Praying to Blesseds

[TheWhoFreak]

Hey all at the CAF,

I’ve got a question about praying to the Blesseds. As I understand the Church teaching on this, the Saints are people who we know for certain are in Heaven. The Blesseds and the Servants of God are people who have lived lives of heroic virtue, but our certainty about their place in Heaven is not the same as that of the Saints. This being the case, why do we pray to them if we aren’t totally sure they are in Heaven? NOTE: I’m not implying that the Blesseds or Servants of God are actually in hell or anything, but, since we don’t know for sure that they are in Heaven, isn’t it possible that they are still in Purgatory? If that is the case, then what is the justification for praying to them?

Thanks,

TheWhoFreak

 

[louisak]

You’re correct that only in the case of the canonized saints does the Church infallibly declare the person to be in Heaven.

So why pray to those recognized as blessed or servant of God? Well, we can have reasonable expectation, based on their known holiness, that they are in Heaven also. This is not the same thing as infallible certainty, but from the point of our prayer that is not a real obstacle. If the blessed person or servant of God is, for some reason, actually still in Purgatory, we haven’t actually done any harm by petitioning that person. The person in that case will not be able to answer or prayer, but we haven’t done any harm by asking.

On a more practical level, remember that a miracle is required for a person to be canonized, and miracles usually happen in response to a prayer/petition. No prayers, no miracles - no new canonized saints!

 

[edward_george]

From The Hermeneutic of Continuity:

We can understand why canonisation must be infallible if we consider the difference between beatification and canonisation. Beatification is the permission of veneration locally or for particular groups. Such veneration is not commanded but tolerated and permitted.

This is why certain groups, say dioceses or whole countries, might be permitted to venerate a beatus from their country. Until yesterday, when Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha became St. Kateri Tekakwitha, her office and Mass were still given as a memorial in the breviary and missal for the Dioceses of the United States (and one would suppose Canada). This morning, my seminary celebrated the Mass of Bl. John Paul II.

-ACEGC

 

[Robyn_p]

If the blessed person or servant of God is, for some reason, actually still in Purgatory, we haven’t actually done any harm by petitioning that person. The person in that case will not be able to answer or prayer, but we haven’t done any harm by asking.

Wait, I always thought that the saints in purgatory (I’m using saint in a lose way here not canonical saints) could pray for us and their prayers are still efficacious, just not for themselves.

The reason was that, unlike those in hell, they are still members of the Body of Christ, just like we are and just like the Saints in Heaven are, so they can still pray for us. The Saints in Heaven are obviously closer to God, so their prayers are more effective. But God answers our prayers here on earth, so why wouldn’t he answer the prayers of those in purgatory, who are probably more holy than us. Again though, those prayers can’t affect their stay in purgatory, that’s up to us.

Anyway, I could be wrong, but that’s what I was told. It made sense to me though.

Please correct me if that’s not true!!

 

[louisak]

Wait, I always thought that the saints in purgatory (I’m using saint in a lose way here not canonical saints) could pray for us and their prayers are still efficacious, just not for themselves!!

Hm, maybe you’re right. Somehow I’ve gotten the idea that those in Purgatory can only focus on their own purification, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen that stated in so many words.