Everything found in the Catholic Catechism about Purgatory is shown here:

1031
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says [in Matthew 12:32] that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.

1498
Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory.

1475
In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things." In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

1472
To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.

Thus, it is apparent that God has revealed very little through the Catholic Catechism about Purgatory. However, we can gain some further understanding of it by examining the Scriptures.

Continued below...

-- Emily (jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), May 07, 2004

Answers

I have some verses (shown here in KJV) that can arguably show the existence of purgatory, and although they don't all necessarily prove its existence (eg. Micah 7 passage may not refer to someone who died, but it may), they do show that there is Biblical evidence for such a place to exist. Thus, Catholics cannot be accused of having an unbiblical doctrine by believing in purgatory.

Matthew 12
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Without purgatory, why would we need to be forgiven in the world to come?

Revelation 21 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

We see here that nothing unclean or "defil[ing]" can enter heaven, because God is holy. Thus, if we die with sins that Jesus' blood has not covered (since they remain unconfessed), there must be a place for purging us of those sins. This is out of God's mercy, for otherwise He would have to send all of those people to hell, since their sin cannot enter heaven.

Zechariah 9
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

Notice the similarities between Zech. 9:11 (above) and 1 Pet. 3:19 (below)

1 Peter 3
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Here we see how it's possible to suffer both for well doing and evil doing (v. 17), and Christ also suffered (so it's not saying His sacrifice was insufficient). Why did Christ go to preach to the "spirits in prison"? They were the souls in the OT "waiting place" who had followed God, waiting for Jesus to come to bring redemption and bring them to heaven.

We see also that with Noah's ark, "eight souls were saved by water," and this is compared to the baptism which "doth also now save us"! Since it appears directly after the reference to purgatory, we can conclude that baptism gives us the necessary cleansing to be freed from purgatory if we were to die at that moment, since we would be cleansed of original sin.

Isaiah 4
4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), May 07, 2004.

Micah 7
7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

I think this passage above also refers to the OT waiting place, from which God will liberate the author when Jesus comes.

Malachi 3
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

We see in the passage above the prophecy of Jesus' coming. God is compared to a "refiner's fire" and "fullers [launderers'] soap". This indicates that somehow, we need to be purified or cleaned up. We see that God will "purify, purge" the Levites (OT priestly tribe) so that they can "offer unto the LORD and offering of righteousness." Interestingly, this offering is made by people, not by God in this case, and it occurs after Jesus' coming, as shown by the preceding verses. This implies that God allows us to have some part in the process of our own purification, when we submit in obedience to Him. Also, we see that the "sons of Jacob are not consumed" if they return to God, which could mean that they do not go to hell. Thus, there must be an alternative "waiting place" for them, since they were as of yet unable to enter heaven.

Matthew 18
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

The above passage suggests that although God forgives all the servant's "debt" (ie. he obtained salvation), he still must forgive others. He was sent to be tormented, not for eternity, but only "till he should pay all that was due unto him." This suggests that he will be released at a future time.

1 Corinthians 15
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

We see here that people are "baptized for the dead," implying that, by God's grace, those who are dead can somehow receive benefit from what we do here on earth. Also, some may take "if the dead not rise at all" to mean referring to eternal life, as in the spirit's resurrection into heaven, out of the grave. However, another way to view it (and I think a better way considering the context) is that these dead are being "raised" from out of purgatory. This explanation makes more sense considering the fact that people are "baptized" for these dead people.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), May 07, 2004.

1 Corinthians 3
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Now we see in v.15 that the man will be "saved," although his work is "burned." He "suffer[s] loss" and is "saved; yet so as by fire." Being saved by fire implies a purifying process, which makes a case for the existence of purgatory.

1 Peter 1
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

This passage again shows that our faith is tried by fire.

Luke 16
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Here we see that Abraham and Lazarus were in a separate place from the rich man, and a gulf was fixed between them. This is further evidence for the "waiting place" for OT believers, since Christ's death on the cross had not yet happened to allow them to enter heaven.

As for this being a place of comfort, this could be in comparison to the horrors of hell. The other alternative is that God showed mercy to those in the waiting place by not inflicting as much suffering upon them as souls would normally face in the state of purgatory. Nonetheless, this passage still provides further evidence for a place or state besides heaven and hell.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), May 07, 2004.

I should acknowledge my mother's contribution to this, as she directed me to the majority of these Scripture passages.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), May 07, 2004.

Emily,

Thats a lot of hard work. Good job!

-- - (David@excite.com), May 07, 2004.

Emily,

Many thanks to your and your mother for that insight into Purgatory.

God bless.

-- Andy S ("aszmere@earthlink.net"), May 08, 2004.