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Treatise on Purgatory

St Catherine of Genoa · d. 1510

  1. 1 Editor's Preface
  2. 2 Treatise on Purgatory - 2. The joy of souls in purgatory. The saint illustrates their ever increasing vision of God. The difficulty of speaking about their state.
  3. 3 Treatise on Purgatory - 3. Separation from God is the greatest pain of purgatory. In this, purgatory differs from hell.
  4. 4 Treatise on Purgatory - 4. The difference between the state of the souls in hell and that of those in purgatory.
  5. 5 Treatise on Purgatory - 5. Of the peace and joy which are found in purgatory.
  6. 6 Treatise on Purgatory - 6. A comparison to express with how great violence of love the souls in purgatory desire to enjoy God.
  7. 7 Treatise on Purgatory - 7. Of the marvelous wisdom of God in the creation of purgatory and of hell.
  8. 8 Treatise on Purgatory - 8. Of the necessity of purgatory, and of its terrific character
  9. 9 Treatise on Purgatory - 9. How God and the soul reciprocally regard each other in purgatory. The saint confesses that she has no words to express these things.
  10. 10 Treatise on Purgatory - 10. How God makes use of purgatory to complete the purification of the soul. That she acquires therein a purity so great that if she were yet to remain after her purification she would cease to suffer.
  11. 11 Treatise on Purgatory - 11. The desire of souls in purgatory to be purified from every stain of sin. The wisdom of God in veiling from them their defects.
  12. 12 Treatise on Purgatory - 12. How joy and suffering are united in purgatory.
  13. 13 Treatise on Purgatory - 13. The souls in purgatory are not in a state to merit. How they regard the suffrages offered for them in this world.
  14. 14 Treatise on Purgatory - 14. Of the submission of the souls in purgatory to the will of God.
  15. 15 Treatise on Purgatory - 16. Showing that the sufferings of the souls in purgatory do not prevent their peace and joy.
  16. 16 Treatise on Purgatory - 17. Which concludes with an application of all that has been said concerning the souls in purgatory to what the saint experiences in her own soul.
  17. 17 St Catherine of Genoa
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