How to Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory (Catholic Caucus)

NC Register ^ | October 28, 2011 | JOSEPH PRONECHEN

[NYer]

What is the best devotion to help the souls in purgatory?

The holy sacrifice of the Mass is the chief source of devotion for the holy souls.

So, the most powerful means to relieve or release a soul from purgatory is through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You’ll find that in the Catechism. It says it in 1032: “From the beginning, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.”

In Praying With the Saints for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, I have Pope Benedict XVI’s writings that point to having Masses offered for the souls in purgatory. [One extensive quote is from Sacramentum Caritatis (Sacrament of Charity).]

After the Mass, the next most powerful way to help the souls is the Rosary, the most powerful Marian prayer on earth — in her approved apparitions, Mary says pray the Rosary for peace in the world, in your hearts, in your family — and the Stations of the Cross, because they’re indulgenced. You have to be in the state of grace to help the souls in purgatory. 

When we pray for the souls, we’ve got to remember we’re giving them paradise, the face of God, when we get them out sooner from purgatory. Our prayers are shortening this horrible suffering of being without God. They then show us their gratitude in the same proportion to their joy.

You recommend Gregorian Masses be offered for souls. What are they, how did they come about, and why are they important?

Gregorian Masses are absolutely the best way to help souls out of purgatory.

[Campion]

Just wanted to remind everyone that you can receive a plenary indulgence applicable to your departed friends or loved ones for:

• Visiting a church on November 2, All Souls Day (even better: assist at Mass on All Souls)
• Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead, anytime from November 1 through 8.

This is of course subject to the usual conditions: Holy Communion and Confession received within 8 days before or after, prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) for the intentions of the Pope, and [the tough one] complete detachment from all sins, even venial ones.

(To the extent that you fail the fourth condition, you receive a partial indulgence instead of a plenary one.)

[Campion]

(Oops ... visiting a church and visiting a cemetery are two distinct indulgences. I didn’t mean to imply that you had to do both to receive the indulgence.)

[RBIEL2]

One of my missions is to pray for the souls in purgatory that dont’ hardly have anyone to pray for them. Which in these times is nearly everyone.

[sneakers]

Me too. I say a prayer for “Those who are forgotten, those who have no one to pray for them, and those who are most in need of mercy”.