The length of time souls are detained in purgatory depend on:
1- The number of their faults
2- On the malice and deliveration with which these have been committed
3- On the penance done or not done, the satisfaction made for sins during life
4- Much too depend on the suffrages offered for them after death
What can be safely said is that the time souls spend in Purgatory, as a rule, is very much longer than the people commonly know. We will quote a few o the many instances which are recounted in the lives and revelations of the Saints.
St. Louis Bertrand's father of so great a saint
He had even wished to become a Carthusian monk until he learned that it was not God’s will for him.When he died, after long years spent in the practice of every Christian virtue, his saintly son, fully aware of the rigours of God’s justice, offered many Masses and poured forth the most fervent supplications for the soul he so dearly loved.A vision of his father still in Purgatory forced him to intensify a hundredfold his suffrages. He added most severe penances and long fasts to his Masses and prayers. Yet eight whole years passed before he obtained the release of his father.
St Malachy’s sister
Other pious people
St Malachy’s sister
St Malchy’s sister was detained in Purgatory for a very long time despite the Masses, prayers and heroic mortifications the Saint offered for her!
Other pious people
It was related to a holy nun in Famphluna, who succeeded in releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory that most of these had spent there terms from thirty to sixty years!
Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for forty, fifty and sixty years! What will it be for those living midst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?
St Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervour for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that, had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an indeterminable time in Purgatory.
Necessary and prudent
In the Dominican Order it is the rule to pray for the Master Generals by name on their anniversaries. Many of these have been dead several hundred years! They were men especially eminent for piety and learning. This rule would not been approved by the Church were it not necessary and prudent.
The time varies
We do not mean to imply that all souls are detained equally long periods in the expiatory fires. Many have committed lesser faults and have done more penance. Therefore their punishment will be much less severe.
Still the instances we have quoted are very much to the point, for if these souls who enjoyed the intimacy, who saw the example and shared in the intercession of great Saints during their lives and who, after death, were aided by their most efficacious suffrages, yet were detained for such a length of time in Purgatory, what may not happen to us who enjoy none of these wonderful privileges?
Why such a lengthy expiation in Purgatory?
The malice of sin is very great. What appears to us small faults are in reality serious offences against the infinite goodness of God. It is enough to see how the Saints wept over their faults. – We are weak, it may be urged. That is true, but then God offers us abundant graces to strengthen our weakness, gives us light to see the gravity of our faults and the necessity force to conquer temptation. If we are still weak the fault is all our own. We do not use the light and strength He so generously offers us, we do not pray, we do not receive the sacraments, as we should.
An eminent Theologian wisely remarks that if souls are condemned to Hell because of one mortal sin for all eternity, it is not to be wondered at that other souls should be detained for long years in Purgatory who have committed countless deliberate venial sins, some of which are so grave that at the time of their commission the sinner scarcely knows if they are mortal or venial. They may have committed, too, many mortal sins for which they have had little sorrow and done little or no penance. The guilt has been remitted by absolution [in sacramental confession; i.e. the sacrament of penance/reconciliation], but the pain due to the sins will have to be paid in Purgatory.
Venial sins
There are an infinite number of faults of self love, selfishness; thoughts, words, and acts of sensuality, too, in a hundred forms; faults of charity in thought, word and deed; laziness, vanity, jealousy, tepidity and innumerable other faults.
There are sins of omission which we pay so little heed to. We love God so little yet He has a thousand claims on our love. We treat Him with coldness, indifference, and base ingratitude. He died for each one of us. Do we ever thank Him as we ought? He remains day and night on the Altar waiting for our visits, anxious to help us. How seldom do we go to Him! He longs to come into our hearts in Holy Communion and we refuse Him entrance. He dies for us on the Altar every Morning at Mass and gives oceans of graces to those who assist at the Great Sacrifice. Yet many are too lazy to go to this Calvary! What an abuse of grace!
Our thoughts are mean and hard, full of self love. We have happy homes, splendid food, warm clothing, an abundance of all good things. Many around us live in hunger and misery and we give them so little while we spend lavishly and needlessly on ourselves.Our Lord tells us that we shall have to render an account for each and every idle word we say and that we may not leave our prison until we shall have paid the last farthing.The Saints committed few and slight sins and still they sorrowed much and did severe penances. We commit many and grave sins and we sorrow little and do little or no penance.It would be difficult to calculate the immense number of venial sins that any Christian commits.Life is given us to serve God, to save our souls. Most Christians, however, are satisfied to give God a very small proportion of their time! The rest of the 24 hours is given to work, rest and pleasure. A small proportion to God, to our immortal souls, to the great work we have to do, viz, our salvation. The by far greatest proportion to this transitory life! Is it fair to God? It may be alleged that our work, our rest, our sufferings are done for God! They should be and then our merits would be, indeed, great. The truth is that many scarcely ever think of God during the day. The one engrossing object of their thoughts is self. They think and labour and rest and sleep to satisfy self. God gets a very little place in their day and in their minds. This is an outrage to His loving heart which is ever thinking of us.
Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for forty, fifty and sixty years! What will it be for those living midst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?
St Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervour for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that, had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an indeterminable time in Purgatory.
Necessary and prudent
In the Dominican Order it is the rule to pray for the Master Generals by name on their anniversaries. Many of these have been dead several hundred years! They were men especially eminent for piety and learning. This rule would not been approved by the Church were it not necessary and prudent.
The time varies
We do not mean to imply that all souls are detained equally long periods in the expiatory fires. Many have committed lesser faults and have done more penance. Therefore their punishment will be much less severe.
Still the instances we have quoted are very much to the point, for if these souls who enjoyed the intimacy, who saw the example and shared in the intercession of great Saints during their lives and who, after death, were aided by their most efficacious suffrages, yet were detained for such a length of time in Purgatory, what may not happen to us who enjoy none of these wonderful privileges?
Why such a lengthy expiation in Purgatory?
The malice of sin is very great. What appears to us small faults are in reality serious offences against the infinite goodness of God. It is enough to see how the Saints wept over their faults. – We are weak, it may be urged. That is true, but then God offers us abundant graces to strengthen our weakness, gives us light to see the gravity of our faults and the necessity force to conquer temptation. If we are still weak the fault is all our own. We do not use the light and strength He so generously offers us, we do not pray, we do not receive the sacraments, as we should.
An eminent Theologian wisely remarks that if souls are condemned to Hell because of one mortal sin for all eternity, it is not to be wondered at that other souls should be detained for long years in Purgatory who have committed countless deliberate venial sins, some of which are so grave that at the time of their commission the sinner scarcely knows if they are mortal or venial. They may have committed, too, many mortal sins for which they have had little sorrow and done little or no penance. The guilt has been remitted by absolution [in sacramental confession; i.e. the sacrament of penance/reconciliation], but the pain due to the sins will have to be paid in Purgatory.
Venial sins
There are an infinite number of faults of self love, selfishness; thoughts, words, and acts of sensuality, too, in a hundred forms; faults of charity in thought, word and deed; laziness, vanity, jealousy, tepidity and innumerable other faults.
There are sins of omission which we pay so little heed to. We love God so little yet He has a thousand claims on our love. We treat Him with coldness, indifference, and base ingratitude. He died for each one of us. Do we ever thank Him as we ought? He remains day and night on the Altar waiting for our visits, anxious to help us. How seldom do we go to Him! He longs to come into our hearts in Holy Communion and we refuse Him entrance. He dies for us on the Altar every Morning at Mass and gives oceans of graces to those who assist at the Great Sacrifice. Yet many are too lazy to go to this Calvary! What an abuse of grace!
Our thoughts are mean and hard, full of self love. We have happy homes, splendid food, warm clothing, an abundance of all good things. Many around us live in hunger and misery and we give them so little while we spend lavishly and needlessly on ourselves.Our Lord tells us that we shall have to render an account for each and every idle word we say and that we may not leave our prison until we shall have paid the last farthing.The Saints committed few and slight sins and still they sorrowed much and did severe penances. We commit many and grave sins and we sorrow little and do little or no penance.It would be difficult to calculate the immense number of venial sins that any Christian commits.Life is given us to serve God, to save our souls. Most Christians, however, are satisfied to give God a very small proportion of their time! The rest of the 24 hours is given to work, rest and pleasure. A small proportion to God, to our immortal souls, to the great work we have to do, viz, our salvation. The by far greatest proportion to this transitory life! Is it fair to God? It may be alleged that our work, our rest, our sufferings are done for God! They should be and then our merits would be, indeed, great. The truth is that many scarcely ever think of God during the day. The one engrossing object of their thoughts is self. They think and labour and rest and sleep to satisfy self. God gets a very little place in their day and in their minds. This is an outrage to His loving heart which is ever thinking of us.
– From: Read Me or Rue It, by E.D.M., approved of His Eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon 4/6/1936, printed by Kerryman, Co Kerry, Ireland
Thank you for sharing. I desperate pray the 7 prayers of st. Bridget,the 15 prayers of st. Bridget,many Rosaries,Chaplet of Divine Mercy,Chaplet of st. michael, acts contrition,Life Offering prayer,prayers for the souls in purgatory. I pray the Lord accepts these acts of reparation, supplication etc. For myself and others.
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