Whether Christ by His Descent into Hell Delivered Souls from
Purgatory?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ by His descent into hell
delivered souls from Purgatory--for Augustine says (Ep. ad Evod.
clxiv): "Because evident testimonies speak of hell and its pains,
there is no reason for believing that the Saviour came thither except
to rescue men from those same pains: but I still wish to know whether
it was all whom He found there, or some whom He deemed worthy of such
a benefit. Yet I do not doubt that Christ went into hell, and granted
this favor to them who were suffering from its pains." But, as stated
above (A. 6), He did not confer the benefit of deliverance upon the
lost: and there are no others in a state of penal suffering except
those in Purgatory. Consequently Christ delivered souls from
Purgatory.
Obj. 2: Further, the very presence of Christ's soul had no less
effect than His sacraments have. But souls are delivered from
Purgatory by the sacraments, especially by the sacrament of the
Eucharist, as shall be shown later (Suppl., Q. 71, A. 9). Therefore
much more were souls delivered from Purgatory by the presence of
Christ descending into hell.
Obj. 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Poenit. ix), those whom Christ
healed in this life He healed completely. Also, our Lord says (John
7:23): "I have healed the whole man on the sabbath-day." But Christ
delivered them who were in Purgatory from the punishment of the pain
of loss, whereby they were excluded from glory. Therefore, He also
delivered them from the punishment of Purgatory.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory says (Moral. xiii): "Since our Creator and
Redeemer, penetrating the bars of hell, brought out from thence the
souls of the elect, He does not permit us to go thither, from whence
He has already by descending set others free." But He permits us to
go to Purgatory. Therefore, by descending into hell, He did not
deliver souls from Purgatory.
_I answer that,_ As we have stated more than once (A. 4, ad 2, AA. 5,
6, 7), Christ's descent into hell was one of deliverance in virtue of
His Passion. Now Christ's Passion had a virtue which was neither
temporal nor transitory, but everlasting, according to Heb. 10:14:
"For by one oblation He hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified." And so it is evident that Christ's Passion had no
greater efficacy then than it has now. Consequently, they who were
such as those who are now in Purgatory, were not set free from
Purgatory by Christ's descent into hell. But if any were found such
as are now set free from Purgatory by virtue of Christ's Passion,
then there was nothing to hinder them from being delivered from
Purgatory by Christ's descent into hell.
Reply Obj. 1: From this passage of Augustine it cannot be concluded
that all who were in Purgatory were delivered from it, but that such
a benefit was bestowed upon some persons, that is to say, upon such
as were already cleansed sufficiently, or who in life, by their faith
and devotion towards Christ's death, so merited, that when He
descended, they were delivered from the temporal punishment of
Purgatory.
Reply Obj. 2: Christ's power operates in the sacraments by way of
healing and expiation. Consequently, the sacrament of the Eucharist
delivers men from Purgatory inasmuch as it is a satisfactory
sacrifice for sin. But Christ's descent into hell was not
satisfactory; yet it operated in virtue of the Passion, which was
satisfactory, as stated above (Q. 48, A. 2), but satisfactory in
general, since its virtue had to be applied to each individual by
something specially personal (Q. 49, A. 1, ad 4, 5). Consequently, it
does not follow of necessity that all were delivered from Purgatory
by Christ's descent into hell.
Reply Obj. 3: Those defects from which Christ altogether delivered
men in this world were purely personal, and concerned the individual;
whereas exclusion from God's glory was a general defect and common to
all human nature. Consequently, there was nothing to prevent those
detained in Purgatory being delivered by Christ from their privation
of glory, but not from the debt of punishment in Purgatory which
pertains to personal defect. Just as on the other hand, the holy
Fathers before Christ's coming were delivered from their personal
defects, but not from the common defect, as was stated above (A. 7,
ad 1; Q. 49, A. 5, ad 1).
_______________________