https://doi.org/10.21697/bts.16340
The article analyzes the doctrine of purgatory from the perspective of the Marian School of Spirituality, primarily in light of the teachings of St. Stanislaus Papczyński. The author also mentions authors such as Father Kazimierz Wyszyński and Blessed Jerzy Matulewicz. The author reflects on the essence and meaning of purgatory in the context of Christian teaching on salvation, presenting it as a state of ultimate purification of the soul in God’s love. In the first part, he presents the origins and history of the concept of purgatory and its place in the tradition of the Catholic Church, emphasising the contribution of the Marian Fathers to the development of devotion to the dead and the popularisation of the doctrine of purification after death. The second part of the analysis examines the visions and mystical experiences of Father Stanisław Papczyński, interpreted in the light of the Christocentric concept of purification. Purgatory is presented as a manifestation of God’s mercy, in which souls experience suffering permeated with hope and joy in anticipation of full union with Christ. In this view, purification is a dynamic
process that integrates human existence beyond the boundary of death through love – by the power of the Redemption accomplished by Jesus. The third part is devoted to the issue of helping souls in purgatory, which, according to Marian teaching, is an act of supreme love and compassion. The author discusses the practices recommended by the Church – prayer, Holy
Mass, almsgiving, fasting and indulgences – as means of spiritual support for the deceased. He also points to the mutual bond between the living and the souls in purgatory, which is realised in the exchange of spiritual goods and intercession. The conclusion emphasises that the message of the Marian Fathers combines purifying love with human moral responsibility. The Christocentric dimension of Marian spirituality leads to a personalistic understanding of love, in which believers – through prayer and acts of mercy – participate in the work of saving others. The author points out the importance of the responsibility of
the living for the souls suffering in purgatory in the teachings of the Marians.
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