In Catholic School I was taught to believe in purgatory on countless occasions. I don't think that these places are mentioned in the bible per say; but what really matters, and what I was taught in Catholic school, is that in parts of the New Testament praying for the dead is mentioned. This means something other than heaven, earth, and hell exist; it is pointless to pray FOR someone in heaven or hell since you are there forever. Purgatory is still taught. Vatican 2 did not change that, I am actually still attending Catholic school.

Very good response 'Someone'. Also, we were taught that it wasn't necessary to believe in Purgatory or Limbo but that these places were derived as Someone pointed out and other such logical deduction. It made sense. What if someone died and they lived a pretty good life but just wern't completely ready yet (still had some significant issues) to enter the pearly gates ... hey, makes sense doesn't it? However, I'm pretty sure the Catholic Church has since droped Purgatory or Limbo since Vatican II.

No, Catholics are no longer taught that Purgatory or Limbo exist. They *are* taught that these planes of existence used to be believed/taught prior to Vatican II about 50 years ago. This is why the terms exist today, and why writers such as Dante wrote about them. They came about to provide an explanation to what happened to god-fearing, holy persons who were not baptised (in other words died before Christ), such as Moses et al. This also included babies dying before baptism. As all these souls were tainted by original sin, they could not enter Heaven, but should not suffer hell... hence the creation of Limbo as a concept. Purgatory was a 'way station' of sorts to enable those left behind to pray on the dead's behalf (in the Bible as noted elsewhere) to intercede. This could be that the baptised souls sinned but were unable to repent, possibly due to sudden death (war, victim of murder etc.) or illness (coma, paralysis etc.) despite intending to. This meant that others could pray on their behalf as Heaven was their destination, but could not be entered until penance was paid. However, since Vatican II, these concepts were debunked as an attempt to put human interpretation on God's will which we cannot do. As only the Pope, as Catholics believe, can pontificate the word of God, he has emphasised, on God's behalf, that Heaven AND Hell both exist but has not stated that Purgatory and Limbo do.

Since some folks haven't read up on what the actual teaching on purgatory is and allege that it is no longer taught since Vatican II (Sorry Jan but you are wrong about this.) I am giving you here the exact quote from the Vatican's own online copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning purgatory, complete w/footnotes for reference sake. It would behoove those who think they know what Catholics believe to actually ask knowlegeable Catholics where to get accurate information before running off at the mouth. (Not directed at you Jan) Here is Purgatory: III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory 1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. 1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.604 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:605 As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.606 1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."607 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.608 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.609 604 Cf. Council of Florence (1439): DS 1304; Council of Trent (1563): DS 1820; (1547): 1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000. 605 Cf. 1 Cor 3:15; 1 Pet 1:7. 606 St. Gregory the Great, Dial. 4, 39: PL 77, 396; cf. Mt 12:31. 607 2 Macc 12:46. 608 Cf. Council of Lyons II (1274): DS 856. 609 St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Cor. 41, 5: PG 61, 361; cf. Job 1:5.

Rev. 21-27 states, “Nothing defiled can enter Heaven,” and if we are all sinners that must mean there is a necessary state of cleansing or purgation usually called “Purgatory.” The King James Bible teaches: (A) That some sins are forgiven in the next world; (B) That some souls are saved in the next world “by fire;” (C) That it is useful and beneficial to pray for the dead. Matt. 12-32: And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME. (Some sins can therefore, be forgiven after death.) 1 Cor. 3, 13 and 15: Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, YET SO AS BY FIRE. 2 Machabees, 12-46: (This is one of the Old Testament books omitted from the Protestant Bible). It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.

