The Idea of Purgatory in the Middle Ages: Organization and Definition of a tradition

Abstract

At the XIIIth Century, Catholic Church oficially accepts the belief in Purgatory. This belief in an intermediate Place to where some souls go after death, to atone for his venial sins before entering Heaven, is neither accepted by the Greek Ortodox Church, nor by the Protestant Churches. However, for Catolics, this belief is part of a tradition traced to the origins of the Church. Taking as a starting point Jacques Le Goff's investigation about this issue, this paper describes the development of this belief along the medieval centuries.