‘THE JOY OF THE SOULS IN PURGATORY’ ~ ‘Treatise on Purgatory’ by Saint Catherine of Genoa; 1915; …
[Saint Catherine of Genoa ~ XV-XVI Century; Genoa, Republic of Genoa/ Genoa, Republic of Genoa; (aged 62-63); Mystic; Spiritual Writer]
“Chapter IV - STATE OF THE SOULS THAT ARE IN HELL, AND THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS BETWEEN THEM AND THOSE IN PURGATORY REFLECTIONS OF THE SAINT UPON THOSE WHO NEGLECT THEIR SALVATION.
FROM what has been said, it is clear that the guilt of sin consists in the perverse opposition of the will to the will of God, and that so long as the will continues thus evilly perverse the guilt will continue. For those, then, in hell, who have departed this life with an evil will, there is no remission of sin, neither can be, because there can be no more change of will. In passing out of this life the soul is fixed for good or evil according to its deliberate purpose at the time ; as is written, " Where shall I find thee (that is, at the hour of death, with a will either to sin or sorry for sin and penitent), there will I judge thee : " and this judgment is final ; because …More
"THE souls in Purgatory having their wills perfectly conformed to the will of God, and hence partaking of His goodness, remain satisfied with their condition, which is one of entire freedom from the guilt of sin. For when they passed out of this life, penitent, with all their sins confessed and resolved to sin no more, God straightway pardoned them ; and now they are as pure as when they were created ; the rust of sin alone is left, and this they get rid of by the punishment of fire."
"For those, then, in hell, who have departed this life with an evil will, there is no remission of sin, neither can be, because there can be no more change of will. In passing out of this life the soul is fixed for good or evil according to its deliberate purpose at the time ; as is written, " Where shall I find thee (that is, at the hour of death, with a will either to sin or sorry for sin and penitent), there will I judge thee : " and this judgment is final ; because after death the will can never again be free, but must remain fixed in the condition in which it was found at the moment of death. The souls in hell having been found at the moment of death with a will to sin, have with them an infinite degree of guilt ; and the punishment they suffer, though less than they deserve, is yet, so far as it exists, endless."