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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
All Souls Day Funds appeals	Matt	Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Question: Every year about this time I begin receiving funds appeals from various Catholic organizations requesting money in exchange for a "remembrance" of departed loved ones on All Souls Day or sometimes the entire month of November. These range from a simple "list the names..." to elaborate prayers or rituals that involve reciting numbers of prayers, etc., accompanied by graphic descriptions of the torments the "poor souls" are suffering. And of course, the implication is the more you give, the more sure you are to free yourself (or those you name, even the long dead) from this supposed agony. To me, this seems to be a cheap sales pitch playing on grief and guilt, with some of the prayers/images bordering on superstition if not idolatry. If we really believe John 3:16, must we be all that concerned with the details of how we move from this life to the next? What of those who have no one to donate money or perform these rituals for them? Is this an acceptable fund raising method?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r) Dear Matt: The Church has set aside a special Holy Day to pray for all those in purgatory. The Church teaches that our prayers and spiritual merits applied to those in purgatory may help them to endure the purging of their souls that will then allow them to enter the throne-room of God. This is an act of compassion and charity that we should practice. To answer your question about whether or not we ought to be concerned, the answer is yes, we ought to be interested for compassion and charity sake. For those who have no one to pray for them, the Church includes them in the Mass. After we pray for our own loved ones in purgatory, we can include everyone else with the following words, or something similar: ...for these and for all other souls who have no one to pray for them, I now offer my prayer for their speedy entry into the heavenly country... But, as always happens with flawed human beings some people exploit this honored tradition or make it tacky. Emotional manipulation, as you are describing is, in my opinion, not only wrong, it is a form of religious abuse. We must avoid all superstition and idolatry and keep close to the Church in this or any other tradition. The Catechism states the Church's teaching on this: 1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance. What is an indulgence? "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints." "An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead. St. Paul prayed for his dead friend, Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16-18). To pray for the dead is Church teaching, it is an act of compassion and charity, but when religious communities offer to pray for loved ones, it must be done with decorum, respect, and tact, and certainly not with emotional or financial exploitation. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

All Souls Day Funds appeals

Matt

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Question:

Every year about this time I begin receiving funds appeals from various Catholic organizations requesting money in exchange for a "remembrance" of departed loved ones on All Souls Day or sometimes the entire month of November. These range from a simple "list the names..." to elaborate prayers or rituals that involve reciting numbers of prayers, etc., accompanied by graphic descriptions of the torments the "poor souls" are suffering. And of course, the implication is the more you give, the more sure you are to free yourself (or those you name, even the long dead) from this supposed agony.

To me, this seems to be a cheap sales pitch playing on grief and guilt, with some of the prayers/images bordering on superstition if not idolatry.

If we really believe John 3:16, must we be all that concerned with the details of how we move from this life to the next?

What of those who have no one to donate money or perform these rituals for them? Is this an acceptable fund raising method?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r)

Dear Matt:

The Church has set aside a special Holy Day to pray for all those in purgatory. The Church teaches that our prayers and spiritual merits applied to those in purgatory may help them to endure the purging of their souls that will then allow them to enter the throne-room of God. This is an act of compassion and charity that we should practice.

To answer your question about whether or not we ought to be concerned, the answer is yes, we ought to be interested for compassion and charity sake.

For those who have no one to pray for them, the Church includes them in the Mass. After we pray for our own loved ones in purgatory, we can include everyone else with the following words, or something similar:

...for these and for all other souls who have no one to pray for them, I now offer my prayer for their speedy entry into the heavenly country...

But, as always happens with flawed human beings some people exploit this honored tradition or make it tacky. Emotional manipulation, as you are describing is, in my opinion, not only wrong, it is a form of religious abuse.

We must avoid all superstition and idolatry and keep close to the Church in this or any other tradition.

The Catechism states the Church's teaching on this:

1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.

What is an indulgence?

"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.

St. Paul prayed for his dead friend, Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16-18).

To pray for the dead is Church teaching, it is an act of compassion and charity, but when religious communities offer to pray for loved ones, it must be done with decorum, respect, and tact, and certainly not with emotional or financial exploitation.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum