Purgatorio

Purgatorio..... Nothing but a bunch of thelogical nonsense.   The idea that one's soul spends time after death being purged of their sins before entering the Celestial Home? Preposterous.   Faith is what saves you. You need nothing more.

— An Angelus prior, 1765

 

We do not call it Purgatorio. That is the name the Creationists give it.   But the concept of atonement after death is not foreign to us. There are multiple stories in the old text that Gregorio, son of Donatello, son of Mondrain, son of....   (20 minutes and one long lineage later)   ...Son of the Walkers, translated while working on the reverent removal of old texts that had been buried. The warrior Malach son of Maccadel, son of....   (only five minutes later...)   ...Son of the Walkers, after leading his people to glorious victory against the Geco pagans, found that men among his fallen possessed the selfsame idols the Gecos worshiped. He at once extoled his people to pray for the atonement of these souls, that this heresy may be blotted out. A generous donated was also collected as a sin sacrifice.

— An Abaisi Elder

 

You want to ask me about Purgatorio?   Well, haven't you chosen a prickly subject for your thesis, Ms. Valentine.

 

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  Purgatorio does not exist. At least that is what most people will tell you. Even some Creationists, those who grew up on the fringes of civilization or in areas where the Church did not have adequate support, would be hard-pressed to explain what it was. Or, more importantly, what it meant for the state of their souls. Unlike most doctrines which were clearly read-and mostly listened to-on Sundays, Purgatorio was not directly referred to in the Sunday readings. Even the Sunday schools never mentioned them, keeping to the simplistic explanations of the Celestial Home and the Infernal Realms-with emphasis on the 'infernal'- to keep the children in line.   Yet a patient priest, monk, or excitable theology student will explain in depth just what Purgatorio is.   And why it is so important to the salvation of the soul.  

Refined in Fire

  It's important to understand first that Purgatorio is not a physical place as we understand the Mortal Lands; As it is a realm that deals entirely with the Spirit, it does not have a phsyical known location. It is also not tied directly to the Celetsial Home or the Infernal Realms. It is an 'in-between' place, a place of waiting and purification before moving into the Celestial Home.     In Creationist Theology, it is possible for Souls to die in a state of Mercy, yet not be fully purged of their sins. A common example is a man who has repented of their wrongdoings and returned to the Savior on his deathbed, but is unable to complete the sacrament of Confession before he expires. A man such as this will dwell within Purgatorio until his temporal sins and their related debt have been paid.     We don't know how long a soul remains in Purgatorio once it arrives; Time there is not the same as Time Here. Some posit that it depends on the nature and quantity of the sins remaining on their soul, others say that it is 'as long as it needs to be'. We can't attatch a number of days or hours to the time in remission. We also don't know, in entirety at least, what the time in remission in Purgatorio is like.    

A Rather Hot Topic

  So why the conflict about Purgatorio in theological circles? Simply put, different religions have different opinions on the nature of salvation; For some, Purgatorio would never need to exist. Some refuse to believe there is 'any more work to do' after one dies. Others say that the choices in life are the definitive indication of one's salvation; there is no second chance after death.     There are also people who argue that the idea of 'suffering after death' is not exactly an appealing argument. There are also people who simply don't believe in the Creator at all, and the idea of 'spiritual realities' beyond what the naked eye can see as absurd. All in all, it's not an easy subject for the common man to discuss.   All in All, however, Purgatorio is not an unknown state of existance. There exists a small church in the Mortal Lands, containing relics said to have been touched by a soul in Purgatorio; there are several imprints of a burned hand or fingerprint on wood, cloth, or pages. While it is hard to verify their claims, the impression they leave is hard to deny. And there are multiple testimonies from saints and members of the faith who have been visited by a soul in Purgatorio, entreating their prayers.   In the face of it all, all a man can do is pray. Pray for the souls of the deceased, that their souls will finally find mercy and rest.