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What is the purpose of purgatory?

To provide a place or state in which unrepented venial sins of those who die in a state of grace can be forgiven, and any remaining "temporal punishment" they may have due to already-forgiven sins may be removed. (Baltimore Catechism, question 1381)

Unrepented venial sins are forgiven by the same mechanism by which they are forgiven on earth: "an act of contrition moved by grace," according to St. Thomas.

"Temporal punishment" requires some explanation. Every sin has consequences; damage which is done to the soul, just like disease damages the body. One consequence of grave sin is "eternal punishment," which is the punishment of hell which is taken away by our salvation.

"Temporal punishment" is everything else. God is free to remit all or some of this gratis (and does remit all of it at baptism for sins committed before baptism), but he is not required to do so. (Remember, God is sovereign.)

The removal of this punishment, if not undertaken on earth, must happen after death and before one enters heaven. This process happens by the merits of Christ through his Body, the Church.

Scripture speaks of this in 1 Cor 3. The Protestant argument that any sort of chastisement for sin somehow impugns the sacrifice of Christ is nonsense in view of Hebrews 12:5-11. Nor does it follow that the poor souls in purgatory "earn their salvation" (they're already saved) or "earn their way into heaven" any more than any of the rest of us (who are chastised also, remember Hebrews 12) do.

There's your explanation. That's what I believe as a Catholic. You're free not to believe it. If you want to convince me that it's not what the Catholic church teaches and that I'm a bad Catholic for believing it, be prepared to present evidence for your claim. A lot of evidence.

You're free not to believe it.

But it is so much easier to mock a misrepresentation of it.

HD-What is the purpose of purgatory?

To provide a place or state in which unrepented venial sins of those who die in a state of grace can be forgiven, and any remaining "temporal punishment" they may have due to already-forgiven sins may be removed. (Baltimore Catechism, question 1381).

That is NOT what the Baltimore Catechism, question 1381 states. It states the following:

Q. 1381. What is Purgatory?

A. Purgatory is the state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins.

As you can see, the Baltimore Catechism agrees with the New Advent Encyclopedia in stating there are some sins that still remains that must be purged through purgatory. The difference is that Purgatory is a place where people are free from mortal sin, they are not free from venial sins. Thus they must be purged of these sins. That is what it states in the Catechism 1381-4

That clearly means that Christ died only for mortal sins, not venial sins.