?‟ Orthodox theology emphasizes God’s mercy in forgiving the sins of the repentant without requiring punishment after death.
Refutation
St. Thomas Aquinas presents evidence that the concept of purification after death was indeed recognized by Eastern Fathers, though not always with the precise terminology used in the West, citing St. Gregory of Nyssa, who clearly speaks of purification after death:
Further, Gregory of Nyssa [De iis qui in fide dormiunt] says: „If one who loves and believes in Christ,‟ has failed to wash away his sins in this life, „he is set free after death by the fire of Purgatory.‟ Therefore there remains some kind of cleansing after this life.
This we preach, holding to the teaching of truth, and this is our belief; this the universal Church holds, by praying for the dead that they may be loosed from sins.
Contra Errores Graecorum
Theodoret of Cyr is also quoted:
The Apostle states that one is saved thus as through a blazing fire cleansing whatever accumulated through carelessness in life’s activity, or at least from the dust of the feet of earthly living. In this fire one remains so long as any earthly and bodily affections are being purged.
Theodoret of Cyr
These teachings align with the Catholic understanding of Purgatory as a state of purification necessary for souls who die in God’s friendship but still bear the consequences of sin. This doctrine follows logically from the principles that (1) nothing impure can enter heaven (Rev. 21:27) and (2) God’s mercy does not eliminate the need for the restoration of the disorder caused by sin.
The objection that God simply forgives sins without requiring satisfaction overlooks the distinction between the guilt of sin (which is indeed forgiven through repentance) and the temporal effects of sin, which may require purification. This distinction is evident in Scripture, as when Nathan told David his sin was forgiven but he would still suffer consequences (2 Samuel 12:13-14).
Conclusion
While Orthodox theology emphasizes God’s mercy and may express reservations about certain Western formulations regarding Purgatory, the fundamental concept of posthumous purification for those who die in God’s grace but still imperfect has roots in the Eastern tradition as well. As Aquinas demonstrates, prayers for the dead—a practice maintained by both Catholics and Orthodox—presuppose that the departed may benefit from such intercession, implying some process of growth or purification after death.