Question:
Romans 5:8 says Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins. Does this conflict with the belief in purgatory?
Answer:
No, it does not. Jesus atoned for the eternal punishment of our sins, for only he can do so. And he helps us with the temporal punishment due our sins, but we have to do our part in willingly detaching ourselves from the effects of our sins (CCC 1471-73). Jesus affirms this in the gospels (Matt. 18:23-35). And St. Paul hits on this reality as well (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
For more on this topic, please see our tracts on “Purgatory,” “The Roots of Purgatory” and “Myths about Indulgences.”
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