Limbo seems to have disappeared from Catholic theology. But not purgatory! The Catholic Church teaches that "Purgatory is the state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins...in it the souls are purged or purified from all their stains" (Baltimore Catechism). The purpose of purgatory is the expiation of sin, or the discharge of the debt of temporal punishment (Trent, Session 6, Canon 30). The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks about "those who are expiating their sins in purgatory" (paragraph 1475). To "expiate" means to make reparation for an offence or injury. This expiation is achieved through suffering of the soul. Unless completed on earth, "expiation must be made in the next life through fire and torments or purifying punishments." And again, those "who had not made satisfaction with adequate penance of their sins and omissions are cleaned after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt" (Vatican II, Apostolic Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences). Catholic Evidence for Purgatory Roman Catholics admit that the doctrine of purgatory is not explicitly taught in the Bible. For example, the Roman Catholic theologian Richard McBrien concedes that: "There is, for all practical purposes, no biblical basis for the doctrine of purgatory. This is not to say that there is no basis at all for the doctrine, but only that there is no clear biblical basis for it." Nonetheless, appeal is made to several biblical verses which are said to support this doctrine. The most important passages are: 2 Maccabees 12:38-46; Matthew 12:32; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and Revelation 21:27. Let's take a look at them. 2 Maccabees 12:38-46. The book of Maccabees is apocryphal and is not part of the inspired Scriptures. St Jerome says that "the Church reads Judith, Tobit, and the books of Maccabees, but does not admit them among the canonical Scriptures." He says further that they are read "for the edification of the people, not to give authority to the doctrines of the Church." Even so, Maccabees does not prove purgatory. After a certain battle, it was discovered that the dead Jewish soldiers had idols hidden under their clothes. The Jewish general, Judas Maccabeus, sent money to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices for them. In doing this, Judas was not following the Scriptures because among the many precepts of the Law of Moses, there was no sacrifice intended for the dead. In all the Scriptures there is no example of Jews or Christians offering sacrifices or praying for the departed. Moreover, this passage proves too much for the Catholic for these soldiers were guilty of idolatry, a mortal sin, and therefore they were damned to eternal, rather than temporal, punishment in Hell. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. The apostle Paul writes: "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is." The Catechism interprets "the fire" as cleansing and purifying, i.e., the soul suffers to make expiation for sin (Catechism, paragraph 1031). However, Paul is speaking about the testing of works and says nothing about the suffering of souls. He is simply teaching that in the Day of Judgment, the works of every Christian will be tested ("the fire will test each one's work") and everyone will be rewarded accordingly. Unworthy works will be burned up and the individual will lose the reward though he himself will be saved. If fire is referring to purgatorial pains, rather than the testing of works, why should those who had built with gold, silver, precious stones suffer along with those who had built with unworthy wood, hay and straw (since the fire test each one's work)? A Catholic Bible commentary remarks on verse 15, "There is no reference to purgatory." [Murphy O'Connor, J. "The First Letter to the Corinthians," The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Roland E. Murphy (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 2000), p 802] Matthew 12:32. Jesus said that "anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit; it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." From this, Catholics argue that some sins will be forgiven in the age to come. This implication in not necessarily true and it goes beyond what Jesus meant. Jesus simply wanted to emphasize the gravity of the sin and that it would never be forgiven, as the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark records: "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" (Mark 3:29). Revelation 21:27. "But there shall by no means enter into it (the heavenly Jerusalem) anything that defiles..." Since the Bible here clearly teaches that impure persons will not enter heaven, it is argued that there is a place of cleansing for those who die with minor sins. However, it can be observed that this verse does not offer any hope of cleansing for those who are unclean at death, nor does it teach that sins are cleansed by personal suffering. The Biblical Teaching on Purgatory Protestants agree with Catholics on the necessity for "purgatory" or "cleansing" for we are all defiled by sin; we all need to be thoroughly cleansed before we can enter into the heavenly Jerusalem in the majestic presence of the Lord. We disagree however on how this cleansing is achieved. Catholicism insists that after baptism the individual must expiate his sins by penance in this world, and by the pains of purgatory in the next. But the Scripture teaches that only the blood of Christ cleanses the soul from sin. Protestants recognize the value of suffering and trials given to us by Divine providence. Our heavenly Father also disciplines us, His children, with appropriate chastisement so that we learn to despise sin, and to become mature in our character, in patience, hope and righteousness. Nonetheless, the Bible never presents personal suffering or works as the expiation or satisfaction for sin. Scripture sets the believer's heart to rest. "You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). It's not purgatory's flames that cleanse the sinner from evil. The Word of God teaches that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). The blood of Christ is thoroughly effective and purifies from all defilement. His blood really and actually cleanses "from all sin." Nobody will ever be heard boasting that he succeeded to enter heaven because of his penances and sufferings. Heaven will be populated by those who trust completely in the Son of God. This is the song that they joyfully sing: "To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 1:5,6). This is the Christians' confession about their Lord Jesus Christ: "When He had by Himself purged our sins, [He] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Christ, and nothing else, is our purification, our purgatory.

there is no such thing as limbo! the bible does not teach this. Purification will be at an INSTINT. see I Corinthians:15 v50-54