Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church That Is in Purgatory · Book II: On the Circumstances of Purgatory
Chapter 13: Whether souls in purgatory are tormented by demons
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae est in Purgatorio, Book II, the third general controversy. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
On the third doubt the matter is altogether uncertain; for that they are tormented neither by demons nor by angels, but by the fire alone, the scholastics teach, as Saint Thomas on the fourth book, distinction 20, article 5, and they give the reason that all the souls of purgatory overcame the devil in the last conflict, and therefore it does not befit the divine justice to allow them to be vexed by a conquered enemy. Then, here on earth demons vex even perfect men, because they hope they can draw them to sin; but they know that the souls of purgatory, confirmed in grace, cannot fall, and that their vexation would necessarily profit them toward a swifter purgation; it is not credible, then, that those souls are tormented by the work of demons. On the other side, that the souls of purgatory are tormented by demons many revelations teach, such as that of blessed Fursey in Bede, book 3 of the history, chapter 19, and in Denis the Carthusian in the book on the four last things, and book 1 of the life of blessed Bernard, chapter 10. Let this too, then, remain among the secrets which will be opened to us in their own time.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XIII. An in purgatorio torqueantur animac a daemonibus. De lerlio dubio res est omnino incerta;nam qnod non torqueantur a daemonibus, ncc ab angelis,sed a solo igne, docent scholastici, uls. Thomas in 4. dist. 20. artic. 5. el rationem reddunl,quia onmes aniraac purgatorii in nltimo confliclu diabolum su- peraruul. ideo non decet juslitiam divinara, ul si- nal eas ab hosle deviclo vexari. Deinde, hic in ler ris cliam perfeclos viros dnemones vexant , quia sperani se posse eos ad peccatum perlrahere ; al animas purgatorii sciunl in gralia connrinalasjnon posse cadere , et vexationera illis necessario pro- fulurani ad celeriorem purgalionem , non igitur credibile est , daemonum opera animas illas cru- ciari. Ex aliera parle, quod a daeraonibus (orqueaiilur animae purgatorii , docenl multae revelationes, ut illa b. Fursaei opud Bedara lib. 3. histor. cap. 19. et apud Dionysiura cartliusianura lib. de qualuor novissiinis, et lib. 1. vilae beali Bernardi,cap. 10. Maneai igilur et hoc inter secrela , quae suo tem- pore nobis aperientur.