Ghost Priests Offering Mass

  • Thread starter Thread starter Madaglan
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Madaglan

Guest
What do you think of the stories about people seeing ghosts of former priests offering Mass in church?

Is there any possibility for the Mass to be valid?
 
Where have you heard this? How would he raise the host during the consecration? Very interesting…teachccd :confused:
 
Our Lord offers the sacrifice of Himself before the Father in heaven. Why couldn’t deceased priests offer the sacrifice? Once a priest, always a priest…
 
twf said:
Our Lord offers the sacrifice of Himself before the Father in heaven. Why couldn’t deceased priests offer the sacrifice? Once a priest, always a priest…
Click to expand...
When you die you are immediately judged and if you die in a state of mortal sin you go to Hell immediately. If you die in a state of grace you are saved and either go straight to Heaven or more likely with a stop in Purgatory first. There is no such thing as souls who still linger and have not crossed over. Sometimes, for his own reason God will allow us a glimpse of a soul in Purgatory or Heaven.
Any ghosts seen on earth are almost certainly from Satan.
 
Our Lord offers the sacrifice of Himself before the Father in heaven. Why couldn’t deceased priests offer the sacrifice? Once a priest, always a priest…

The function of the ordained ministry is only for this life.
 
thistle said:
When you die you are immediately judged and if you die in a state of mortal sin you go to Hell immediately. If you die in a state of grace you are saved and either go straight to Heaven or more likely with a stop in Purgatory first. There is no such thing as souls who still linger and have not crossed over. Sometimes, for his own reason God will allow us a glimpse of a soul in Purgatory or Heaven.
Any ghosts seen on earth are almost certainly from Satan.
Click to expand...
Maybe not. It may just be a product of the imagination. It could be an image of the eye that is misunderstood to be something it is not.
 
Wouldn’t this be more of a case of a Saint coming down to offer Mass?

It would be… Interesting to say the least…

Or maybe there seeing Spirits in Purgatory having Mass… Can you have Mass in Purgatory??? :confused:
 
ralphinal said:
Maybe not. It may just be a product of the imagination. It could be an image of the eye that is misunderstood to be something it is not.
Click to expand...
There is one theory about “ghosts” called “residual hauntings.” Basically, the energy from an event, usually traumatic or emotional, becomes imprinted on the surroundings somehow, and you are basically watching a replay of a “recording.” So, it could be possible that, if this took place, one would actually be seeing a Mass that took place years ago, likely a funeral or wedding. As such, it would have been valid when celebrated, but, now, it would be more like taping the Mass on EWTN and watching it later.
Wouldn’t this be more of a case of a Saint coming down to offer Mass?
Click to expand...
It would be… Interesting to say the least…
Click to expand...
I would watch to see if it were the OF or EF - that would settle a lot of debates over on the TC forum 😃
 
**I would watch to see if it were the OF or EF - that would settle a lot of debates over on the TC forum **

Were it the EF, rad trads would probably say this was a demonic manifestation.
 
cyberwolf001 said:
Wouldn’t this be more of a case of a Saint coming down to offer Mass?

It would be… Interesting to say the least…

Or maybe there seeing Spirits in Purgatory having Mass… Can you have Mass in Purgatory??? :confused:
Click to expand...
I read about one priest (or monk? - I want to say St. Padre Pio, but I think it was before his time) who would sometimes see purgatorial souls by the altar and they would request a Mass be said for them.

But, I never heard of any stories of a ghost saying Mass.
JaMc said:
There is one theory about “ghosts” called “residual hauntings.” Basically, the energy from an event, usually traumatic or emotional, becomes imprinted on the surroundings somehow, and you are basically watching a replay of a “recording.” So, it could be possible that, if this took place, one would actually be seeing a Mass that took place years ago, likely a funeral or wedding. As such, it would have been valid when celebrated, but, now, it would be more like taping the Mass on EWTN and watching it later.
Click to expand...
Only it’s in 3D! 😃 There is a link about types of ghosts in one of the question threads in the top-most forum. Basically, that’s one of the types.
 
