Mass for th Repose of the Soul of Osama Bin Laden???

[Church_Militant]

I don’t see all the bad controversy.

In fact I see a very strong and clear Catholic witness to Muslims.

Some things that seem to have been forgotten.

The spiritual works of mercy are:

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• **To bear wrongs patiently; **
• To forgive offenses willingly;
• To comfort the afflicted;
• To pray for the living and the dead.

Furthermore, we have a clear commandment fro Our Lord which reads…

[bibledrb]Matthew 5:43-48[/bibledrb]

 

[Kyrie_eleison_9]

This is another novelty of the Vatican II church. Before Vatican II Revolution, such a prayer would never have taken place. It would have been condemned, as traditionally, no deceased person but a Catholic can be prayed for publicly, let alone a public infidel and a mass murderer such as Bin Laden.

 

[Pakesh]

This is another novelty of the Vatican II church. Before Vatican II Revolution, such a prayer would never have taken place. It would have been condemned, as traditionally, no deceased person but a Catholic can be prayed for publicly, let alone a public infidel and a mass murderer such as Bin Laden.

Simply not true. “A novelty of Vatican II” is a tired argument. What’s your proof?

God Bless,
Pakesh

 

[Kyrie_eleison_9]

Simply not true. “A novelty of Vatican II” is a tired argument. What’s your proof?

God Bless,
Pakesh

From the Catholic Encyclopedia: There is no restriction by Divine or ecclesiastical law as to those of the dead for whom private prayer may be offered — except that they may not be offered formally either for the blessed in heaven or for the damned. Not only for the faithful who have died in external communion with the Church, but for deceased non-Catholics, even the unbaptized, who may have died in the state of grace, one is free to offer his personal prayers and good works; nor does the Church’s prohibition of her public offices for those who have died out of external communion with her affect the strictly personal element in her minister’s acts. For all such she prohibits the public offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass (and of other liturgical offices); but theologians commonly teach that a priest is not forbidden to offer the Mass** in private **for the repose of the soul of any one who, judging by probable evidence, may be presumed to have died in faith and grace, provided, at least, he does not say the special requiem Mass with the special prayer in which the deceased is named, since this would give the offering a public and official character. This prohibition does not extend to catechumens who have died without being able to receive baptism.

Please show an example where a deceased non-Catholic infidel mass murderer was prayed for publicly in Mass prior to Vatican II.

 

[Sandalwood]

I’m very sad to see the lack of Christian spirit here. And there’s mention of “other” people being hypocrites?

I started praying for Osama when I heard he died (well, actually long before that…) God doesn’t want any soul lost. I don’t know Osama’s heart at the time of his death and really, it’s not my business. That’s between him and God, but the least I can do as a Child of God is pray for others, ESPECIALLY when they seem to be in such deep need!

Shame on those who sit in judgment of who should be prayed for and who shouldn’t. Are you perfect? What if it was YOUR name in the Mass intentions? How would you like it if all those here (or anywhere) sat and pointed out all your sins and “undeserving” of being prayed for?

 

[Kyrie_eleison_9]

I’m very sad to see the lack of Christian spirit here. And there’s mention of “other” people being hypocrites?

I started praying for Osama when I heard he died (well, actually long before that…) God doesn’t want any soul lost. I don’t know Osama’s heart at the time of his death and really, it’s not my business. That’s between him and God, but the least I can do as a Child of God is pray for others, ESPECIALLY when they seem to be in such deep need!

Shame on those who sit in judgment of who should be prayed for and who shouldn’t. Are you perfect? What if it was YOUR name in the Mass intentions? How would you like it if all those here (or anywhere) sat and pointed out all your sins and “undeserving” of being prayed for?

PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM AD CHRISTIANORUM UNITATEM FOVENDAM

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF
PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM

On March 25th, 1993, His Holiness Pope John Paul II approved this Directory, confirmed it by his authority and ordered that it be published. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Vatican City
March 25th, 1993

Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy
President

• Pierre Duprey
  Tit. Bishop of Thibar
  Secretary

1. Blessings ordinarily given for the benefit of Catholics may also be given to other Christians who request them, according to the nature and object of the blessing. Public prayer for other** Christians**, living or dead, and for the needs and intentions of other Churches and ecclesial Communities and their spiritual heads may be offered during the litanies and other invocations of a liturgical service, but not during the Eucharistic Anaphora. Ancient Christian liturgical and ecclesiological tradition permits the specific mention in the Eucharistic Anaphora** only of the names of persons who are in full communion with the Church celebrating the Eucharist.**

Gee, no mention at all of deceased non-Catholic infidel mass murderers.

 

[Sandalwood]

PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM AD CHRISTIANORUM UNITATEM FOVENDAM

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF
PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM

On March 25th, 1993, His Holiness Pope John Paul II approved this Directory, confirmed it by his authority and ordered that it be published. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Vatican City
March 25th, 1993

Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy
President

• Pierre Duprey
  Tit. Bishop of Thibar
  Secretary

1. Blessings ordinarily given for the benefit of Catholics may also be given to other Christians who request them, according to the nature and object of the blessing. Public prayer for other** Christians**, living or dead, and for the needs and intentions of other Churches and ecclesial Communities and their spiritual heads may be offered during the litanies and other invocations of a liturgical service, but not during the Eucharistic Anaphora. Ancient Christian liturgical and ecclesiological tradition permits the specific mention in the Eucharistic Anaphora** only of the names of persons who are in full communion with the Church celebrating the Eucharist.**

Gee, no mention at all of deceased non-Catholic infidel mass murderers.

you can sit behind that all you want but I will continue to pray for people. I am not going to get permission to pray for any soul that’s in need. And I also won’t dig out any writings to use as an excuse not to pray for someone’s soul.

