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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Purgatory	Mathew	Monday, April 2, 2007
Question: My father had died about 4 years ago. However I have not been praying specifically for him. I was always under the impression that, as my father had received the last sacrament and received communion he would have definitely gone to Heaven.I was confused about the existence of purgatory. As Jesus had said on the cross to the repentant sinner "Today you would be with me in Paradise". ( I have gone through your previous articles on Purgatory today and am convinced. However this statement of Jesus...How do I correlate the two... How do we specifically pray for the dead...??? Can Indulgences be done for the dead??
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Matthew: Sorry for the great delay in responding. We just today found several old questions buried in a database that were unanswered. I am sorry for your loss. If your father received the Sacrament of Anointing and received communion, then he probably also received a plenary indulgence that is granted to those who receive the Sacrament on the death bed. If this is the case, then your father would likely have gone directly to heaven and bypassed purgatory. If you are not sure about this, then most likely your father went through purgatory on this way to heaven. Although you have not prayed for him in the past, you can always begin now. It is never too late. Your prayers will help him through purgatory and if he is already in heaven itself, then your prayers will benefit someone else who has no one to pray for them. 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

Purgatory

Mathew

Monday, April 2, 2007

Question:

My father had died about 4 years ago. However I have not been praying specifically for him. I was always under the impression that, as my father had received the last sacrament and received communion he would have definitely gone to Heaven.I was confused about the existence of purgatory. As Jesus had said on the cross to the repentant sinner "Today you would be with me in Paradise". ( I have gone through your previous articles on Purgatory today and am convinced. However this statement of Jesus...How do I correlate the two... How do we specifically pray for the dead...??? Can Indulgences be done for the dead??

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Matthew:

Sorry for the great delay in responding. We just today found several old questions buried in a database that were unanswered.

I am sorry for your loss. If your father received the Sacrament of Anointing and received communion, then he probably also received a plenary indulgence that is granted to those who receive the Sacrament on the death bed. If this is the case, then your father would likely have gone directly to heaven and bypassed purgatory.

If you are not sure about this, then most likely your father went through purgatory on this way to heaven.

Although you have not prayed for him in the past, you can always begin now. It is never too late. Your prayers will help him through purgatory and if he is already in heaven itself, then your prayers will benefit someone else who has no one to pray for them.

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