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      VATICAN (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II told his Wednesday general audience that purgatory is the state we enter after we die to be purged of every trace of sin before entering Heaven.

      Following up on his last two general audiences in which dealt with heaven and hell, the Holy Father said that anyone who had led a less than perfect life but was still destined for Heaven would spend time in Purgatory. "Before we enter into God's Kingdom, every trace of sin within us must be eliminated, every imperfection in our soul must be corrected. This is exactly what takes place in Purgatory," he said.

      Repeating his theme in the two previous talks, the Pope said Purgatory was a not a physical place either. He said, "(Purgatory) does not indicate a place, but a condition of life. Those who, after death, live in this state of purification are already immersed in the love of Christ, which lifts them out of the residue of imperfection." He then encouraged Christians to pray and do good works on behalf of those in Purgatory.

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