Treatise on Purgatory
CHAPTER I
St Catherine of Genoa
The souls in purgatory, as far as I can understand the matter, cannot but choose to be there ; and this by God’s ordinance, Who has justly decreed it so. They cannot reflect within themselves and say, ” I have done such and such sins, for which I deserve to be here; ” nor can they say, “Would that I had not done them, that now I might go to Paradise ;” nor yet say, “That soul is going out before me;” nor, “I shall go out before him.” They can remember nothing of themselves or others, whether good or evil, which might increase the pain they ordinarily endure ; they are so completely satisfied with what God has ordained for them, that He should be doing all that pleases Him, and in the way it pleases Him, that they are incapable of thinking of themselves even in the midst of their greatest sufferings.
They behold only the goodness of God, whose mercy is so great in bringing men to Himself, that they cannot see anything that may affect them, whether good or bad ; if they could, they would not be in pure charity. They do not know that their sufferings are for the sake of their sins, nor can they keep in view the sins themselves ; for in doing so there would be an act of imperfection, which could have no place where there can be no longer any possibility of actually sinning. Once, in passing out of this life, they perceive why they have their purgatory ; but never afterwards, otherwise self would come in.
