C
CRATUS
Guest
Is it all over? If someone dies and goes immediately to hell. Family will not know and may keeping for him. Is it worthless?
- Status
C
Catholic1954
Guest
The souls in hell have made their choice, for eternity, and cannot be helped by our prayers or charity.
C
CRATUS
Guest
Most likely I will not know if someone is hell. I will still keep praying for the deceased. Is my prayer a waste?
C
Confiteor_Deo
Guest
Prayers for someone in Hell is futile since it doesn’t free them or comfort them.
F
fred_conty
Guest
Nobody can say for sure who is in hell. Even ones that appear to us to have had an extremely bad end … even these we do not know about where they went.
So it is perfectly fine to pray for anyone that has died … bar none.
However if the person we are praying for is in fact in hell, then of course our prayer for them would do absolutely no good for them. But our prayer isn’t wasted, for it is a common teaching that no prayer is wasted, that God sees the good we do and will honor that good with a reward of some kind supernaturally. But how the reward comes is left in His hands. He made apply it to someone one else we loved that died.
So prayer is never ever wasted and our prayer thought is always precious in God’s eyes.
T
tweedlealice
Guest
The Fatima Prayer-Oh God forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell,lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy. There is a promise w this to save us from hell.
If prayed at the bedside of someone dying ==the Chaplet of mercy. All for the sake of your sorrowful mercy, have mercy on ------------ and on he whole world. This person will not go to hell but purgatory.
in Christs love
tweedlealice
If prayed at the bedside of someone dying ==the Chaplet of mercy. All for the sake of your sorrowful mercy, have mercy on ------------ and on he whole world. This person will not go to hell but purgatory.
in Christs love
tweedlealice
A
alphawoman
Guest
God is outside time and is omnipotent. Do you think he would create you, knowing that you would pray for X person, without allowing those prayers to be efficacious in some way? Pray! Nothing bad can ever come from praying to God’s will for someone! 
God bless you!
God bless you!
S
seagal
Guest
That’s bad theology Daddy Girl. Hell is a final destination. God is merciful and all-powerful, but those who won’t accept his mercy have doomed themselves to hell. Their decision is made for all eternity, and God respects that decision.
However, since we don’t know who is in hell, we can and should pray for anyone who has died. As another poster pointed out, no prayer is wasted. If the person we’re praying for is beyond prayers, the efficacy of our prayers can be applied to another soul in purgatory.
T
TK421
Guest
Specifically praying with the intention of “those in hell” is not only worthless but I think offensive against charity, since you are ignoring/defying God’s infallible judgement in discerning the choice the soul has made.
When you pray for a particular individual, it is never worthless since we don’t know where that individual is at. Even if they did go to hell, and we pray for them, the prayer is still meritorious for those praying.
L
littlestsouls2
Guest
This.
If you really want to pray for the dying, read this:
amazon.com/Devotion-Dying-Mother-Mary-Potter/dp/0895554429/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442820742&sr=1-3&keywords=mother+mary+potter
T
Trident_H
Guest
Your prayers are never a waste. They will go towards something else. Maybe they’ll ease the pain of the one in hell for a little bit. I don’t know.
P
ProdglArchitect
Guest
Sorry DaddyGirl, but this is wishful thinking. The people in Hell will not accept God’s help, and He will not force himself on anyone who does not want him. As a result of this, the people in Hell are there permanently by their own choice, not because God forces them in there.
OP, you cannot pray for the people in Hell, they are beyond help. However, as we cannot know who is and isn’t in Hell this side of eternity, you can pray for any individual, no matter how evil they may have been. We can pray for Hitler if we want, or Mou, or Stalin, anyone. If they are in in Purgatory, they will welcome your prayers; if they are in Heaven, they will given them to God. If they are in Hell, then God will put them towards something beneficial.
T
truetofaith
Guest
We cannot know if someone is in hell, so if you think your loved one may have gone there…Keep praying. …God will have heard your prayers before the person died, and apply those prayers to possibly give that person the grace to ask Him for forgiveness at the moment of death!
But to take the person out of hell ( DaddyGirl )…I believe, is too late!
M
Mary_Ellen
Guest
The Church has not proclaimed any particular person is damned (in Hell). If the Church has not made such a proclamation we should not appoint ourselves to do so, either.
While praying for “those in hell” is a waste of time and contrary to God’s infinite Justice, praying for the deceased, either in general or for a specific person, is always a good thing to do. If, that’s a big IF, the person you’re praying for is among the damned you prayers will still be accepted by the Lord and the benefits of the prayer probably applied to some other poor soul who needs it.
We should pray for any and all deceased persons, unless they’ve been officially proclaimed saints by the Church. To assume anyone is either in Heaven or Hell and, due to that assumption, neglect to pray for them is uncharitable.
While praying for “those in hell” is a waste of time and contrary to God’s infinite Justice, praying for the deceased, either in general or for a specific person, is always a good thing to do. If, that’s a big IF, the person you’re praying for is among the damned you prayers will still be accepted by the Lord and the benefits of the prayer probably applied to some other poor soul who needs it.
We should pray for any and all deceased persons, unless they’ve been officially proclaimed saints by the Church. To assume anyone is either in Heaven or Hell and, due to that assumption, neglect to pray for them is uncharitable.
M
Mary_Ellen
Guest
God is not a vending machine. To pray such prayers and think that they automatically free someone from damnation is hubris. We can pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet a thousand times for someone but if they were obstinate unto death in their denial of God’s mercy they cannot be saved. We can pray for ourselves but if we are stuck in sin, unrepentant, and do not avail ourselves of God’s Mercy we, too, will not be saved.
C
Cybophonia
Guest
According to the Eastern Orthodox Church , yes. Eastern Orthodoxy does not believe in Purgatory. It believes people can be saved even from hell (see the Pan Orthodox Council of Jerusalem) through prayers and alms and the mercy of God. In the book of Revelation Jesus has the keys of Hell, Hades and Death. So prayer and church services for the dead are encouraged in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
T
thistle
Guest
That is totally incorrect. Once in Hell you are there forever. God made that clear.
Prayers for those in Hell are wasted.
C
clem456
Guest
Prayer is never pointless. If you do not pray, you do not have a relationship with God.
I would suggest that your question is a non-starter, since you do not know the disposition of a soul. Only God knows whether a soul went to hell immediately.
Given that fact, why wouldn’t you pray in hope to God for those he brings to your attention?
T
truetofaith
Guest
The prayers are not wasted because you don’t know if they are in hell. I believe God makes those prayers ‘retroactive’ & applies them to the person before they die. This gives them a chance to repent before their final abode!
W
WT1
Guest
Prayers for the dead that are not needed because they are in Heaven or Hell will be accepted as prayers for the those in purgatory that don’t have an intercessor. No prayer goes to waste.
- Status