152 POPISH FRAUDS EXEMPLIFIED BY


“The suffrages of the faithful—to wit, sacrifices of
masses, prayers, almsgiving, &c., which are wont to be
performed by the faithful for the other faithful departed
—be piously rendered; and whatsoever things are due
on their behalf from the endowments of testators, or in
any other way” (and here is the whole morale of the
question), “these are to be discharged in a proper
manner.”

The difficult and subtle questions suggested are, the
nature of the sufferings undergone by the inhabitants
of Purgatory, the duration of such sufferings, and the
supposed locality of this imaginary place, or state.
We obtain a little further information on one of
these questions from the Catechism of the Council of
Trent. ‘This Catechism Dr. Doyle asserted on oath to
be the most approved and authentic summary of the
creed, faith, and morals of the Roman Church:*

“ Besides this (namely, hell) there is a purgatorial fire,
where the souls of the pious are for a certain time ex-
piated by suffering, by which an entrance may be gained
to the eternal abodes into which nothing unclean can
enter.’’?

By this we learn that in this place the souls of the
faithful are tormented (cruciate is the word employed)
for a time, by a literal fire.
This is all we can gather from documents of au-
thority on the subject under consideration. But we
can gain a little more information from other sources.
Cardinal Bellarmine, the most distinguished champion
of the Romish Church, in his work entitled “De


1 Phelan, Digest: Lords: March 21, 1825, part i. p. 176.
? “Preterea est purgatorius ignis, quo piorum anime ad definitum
tempus cruciate expiantur, ut eis in eternam patriam ingressus patere
possit, in quam nihil coinquinatum ingreditur.”—Catech. Concil. Trid.
