3 5 Saint Bede the aVenerable. - 7 URGATORY 6 7 2 / 6 7 3 c P

n his Ecclesiastical History of the very wide valley surrounded on the left English People, Saint Bede refers by frightening flames and on the right by to numerous visions of the Souls of torments of hail and snow. The forceful IPurgatory, like the one had by Saint Fursey, winds made the souls which were there the Irish monk who died in about 650 pass continually from one side to the in Péronne in France. During his sojourn other. He believed himself to be in Hell, in the monastery founded by him in but his guide told him no. Walking, he Cnoberesborough, the Saint became ill encountered more, always in dark places, and had a vision. He saw underneath him where he would see only the luminous four fires: that of Falsehood, Covetousness, figure. He arrived in a place where he Discord, and Injustice. Some demons were saw balls of fires come out of and fall arguing with the Angels over the souls of into a water well, and souls that rose and the dead. Three angels defended the fell in the flames with great torment. holy monk from the fires and from the Drythelm caught sight of demons that demons, but before he was well protected, were inflicting pain on five souls, among a devil succeeded in burning him on one whom he recognized a religious, a man, shoulder and his jaw. When the vision and a woman. The demons wanted to was over, Saint Fursey came back to his seize him, but the luminous figure saved body, and was left with a terror of the him and led him towards a place always fire he experienced. more luminous. Another episode narrated by Saint He entered into a prairie where Bede is that which has as the protagonist there were souls dressed in white who Drythelm, a worldly man, father of a were talking amongst themselves. He family, who lived in Cunningham near thought then that he had arrived in Scotland. He was sick and died, but at Heaven, but the guide told him no. Then sunrise he returned to life and all those proceeding, he reached a light even more death and they left their bodies in these who were keeping vigil to his corpse fled, bright and where an intense perfume conditions; however, at least they did except for his wife. Drythelm decided to surrounded him. The luminous figure confess and have done penitence, so that give one third of his wealth to his wife, then said to him: “Do you know what all on Judgment Day they will reach the one third to his children, and one third we have seen?” “The horrendous valley Kingdom of the Heavens. Of great help to the poor, and then he withdrew to the full of ardent flames and of glacial cold to them are the prayers of the living, monastery of Mailros. He recounted like is the place where the souls of criminals almsgiving, fasting, and above all, the this that which happened to him: a figure, are examined and punished, that they celebration of Mass, to be liberated even dressed in white, accompanied him to a have repented only on the point of before the Day of Judgment.” © Associazione Carlo Acutis