Purgatory

In Catholic theology a place of cleansing after the particular judgment. After death, persons who repented of their sins but had not expiated them in life are purged before entering heaven. Because everyone who enters purgatory will evenutally reach heaven, it is not a place of punishment and is not related to hell. Prayers for the dead or indulgences? can shorten one's own or loved one's stays therein.

The [Eastern Orthodox church]? also believes in purgatory; however they have some differences with the Catholic church. (More details?)

Protestant churches generally reject the belief in purgatory. Catholics quote [II Maccabees]? 12:45 in defence; but Protestant do not recognise that book as canonical as it is in a group of books called by Protestants the Apocrypha and by Catholics and Orthodox the Deuterocanonical? Books.