Understand, what follows is trying to be fair and is not meant to be Catholic bashing in any way. My community group had a question about purgatory. Without going into all the arguments various Catholics will use for purgatory, I am going to try to use strictly what is from official church statements.

Purgatory, in the Catholic Church, is a place where believers go, after death, to undergo final purification before entering the presence of God.

It is interesting to note that Purgatory, as a place, was not part of Catholic church doctrine until the 15th century. Purgatory as a PLACE is still not considered official church doctrine...it is believed to be a state of the soul. To a general audience in August 1999, John Paul II laid what this looked like to him (you can read it here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_04081999_en.html.

The Trentine Creed of Pius the IV in 1564 states "I constantly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful."

The Second Vatican Council, p. 63, says, "The truth has been divinely revealed that sins are followed by punishments. Gods holiness and justice inflict them. Sins must be expiated. This may be done on this earth through the sorrows, miseries and trials of this life and, above all, through death. Otherwise the expiation must be made in the next life through fire and torments or purifying punishments."

The official Catechism of the Catholic church states it like this " 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." (1030). You can read it here: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2N.HTM if you want.

A lot of Catholics will point to many verses for purgatory, but the only one listed in the Catechism is from 2 Maccabees 12: 45-46  But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.

Maccabees is what is known as an apocryphal book. It was not part of the original canon of scripture. The one reference the catechism used is to a book that was later added (in the 1500's) to sacred scripture after the protestant reformation had taken off.

According to Roman Catholic Doctrine, a person may be in a state of grace, BUT he may not enter heaven until he is purified from sins that were not dealt with on earth (ie: Baptism remits sins committed up to that point, but prayers, indulgences, penance, absolution, and the Mass are means by which the sinner is able to expiate sins committed after baptism...see the blog about the ESV to get an understanding of expiation). If sins are not remitted, after death he must suffer the flames of purification until he is sufficiently cleansed and pure so as to enter into the presence of God. Additionally, intercession can be made by Catholics on behalf of those who are presently in purgatory. This is also done through saying the Mass, certain acts of penance, saying the Rosary, or by indulgences where the benefit is applied to the dead in purgatory.

The length of time that someone must suffer in this state is never known, but it is considered to be proportional to the nature and severity of the sins committed. Therefore, it could be anywhere from a few hours to millions of years.

What is the protestant view of purgatory? Well, it doesn't exist.

Problems with the Doctrine of Purgatory

1. It is not explicitly found in the Bible.

2. It implies that the righteousness of Christ does not cleanse from all sin.

3. It implies that justification is not by faith alone.

4. It implies that there is something we must do in order to be cleansed of sin.

On the cross Jesus said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). In the Greek, this was an accounting term which meant a debt was paid in full. If the payment for our sins was paid in full on the cross, then how could purgatory be a reality; especially when the scriptures don't mention it and even contradict it? In Hebrews 9:27 we are told that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment"

Purgatory is a doctrine that makes the Cross of Christ insufficient by requiring the person to undergo suffering in order to be made worthy of being with God when it is JESUS who makes us worthy of being with God.  We are justified by faith (Rom. 5:1), not by faith and works (Rom. 3:28)

This answer is not meant to be a dividing place of ammo between protestants and Catholics, too often we like to bash each other rather than coming together.  I know many Catholics will disagree with my assessment and problems of the doctrine of purgatory,  they will cite church Fathers, the apocrypha, and various biblical references to fire and purification...they are coming at it with a bias...

...BUT,  I too, come to the argument of purgatory with a bias, my bias is Jesus and His work for us on the Cross.