Print (BM R,4.54) - Public domain portrait engraving

St Teresa of Avila interceding for Bernardino de Mendoza; Christ standing at centre and looking down at St Teresa, who kneels at left, below purgatory as a pool of fire with three men and two women, an angel at right setting Bernardino de Mendoza free, two other putti above, a landscape in background; first state with address of Martin van den Enden; after Peter Paul Rubens
Engraving

Purgatory is a concept in Roman Catholicism and some other Christian denominations that refers to a state or place where souls undergo purification after death, in preparation for entering heaven. According to this belief, those who die in a state of grace but with unconfessed or unfulfilled sins must undergo a period of purification in purgatory, during which they are cleansed of their impurities and made ready for the beatific vision of God. The concept of purgatory is based on passages in the Bible and on early Christian teachings and traditions. It is seen as a way of balancing God's mercy with the demands of justice, as those who die with venial (less serious) sins are able to receive divine mercy and enter heaven, while also making satisfaction for their sins and avoiding the punishment they would otherwise face. The concept of purgatory has been a subject of debate and controversy within Christianity, with some denominations rejecting it outright.