How long after one's death is a prayer for their salvation still considered to be efficacious?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bohm_Bawerk
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The idea that one can pray for someone’s salvation after they have died, in the sense that our prayers can be effective retroactively is a pious and very appealing one.

I have some misgivings though. It seems to lead to some interesting scenarios.

Can you pray to yourself in Heaven?
Can you pray that angels didn’t fall?
Can you pray for Saints in Heaven to help them in purgatory?

In fact, wouldn’t we be obliged to pray for the last one? Assuming a saint, say St. Bonaventure, had to undergo temporal punishment in purgatory before Heaven, and knowing that we can pray for those in purgatory and lessen their sufferings, ought we not pray to lessen his sufferings?

VC
 
Someone may be in Purgatory or in Heaven today because of prayers offered tomorrow.
 
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