Fortiter (asker) Oct 30, 2013:

I'd say the best (most used) English phrase is THE CHURCH EXPECTANT or SUFFERING. Thanks for helping my search....

liz askew Oct 28, 2013:

exactly, that is why I quoted this!:)

Sandra Mouton Oct 28, 2013:

liz askew wrote:
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a purification".
That would be the purga- part in Purgatory and... ecclesia purgans, for that matter ;-).

liz askew Oct 28, 2013:

doh!
Purgatory | Catholic Answers
www.catholic.com/tracts/purgatory‎
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is ...

Veronika McLaren Oct 28, 2013:

Quote from Dictionarium theologicum portatile: Ecclesia Purgans est societas eorum qui in Dei gratia ex hac vita decesserunt, nec tamen pro aditu regni coelestis fatis puri Purgatorii flammis expiantur.

Sandra Mouton Oct 28, 2013:

@asker and liz askew To further clarify what I am saying, I think that liz askew's references are excellent. Ecclesia purgans does seem to refer to the same souls, which are in Purgatory, as ecclesia penitens/patiens, but the actual meaning of the phrase ecclesia purgans is something like "the church currently engaged in the process of purifying/being purified".

liz askew Oct 28, 2013:

http://www.askthepriest.org/askthepriest/2011/03/the-church-...
First, I should point out that these defintions are from medieval Roman Catholic theology, so while they might work for Anglicans in some ways, they don't fit us exactly. In this scheme, those in the church on earth are referred to as the "Church Militant." (Although since the idea of holy war has fallen out of disfavor in Christianity, we might want to rethink whether that is an appropriate term.) Those who have died but are in an intermediate state, which Roman Catholics term Purgatory, are the "Church Expectant." Those who are in paradise wtih God already (which would be the saints in Roman Catholic terms) are the "Church Triumphant." This division of the church is usually used in teaching to point out that our community as Christians is larger than just those of us on earth today.

Sandra Mouton Oct 28, 2013:

Slightly different trio From what I can find, the "trio" is usually Militant, Triumphant and the Church Expectant of Liz Askew's answer, not your "purgans".