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Questions / The Bible

Where is purgatory in the Bible?

Church teaching

Answered on video by Dr. Brant Pitre

Video: Where Is Purgatory in the Bible? | Dr. Brant Pitre, Catholic Productions, published Aug 5, 2019. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: The Church teaches that people who die as God’s friends, but aren’t fully purified yet, are safe, and go through a final cleansing first. CCC 1030

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

The Church teaches that all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are assured of their salvation, and are purified after death to enter heaven. CCC 1030

The Church calls this final purification Purgatory, and says it is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. CCC 1031

The teaching also rests on the practice of praying for the dead, already mentioned in Scripture. CCC 1032 2 Maccabees 12:45 [Douay 2 Machabees 12:45]

Our words

The word isn’t in the Bible, just like “Trinity” isn’t. Paul speaks of someone being saved “as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). Purgatory is God finishing what He started in you.

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Related questions

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Sources on this page

How we know · 3 Catechism paragraphs · 1 Bible passage
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1030, 1031, 1032 (official text on vatican.va).
  2. Scripture (World English Bible, Catholic edition, public domain; modern verse numbers, Douay-Rheims numbers in brackets where they differ): 2 Maccabees 12:45 [Douay 2 Machabees 12:45].

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.