How can the faithful departed still be in danger of the Evil One?

[pollydristas]

Tonight as I was praying the Liturgy of the Hours (Evening Prayer) one of the intercessions was: " Be merciful to the faithful departed, keep them from the power of the Evil One".

How can Satan have power over the departed faithful ones? I thought that when we die that Jesus judges us and we go to purgatory, heaven, or hell. How can Satan have power over us if we have been faithful until death?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

That prayer appears to simply be an awkwardly worded expression of praying for souls at their moment of death. We are essentially praying for souls to be forgiven their sins by God and not be permitted to descend to hell. It is a prayer for God’s mercy at the moment of the soul’s particular judgment which in the funeral Mass is worded as:

As we humbly present to you these sacrificial offerings, O Lord, for the salvation of your servant N., we beseech your mercy, that he, who did not doubt your Son to be a loving Savior, may find in him a merciful Judge. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.