"And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection. For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead, and because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. With godliness... Judas hoped that these men who died fighting for the cause of God and religion, might find mercy: either because they might be excused from mortal sin by ignorance; or might have repented of their sin, at least at their death. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." - 2 Maccabees 12:43-46
Nothing impure can enter into the Kingdom of God (Revelations 21:27).
Protestants say that since Purgatory is not mentioned "by name" in the Holy Bible, it doesn't exist. But the "Trinity" is not mentioned in the Bible either yet almost all mainstream Protestant denominations believe in it. Unfortunately, the King James version of the Bible mistakenly omits the Books of Maccabees. These books were decided by the Church Fathers to be inspired of God. The Twelve Apostles used the Septuagint (Greek) canon - almost every single quote from the Old Testament that is cited in the New is from the Septuagint - this canon includes the First and Second Books of Maccabees (as well as five others). It is clear that praying for the dead to release them from the reparation of their sins is good according to the first Biblical verse quoted
Now, let's say you have one man who leads a saintly life and another who leads a sinful life, but sincerely repents of his sins on his death bed. According to Protestants, both these men go straight to Heaven after death. Is this just? I would have to answer in the negative. According to Catholic belief, the saintly man would go straight to Heaven whereas the repentant man would have to be cleansed of the temporal (not eternal) punishment for his sins before entering Heaven. Where is this done? He can't be sent to Hell because Hell is eternal per Scripture (Matthew 25:46; Mark 3:29). There has to be a "middle ground" so to speak. This "middle ground" is Purgatory. We must suffer for our sins just as Christ suffered for them (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7). If this suffering is not in this life, it has to be in the next.



      
					
					
					
					
				
