Poor Mojo Newswire

Located in the back of the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio in Rome, the tiny Museum of the Souls in Purgatory is a collection of bibles, prayer books, tabletops, and articles of clothing said to have been singed by the hands of souls in purgatory. According to Catholic belief, the soul is stranded in purgatory until it atones for its sins, but can hasten its ascent to heaven through the prayers of loved ones still on earth. The scorched handprints collected in this museum are believed to be the product of souls begging their earth-bound loved ones to pray harder.