 

[JReducation]

This is another novelty of the Vatican II church. Before Vatican II Revolution, such a prayer would never have taken place. It would have been condemned, as traditionally, no deceased person but a Catholic can be prayed for publicly, let alone a public infidel and a mass murderer such as Bin Laden.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia: There is no restriction by Divine or ecclesiastical law as to those of the dead for whom private prayer may be offered — except that they may not be offered formally either for the blessed in heaven or for the damned. Not only for the faithful who have died in external communion with the Church, but for deceased non-Catholics, even the unbaptized, who may have died in the state of grace, one is free to offer his personal prayers and good works; nor does the Church’s prohibition of her public offices for those who have died out of external communion with her affect the strictly personal element in her minister’s acts. For all such she prohibits the public offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass (and of other liturgical offices); but theologians commonly teach that a priest is not forbidden to offer the Mass** in private **for the repose of the soul of any one who, judging by probable evidence, may be presumed to have died in faith and grace, provided, at least, he does not say the special requiem Mass with the special prayer in which the deceased is named, since this would give the offering a public and official character. This prohibition does not extend to catechumens who have died without being able to receive baptism.

Please show an example where a deceased non-Catholic infidel mass murderer was prayed for publicly in Mass prior to Vatican II.

I don’t see the problem. The Catholic encyclopedia does not make law for the Church. In fact, there are many articles in it that are dated and some have mistakes in them.

There is nothing in current canon law that prohibits a mass intention for a non-Catholic. The only prohibition that Bl. John Paul II kept in Canon Law concerns the rite of Christian burial. Only Catholics can be buried using this rite. It’s what was called the requiem mass.

As far as your statement about Vatican II, that’s your ax to grind, not everyone else’s. Please don’t make a personal ax an ecclesial issue. That’s unfair to the Church.

Concerning his moral actions, that’s precisely why we pray for the dead. We don’t pray for saints. There are two precedents for this that I know. There may be more.

St. Teresa of Avila won this argument against the Spanish Inquisition when she was charged with heresy because she and her nuns prayed for Judas Iscariot. Her response to the Inquisitors was, “Who of us has not betrayed him?” The Inquisitors did not know what to do with that response, so they dropped the charges.

The other precedent that I know is Martin Luther King. Masses were said for his soul all over the USA. He was not a Catholic.

If you check the Code of Canon Law regarding mass intentions, there are no restrictions.

One can argue whether or not it’s prudent to make it public. That’s a legitimate question. To say that it cannot be done or should not be done is contrary to our Catholic tradition. We have always prayed for the dead, not just our own.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

PONTIFICIUM CONSILIUM AD CHRISTIANORUM UNITATEM FOVENDAM

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF
PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM

On March 25th, 1993, His Holiness Pope John Paul II approved this Directory, confirmed it by his authority and ordered that it be published. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Vatican City
March 25th, 1993

Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy
President

• Pierre Duprey
  Tit. Bishop of Thibar
  Secretary

1. Blessings ordinarily given for the benefit of Catholics may also be given to other Christians who request them, according to the nature and object of the blessing. Public prayer for other** Christians**, living or dead, and for the needs and intentions of other Churches and ecclesial Communities and their spiritual heads may be offered during the litanies and other invocations of a liturgical service, but not during the Eucharistic Anaphora. Ancient Christian liturgical and ecclesiological tradition permits the specific mention in the Eucharistic Anaphora** only of the names of persons who are in full communion with the Church celebrating the Eucharist.**

Gee, no mention at all of deceased non-Catholic infidel mass murderers.

Wait a minute, you’re misusing the document. The document says that the person may not be named in the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer). It does not say that a mass intention cannot be for a non-Catholic. There is a difference. A good example is when at the beginning of the mass the priest says “This mass is being said for our soldiers in the Middle East.” He does not mention them in the Eucharistic Prayer, for obvious reasons.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Thomas_Casey]

I’ve cleaned up the thread of disparaging remarks. Please be respectful of people and the Church in all posts.

Thank You

 

[FromTheAshes777]

Thanks be to God, it can be done! The grace and mercy of Our Lord are infinite.

If I offer my reception of Holy Communion, for example, for the repose of my father, for those suffering from SSA, for the priests in my local area, for the children in my care and for their families, for my ex-husband’s conversion, for my son – no matter how many people I add to the list, the graces poured out by God never diminish. It is not through my efforts and merits that these prayers and offerings are made effective – it is through the merits of the Son.

As Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, “To God, nothing is small. The moment we have given something to God, it becomes infinite.”

We need to learn to be generous with our prayers and with offering up every moment of our lives to God as a prayer.

So, yes, we can offer Mass for EVERYONE – because **God is big enough **to shower His blessing and mercies on everyone for whom we ask.

Gertie

This is true.

it just usually can’t be offered in print name by name for everyone, because there are always those we don’t know about, but of course it can be spiritually offered for all.

I stand corrected. I still find the offereing for Bin Laden inappropriate impo.