Dear Bridget:

You mean Protestant Christians. Catholics are Christians, and in fact were the first Christians.

A near-dictionary definition of Purgatory in the Bible is in 1 Corinthians:

(1 Cor 3:11-15)  For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

This is not talking about salvation. The people who go through this "test" are saved. The fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If a person's work on earth are burned up because he did not do many good works, his salvation is not in question. He will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

That is purgatory. The word "purgatory" comes from the Latin for "cleanse" or to "purge". That is exactly what St. Paul is describing here. This process "removes (impurities and other elements) by or as if by cleansing" as the dictionary defines purge. The means of this cleansing or purging of bad works, as described by St. Paul, is by fire.

Thus, purgatory is 100% Biblical.

But, you have to understand that many Protestants will go through hoops and all sorts of rationalizations and intellectual dishonesty to refute this clear teaching of St. Paul. As in the article linked below, Purgatory in All but Name, Protestants are prejudiced against the word "purgatory" even if the elements of what Catholics call purgatory are the same as some of their beliefs. This is childish. But, they have to refute this because if they would admit the clear teaching of Scripture they would have to agree the Catholic Church is right, and more, they would have to become Catholic.

That is what happened to me. I was a Baptist preacher. Upon studying the Bible, without bias, just taking the Bible for what it says, I discovered that the Catholic Church was correct and was the Church of the Bible. The Bible and the Bible alone proves this.

But, the pride of many will refuse to admit this. As Jesus once said, they have eyes but do not see.

Thus, even if you perfectly prove the existence of purgatory do not expect the typical Protestant to admit it. And when the conversation becomes unproductive, St. Paul says that it is time to change the subject. We must always remember that it is not our job to convince anyone. Our job is to be the messenger. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to do the convincing.

I recommend the articles: Roots of Purgatory and Purgatory in All but Name.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary