Purgatory

The tour guide at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York pointed to the ceiling and the row of red hats hanging there. "Those are the scarlet galeros of the cardinals who have served this Cathedral," he said to the group. "There is a belief among the faithful that when galero of a cardinal falls, it signifies that his soul has gone to heaven."

"When was the last time that one fell?" asked a boy. "Oh," said the tour guide, "we've never had one fall."

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All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (Catholic Catechism Par. 1030)

The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification fo the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (Catholic Catechism Par. 1031)