In some apparitions that saints have had (no, don’t have a source) there is mention of Mass being said in Heaven. That would mean that a priest who is in Heaven would be able to offer Mass - if in Heaven, then why not on earth, if he were to come down? However, that would not be a ghost, but a saint coming down, so it would be different. A ghost would have to be someone lingering between this world and the next, say, doing some penance here or getting rid of attachment to this world. Some private apparitions suggest this happens, but I don’t know of any official confirmation of that.
 
bpbasilphx said:
Our Lord offers the sacrifice of Himself before the Father in heaven. Why couldn’t deceased priests offer the sacrifice? Once a priest, always a priest…

The function of the ordained ministry is only for this life.
Click to expand...
Wrong. It is a permanent change to the soul at ordination. (“You are a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizadek.”)

This is part of why clerics are buried vested for the Divine Worship service.
 
Some people need to learn a bit about the priesthood, it seems.

The earthly liturgy is a reflection of the heavenly liturgy. Hence, a priest can only offer Mass on earth - not in heaven. Therefore, ghost priests cannot offer a Mass on earth - because if they are in heaven, they cannot offer Mass period (and if they’re from hell, why would they offer Mass? The damned hate God and have no way to salvation)
 
Aramis said:
Wrong. It is a permanent change to the soul at ordination. (“You are a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizadek.”)

This is part of why clerics are buried vested for the Divine Worship service.
Click to expand...
No argument about the permanent change, nor about the fact that clerics are buried vested for the Altar which reflects that change.

OTOH, it seems to me that bpbasilphx is also quite correct: he very clearly (at least it’s clear to me) says (emphasis added)
bpbasilphx said:
The function of the ordained ministry is only for this life.
Click to expand...
How could it really be otherwise? I think Eucharisted put it quite well:
Eucharisted said:
…
The earthly liturgy is a reflection of the heavenly liturgy. Hence, a priest can only offer Mass on earth - not in heaven. Therefore, ghost priests cannot offer a Mass on earth - because if they are in heaven, they cannot offer Mass period (and if they’re from hell, why would they offer Mass? The damned hate God and have no way to salvation)
Click to expand...
 
This is probably a case of what some paranormal researchers call a residual. It’s not really a spirit there, or at least, there’s no conscious entity going through these movements, much like the cases of people seeing ghostly soldiers at Gettysburg or some other battlefield moving about like they’re on patrol, etc. No one knows the actual mechanics behind this, but for some reason certain things get “burned into” a certain place and then come back as these vision-like occurrences. The way to tell the difference, is to try approaching the entity and talk to it. If it’s a spirit, it will react to you and talk back, but residuals tend to just disappear when you get close to them.
 
Matrix_Refugee said:
This is probably a case of what some paranormal researchers call a residual. It’s not really a spirit there, or at least, there’s no conscious entity going through these movements, much like the cases of people seeing ghostly soldiers at Gettysburg or some other battlefield moving about like they’re on patrol, etc. No one knows the actual mechanics behind this, but for some reason certain things get “burned into” a certain place and then come back as these vision-like occurrences.
Click to expand...
JaMc said:
There is one theory about “ghosts” called “residual hauntings.” Basically, the energy from an event, usually traumatic or emotional, becomes imprinted on the surroundings somehow, and you are basically watching a replay of a “recording.” So, it could be possible that, if this took place, one would actually be seeing a Mass that took place years ago, likely a funeral or wedding. As such, it would have been valid when celebrated, but, now, it would be more like taping the Mass on EWTN and watching it later.
Click to expand...
I’m not going to get into the fray and open a discussion of ghosts and residual energy, etc., but I’ve encountered that theory before.

I any case, I agree, at least insofar I think as any “Mass” conducted by such a “ghostly priest” would be nothing more than the equivalent of a recording or broadcast. Same as watching it on the tube (or on video) or listening to it on CD (or vinyl, or MP3, or whatever medium). Not the “real thing” by a long-shot.
JaMc said:
I would watch to see if it were the OF or EF - that would settle a lot of debates over on the TC forum 😃
Click to expand...
Here, I think bpbasilphx is probably right:
Were it the EF, rad trads would probably say this was a demonic manifestation.
Click to expand...
 
** Originally Posted by bpbasilphx View Post
Our Lord offers the sacrifice of Himself before the Father in heaven. Why couldn’t deceased priests offer the sacrifice? Once a priest, always a priest…

The function of the ordained ministry is only for this life.
Wrong. It is a permanent change to the soul at ordination. (“You are a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizadek.”)

This is part of why clerics are buried vested for the Divine Worship service.**

**But they would still have no sacerdotal function in the next life.

To whom would they administer the Sacraments?

That’s why I say the FUNCTION of the ordained ministry is only for this life. I was not denying the character imparted by Holy Orders.**
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top