In Roman Catholic teaching, the final purification after death for those destined for heaven is called Purgatory.
Purgatory is understood as a state or process of purification, not as a second chance after death and not as eternal punishment. Catholic teaching holds that people who die in God’s grace but still require purification undergo this preparation before entering the full vision of God.
The doctrine developed over centuries from Christian reflection on judgment, repentance, prayer for the dead, and biblical passages interpreted as supporting postmortem purification. The word itself comes from the Latin purgare, meaning “to cleanse” or “to purify.”
A common mistake is to treat Purgatory as equivalent to Hell. In Catholic theology, Hell is definitive separation from God, whereas Purgatory concerns souls whose final destiny is heaven. The Catholic Church has not defined Purgatory as a physical location, and popular images of flames are symbolic or devotional rather than a required geographical description.