The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
On November 2, we remember those who were saved after death, but are still in Purgatory. From the point of view of the final choice for God or against God, man is faced with an alternative: either he will live with the Lord in eternal happiness or he will stay away from his presence. Between the pilgrimage in earthly life and the eternal glory in heaven there is a condition in which the souls of the righteous suffer, though affected by the "stain of venial sin", or those who have not repented of their sins on earth. It is therefore about those souls who have left this world in sanctifying grace and are in friendship with God. However, they cannot enter Heaven because they still have some "debts" to pay God's justice.
The path to full happiness requires purification, which the faith of the Church shows with the doctrine of purgatory. Every trace of attachment to evil should be removed, every distortion of the soul - straightened. The cleansing should be complete. Purgatory means not a place but a state of life. Those who live in a state of purification after death are already in the love of Christ who lifts them up from the remnants of imperfection.
The purification state, however, does not mean the prolongation of the earthly situation, and after death is no possibility of changing one's destiny. The teaching of the Church in this respect is unequivocal. If someone is found in purgatory after death, salvation is already assured - he cannot go to hell. On the other hand, a damned person will no longer be with grace to see God's face.
The truth about the existence of purgatory was proclaimed by the Church in the form of a dogma at the Council of Lyons in 1274. It was confirmed and explained in detail in a separate decree on purgatory at the Council of Trent (1545-1563).
There are several places in Scripture that lead us to the existence of purgatory. In the Second Book of Maccabees, we have a description of the Battle of Adullam, in which many soldiers were killed. Their commander, Judas Maccabee, offered atonement offering for their sin (2 Mac 12: 38-45). Thus, as early as in the 2nd century BC, the Israelites believed that there was a place where souls repenting for their sins and that these souls could be helped so that at the end of the world, with the universal resurrection of their bodies, they could be counted among the saved.
The dogma of the Church is based primarily on tradition, on the universal practice of saying prayers for the deceased since the beginnings of Christianity. Tertullian (160-240) writes: "On the anniversary day we offer sacrifices for the dead." He does not write that sacrifices are made in honor of the dead as this would be considered idolatry, but he states that sacrifices were made "for the dead". So, there was already a conviction that the dead needs help from us. Elsewhere, Tertullian cites information about a woman who prays for her husband and asks him to be saved.
In catacombs on Christian graves, we often find inscriptions that in the mouths of the deceased or his family put words of prayer to God for the intention of the one who left this earth. However, we do not find similar inscriptions on the graves of the martyrs, which clearly proves the faithful's conviction that they do not need our prayers anymore. St. Ephrem (+ 373) recommends in his testament that on the thirtieth day after his death there should be a service for him, "for the sacrifices made by the living help the dead." About the existence of purgatory write St. Augustine (+ 430), St. Caesars of Arles (+ 543) and St. Gregory the Great (+ 604).
According to the vision of St. Catherine of Genoa (+ 1510), the greatest punishment for a soul in Purgatory is temporary separation from God. Only after death does the soul know who God is, knows Him as the fullness of love, beauty and holiness. The soul wants to connect with Him at all costs, and yet is not worthy of it. So, the soul wants to look for a place where can be purify. This place is purgatory. And the fire that will burn the soul will be love, anxious to unite with God. The souls in Purgatory suffer the pain of separation, the ardor of the desire to connect with the object of their greatest love. At the same time, the souls in Purgatory will be lucky to be loved, that God considers them friends and waits for them.
There is no certainty among theologians whether the souls in Purgatory can help us on earth and intercede for us. Opinions are divided. However, the common belief of the faithful is that although the souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves, they can support us on earth, seems likely. After all, they are God's friends, and the bond of blood and friendship with the mystery of the communion of saints not only does not loosen but tightens them even more. Maybe soon they will share eternal glory with Him. Therefore, one can have devotion to souls in Purgatory and pray to them for various needs. There is a sisters' congregation in Poland, founded by Bl. Father Honorat Koźmiński (+ 1916), Help of Souls in Purgatory. A particularly developed devotion to souls in Purgatory is observed in Italy.
St. Peter Damian (+ 1072) was the first to write a treatise about the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mediatrix of the souls in Purgatory. In it he states that the Mother of God was to appear to a certain Marozia and inform her that on the solemnity of her Assumption she has the privilege of taking many souls from purgatory to heaven. St. Gertrude (+ 1302) writes that she witnessed how Mary saved the soul of a religious brother Herman from purgatory, who was distinguished by devotion to her. She further confesses that the Mother of God effectively intercedes for the souls in Purgatory. It also encourages earnest prayers. Also St. Francis of Rome (+ 1440) expresses the opinion that Our Lady has the power to save souls in Purgatory. She does this especially on his greatest celebration - the Assumption. St. Bernard (+ 1153) calls Mary directly "Deliverer of souls in Purgatory". The conviction that Mary will save those souls who wore the Carmelite scapular and preserved the virtue of chastity from purgatory on the first Saturday after their death dates from the Middle Ages.
Those in the purification situation are related both to the blessed ones who are already enjoying eternal life fully and to us who travel in this world to the Father's house. That is why our prayer for the dead is so important. They can do nothing more for their salvation, but we can and should. Flowers and candles are only external signs of our memory of them. In fact, the dead need our prayers. Let us pray for them not only on holidays and anniversaries of death, but also every day.
The most beautiful sacrifice is that of the Holy Mass. for the deceased, that their souls may be cleansed and that they may enter the Kingdom of Christ. We can also offer indulgences for the deceased.
Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful in the current pandemic
The Holy See issued this year the following DECREE: “This year, in the current circumstances due to the “Covid-19” pandemic, the Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful will be extended throughout the entire month of November, with adaptation of works and conditions to guarantee the safety of the faithful.
This Apostolic Penitentiary has received many petitions from holy Pastors who have asked that this year, due to the "Covid-19" epidemic, pious works be commuted in order to obtain the Plenary Indulgences applicable to souls in Purgatory, in accordance with the Manual of Indulgences (conc. 29, § 1). For this reason, the Apostolic Penitentiary, on the special mandate of His Holiness Pope Francis, willingly establishes and decides that this year, in order to avoid gatherings where they are forbidden:
a - the Plenary Indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased, even if only mentally, normally established only on the individual days from 1 - 8 of November, may be transferred to other days of the same month, until its end. These days, freely chosen by the individual believers, may also be separate from each other.
b - the Plenary Indulgence of November 2, established on the occasion of the Commemoration of all the deceased faithful for those who piously visit a church or oratory and recite the “Our Father” and the “Creed” there, may be transferred not only to the Sunday before or after or on the day of the Solemnity of All Saints, but also to another day of the month of November, freely chosen by the individual faithful.” (Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful in the current pandemic, 23.10.2020)
Until Tomorrow
fr. george