Do Orthodox Christians Believe in Purgatory?

The Orthodox Church prays for the departed and believes that death does not place a person outside God's judgment and mercy. However, Orthodoxy does not receive the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory in the same formally defined theological framework.

Does Orthodoxy teach that nothing happens between death and resurrection? No. Orthodox tradition contains prayers and reflections concerning the departed, but it does not reduce the mystery to one universally defined mechanical scheme.

Should every popular description be treated as dogma? No. Care is needed to distinguish central teaching from theological opinion, devotional imagery, and local tradition.

See What Does the Orthodox Church Teach About Life After Death?.