Offering Mass for non-Catholic

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Just wondering if it is acceptable to offer a mass for a non-Catholic who has just died. I personally think it is important but if the person and their family are not Catholic and wouldn’t understand or even perhaps like it, should and can it be done. Thoughts. Thank you.
 
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tian1010:
Just wondering if it is acceptable to offer a mass for a non-Catholic who has just died. I personally think it is important but if the person and their family are not Catholic and wouldn’t understand or even perhaps like it, should and can it be done. Thoughts. Thank you.
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I had a similar situation, but with a JW. The priest would not offer Mass, but he did include them in the prayers of the faithful. 🙂
 
Interesting…our parish secretary usually just takes the mass stipend and offers you a mass time. She may ask if this is a mass in memory of someone, or if the person is living and that is all that she asks. Rarely does a priest get involved with the business of accepting a mass except during the actual mass saying of the mass of course.
 
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stbruno:
Interesting…our parish secretary usually just takes the mass stipend and offers you a mass time. She may ask if this is a mass in memory of someone, or if the person is living and that is all that she asks. Rarely does a priest get involved with the business of accepting a mass except during the actual mass saying of the mass of course.
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I have heard that it is fine to offer a Mass for a non-Catholic friend. If you think the family will be offended by the Mass card, then don’t send one.
 
The priest offers the gifts of bread and wine on behalf of the faithful, recalls the words of Our Savior on the night on which He was delivered up for the life of the world and then, with fervent prayers (epiclesis), asks God to come down from heaven on the gifts of bread and wine to make the bread the Body of Christ, and the wine the Blood of Christ, changing them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Once this sacred Mystery has taken place, prayers of petition and thanksgiving (eucharistia in Greek) are offered by the priest and the people. Following the Lord’s Prayer the faithful are invited to approach “with the fear of God, with faith and with love.”

This “fear of God” means tremendous reverence for God’s Mystical Presence and His intimate communion with us.** “With faith” means that we truly believe that this IS the Body and Blood of the risen Christ. “With love” means that we are at peace and have been reconciled with our brothers and sisters.**
The Eucharist, thus received, forgives us our sins and grants us a special intimacy with the Living Christ. If we are aware of sins which prevent us from God’s grace, or if we have anything against our brothers and sisters, we are obliged to abstain from receiving Holy Communion until we are reconciled through the Sacrament of Confession.

It was explained to me so. 1. Those outside of the Eucharist cannot receive the benefits of the Mass. The Eucharist and Communion of Saints is a communion as well among the faithful. If one is aware of sins against God or baptism, one needs reconciliation first.
Now, if someone is outside of the Eucharist, outside of the Communion of Saints, cannot receive absolution, of what purpose is it for you to offer Mass for them? You could though, offer Mass for your intention of hoping they enter the Church so they may also partake fully of the Eucharist.
If the Non Catholic is dead, they would be included in the prayers of faithful just as all souls in Purgatory are remembered and prayed for.
 
what I have read I believe that:
the holy Mass can be offered for Catholics, and Catholics intentions, and for Non-Catholics, but only for their conversion,not intentions, although Im not certain about people who have been baptised and fallen away after, holy Mass can be offered for the deseased, (Purgatory) both Catholics and Non-Catholics, because even if they have died you can pray and offer for their conversion before their death, even if they died in the past, as time does not exist for God, so prayers and offerings in the future (to us, as we at the moment are subject to time, not having entered eternity yet) can benefit people now and hopefully help non believers or sinners not willing to make reparation to be perfectly contrite before their death, even if it seems they are lost, because to say they were would be uncharitable and would doubt Gods mercy, but we should not presume on His mercy, so always pray and offer for the holy souls in purgatory and the conversion of sinners and you will be rewarded graciously.
Could any Priests or theologians please confirm or correct these views , I also would like more information if anyone is willing to post more. God bless you
 
Perhaps if an apologist is asked we can get a clear answer.
 
I asked my last wonderful Traditional Priest the same question and he said Yes! So you can have Mass said for non - Catholics, since a lot of them end up in Purgatory, even thought they don’t believe in the place. God Bless.🙂
 
CatholicCajun said:
I asked my last wonderful Traditional Priest the same question and he said Yes! So you can have Mass said for non - Catholics, since a lot of them end up in Purgatory, even thought they don’t believe in the place. God Bless.🙂
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I have heard the very same thing. It makes a lot of sense to me 🙂

If I was a Protestant in the state of purification beyond this life, (Purgatory) I would greatly appreciate the Mass!
 
Dorothy said:
I have heard the very same thing. It makes a lot of sense to me 🙂

If I was a Protestant in the state of purification beyond this life, (Purgatory) I would greatly appreciate the Mass!
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Amen! The reason I had asked my Priest is that some close relatives had died who were not Catholic and my mom who is still with us is not Catholic so I needed to know. God Bless.
 
Like my priest said–we only have 2 duties–to bury the dead and pray for the dead. Judging the dead is up to God.

Recently I lost a friend who was Protestant and arranged for Masses to be celebrated for the repose of her soul. I think it’s even MORE important to pray for non-Catholics who have died, because often they have nobody else to remember them in prayer after death.
 
I think it’s even MORE important to pray for non-Catholics who have died, because often they have nobody else to remember them in prayer after death.

Excellent point!! I pray for the forgotten dead and there is a prayer at the moment it’s not near me, but I will post it as soon as I get a chance. Since the Protestants do not believe in Purgatory, their dead goes without prayer from them, so we need to remember them.
 
I cannot see any reason why it would not be acceptable to have a mass for any non-Catholic living or dead. There’s no reason not to offer a mass for a living non-Catholic’s recovery from a surgery or a life calamity or for a non-Catholic relative to find a good spouse or job, this kind of thing. In my life, I have once asked to have a mass said for a Protestant, although only I knew what the person’s religion was.
 
I have in the past had Masses said through the Seraphic Mass Association— seraphicmass.org/ —the same organization that Ven. Solanus Casey promoted during his lifetime. Their stipend is a very reasonable $5 per Mass and that money helps support the missions of the capuchins throughout the world.
 
My priest told me that we can offer Masses for non-Catholics. In fact my husband is never been baptized and my priest said that I should offer Masses up for him that they are more beneficial to them while they are alive.
 
Sabda said:
My priest told me that we can offer Masses for non-Catholics. In fact my husband is never been baptized and my priest said that I should offer Masses up for him that they are more beneficial to them while they are alive.
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Is it that masses offered for a living person (particularly a person who is fallen away or professes no faith) beneficial because it will help give them the graces to convert?
 
Sabda said:
My priest told me that we can offer Masses for non-Catholics. In fact my husband is never been baptized and my priest said that I should offer Masses up for him that they are more beneficial to them while they are alive.
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I have heard the same thing so why can’t we have masses said for non-catholics. It would be like saying we are not permitted to pray for them which would be foolish. Are catholics the only ones worthy enough to be remembered at the altar?
 
I read that 1 holy Mass offered for a living person is worth 100 times more than if offered for the same person when in Purgatory, and holy Masses can be offered for the conversion of anyone, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, I think this also applies to the excommunicated though Im not sure
 
CatholicCajun said:
Amen! The reason I had asked my Priest is that some close relatives had died who were not Catholic and my mom who is still with us is not Catholic so I needed to know. God Bless.
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Before I was Catholic, Catholic friends had Masses said for my mother and dad when they diied. I was touched by their concern and their expression of caring. If people respect you, they will respect your practice.

My Mormon relatives have had all the dead people in our genealogy baptized. No problem. It is their way of caring.

The only thing that might get people cranky is if they have a grasp on what a Mass does for a soul, they might be insulted that you have not assumed that the person is already in heaven and, thus, beyond the need of prayer.
 
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