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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Mass 40 days after death	Claire	Monday, November 1, 2004
Question: Hello Br. Ignatius, I had a friend (a "new" Catholic) ask me something I hadn't heard about before. She has a Catholic friend who has had someone close to her recenlty pass away, and this friend told her that she was going to attend the Mass that the Church has 40 days after someone has died. This friend of hers told her that this is when the soul leaves the body, and this is why there is another Mass 40 days after death of a Catholic. I told my friend that I had never heard of this, and that the soul immediately leaves the body at death, and we are then judged. I told her that perhaps this friend was mistaken, as many Catholics don't really know the teachings of the Church all that well, and misconceptions abound because of this. As for the Church having another Mass 40 days after the death of a departed person, I don't know at all. I told her I would ask someone who could help (or she could ask our Priest, but I don't think she will) so here I am...! Thank you Br. Ignatius for your knowledge and all you do for us on this site. Much appreciation and many thanks. God Bless you, from Claire
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Claire: While we do not know when the exact moment the soul leaves the body upon death, the idea of 40 days sounds to me to be nonsensical. I have never heard this. The soul is ordered toward a living body. From the point-of-view of the theology of the nature of the soul, the idea of the soul remaining in a dead and rotting body laying in its grave makes no sense. The soul leaves the dead body and then at the end of the world God resurrects our bodies (they are living again) and our souls are reunited with that living body. The soul does not exist in a dead body. I suppose it is possible that some saint long ago speculated on this and maybe that is where this is coming from, but this is neither Church teaching or tradition to which I am aware. I would suggest asking the priest who does these 40 day Masses for an explanation and a source of the information. 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

Mass 40 days after death

Claire

Monday, November 1, 2004

Question:

Hello Br. Ignatius,

I had a friend (a "new" Catholic) ask me something I hadn't heard about before. She has a Catholic friend who has had someone close to her recenlty pass away, and this friend told her that she was going to attend the Mass that the Church has 40 days after someone has died. This friend of hers told her that this is when the soul leaves the body, and this is why there is another Mass 40 days after death of a Catholic.

I told my friend that I had never heard of this, and that the soul immediately leaves the body at death, and we are then judged. I told her that perhaps this friend was mistaken, as many Catholics don't really know the teachings of the Church all that well, and misconceptions abound because of this.

As for the Church having another Mass 40 days after the death of a departed person, I don't know at all. I told her I would ask someone who could help (or she could ask our Priest, but I don't think she will) so here I am...!

Thank you Br. Ignatius for your knowledge and all you do for us on this site. Much appreciation and many thanks.

God Bless you,
from Claire

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Claire:

While we do not know when the exact moment the soul leaves the body upon death, the idea of 40 days sounds to me to be nonsensical. I have never heard this.

The soul is ordered toward a living body. From the point-of-view of the theology of the nature of the soul, the idea of the soul remaining in a dead and rotting body laying in its grave makes no sense. The soul leaves the dead body and then at the end of the world God resurrects our bodies (they are living again) and our souls are reunited with that living body. The soul does not exist in a dead body.

I suppose it is possible that some saint long ago speculated on this and maybe that is where this is coming from, but this is neither Church teaching or tradition to which I am aware.

I would suggest asking the priest who does these 40 day Masses for an explanation and a source of the information.

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