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Hap
Guest
Need some help! Why do we(Catholics) pray for the souls in purgatory. I have started a dialogue with a Baptist Preacher and not quite sure how to put this into words.
May God Bless You
May God Bless You
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C
Catholic_Dude
Guest
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Rand_Al_Thor
Guest
Peace be with you!
The link that Catholic Dude gave you is a good one. Another way to look at it is simply that prayer helps people…I’m sure the Baptists will agree with you on this part. Just as our prayers can help those alive on earth (for example, if a friend is sick and you pray for them to get well it may help them to get better) they can also help those in Purgatory. If the souls in Purgatory are waiting to be “let into” Heaven, so to speak, if we pray for them to be let into Heaven, it just may help to speed things up, especially if a whole lot of us are praying.
In Christ,
Rand
The link that Catholic Dude gave you is a good one. Another way to look at it is simply that prayer helps people…I’m sure the Baptists will agree with you on this part. Just as our prayers can help those alive on earth (for example, if a friend is sick and you pray for them to get well it may help them to get better) they can also help those in Purgatory. If the souls in Purgatory are waiting to be “let into” Heaven, so to speak, if we pray for them to be let into Heaven, it just may help to speed things up, especially if a whole lot of us are praying.
In Christ,
Rand
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JimG
Guest
If souls are in purgatory, then prayer can help them just as it can help others we pray for on earth. But I rather suspect that your Baptist preacher friend doesn’t believe there is a purgatory; and if there is no purgatory, what good would prayers do?
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Hap
Guest
His understanding is that Catholic belief is that someone in purgatory is in holding until enough people pray that soul into Heaven.
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JimG
Guest
No. All souls in purgatory are guaranteed to get to heaven, whether anyone prays for them or not!
It’s just that it’s always nice to have help if you can get it.
I’ll certainly clean my house before the end of the year. But it would be nice if someone wanted to assist me.
It’s just that it’s always nice to have help if you can get it.
I’ll certainly clean my house before the end of the year. But it would be nice if someone wanted to assist me.
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NonDenom
Guest
Hi All
Ok, so Catholics believe that ALL souls go to purgatory or that some souls or most go to purgatory?
Thanks
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mattrue
Guest
no doubt about it Jim G, all souls in purgatory go to heaven. we pray for them that they may go to heaven. maybe we too someday may need a prayer from someone. prayer can only be a good thing. Purgatory should be looked at as a blessing, kind of a safety net as Fr. Corapi explains. I’m not 100% sure but i think if your in a state of full grace you go straight to heaven.
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arieh0310
Guest
From the CCC:
1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.604 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:605
Code:
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.606- Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.609*
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JimG
Guest
In my previous post I was referring to all souls which are already in purgatory. Those are all without exception going to heaven.
As for ALL souls generally, some go to hell, some go to heaven, some go to heaven via purgatory.
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