Traditions:Do we pray FOR the Dead or TO the Dead?

[Kathryn_Ann]

Hi, relatively new Catholic convert here. Is it the Catholic tradition to pray both TO the dead as well as FOR the Dead? I believe we can pray to Saints in Heaven, but what about praying TO departed family members and friends? We pray TO Mary for intercession, but I wondered if there is a tradition about praying TO others who are not canonized. In a way, I believe we are told that the Communion of Saints includes everyone, and that we are all connected in a mystical way. But may we pray to people who are dead who are not Catholic? A parent who is Catholic but not an agnostic parent?
Thank you for your patience on this. I really appreciate any help on this. I won’t be able to thank each person or reply to individuals, but I will read every single answer. I often pray for both my parents and all relatives, but wondered about praying directly to people, who may or may not be Catholic, and would like to know the traditions and rules.
Kathryn Ann:angel1:

 

[Cristiano]

It is both, we pray for the dead that are not canonized because they might still be in purgatory and our prayers will help them. We also pray to the dead because we want their intercession, not all saints are canonized but they are still sharing in Christ’s divinity and they are part of the communion of saints. Just be reassured that any our prayers will not be unheard.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Hi, relatively new Catholic convert here. Is it the Catholic tradition to pray both TO the dead as well as FOR the Dead? I believe we can pray to Saints in Heaven, but what about praying TO departed family members and friends? We pray TO Mary for intercession, but I wondered if there is a tradition about praying TO others who are not canonized.

We don’t know who is in Heaven except the ones Canonized which is going to be a minuscule number of those who are there. You can certainly ask your departed loved ones to pray for you, if they are not able to act on your behalf, no harm is done. But regardless of whether they are in Heaven you can certainly always talk to them and also pray for them.

The Church teaches that all may be saved, and we can’t say how many Buddhists or atheists are in Heaven, but the Church doesn’t say they can’t be.

In the end, if you always used to ask your Grandma for advice, there’s no problem talking to her and telling her you miss her and what the problem is and wishing she would give you some advice. God’s Mercy is outrageous and by the power of the Holy Spirit you just might get an answer. If not, she’ll still like hearing from you.

 

[Servant31]

I thought we were only suppossed to pray FOR the dead and not to them, unless they are cannonized (saints) because we know the saints are in heaven and will pass along your prayer to God?

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I thought we were only suppossed to pray FOR the dead and not to them, unless they are cannonized (saints) because we know the saints are in heaven and will pass along your prayer to God?

The Church Suffering (the Souls in Purgatory) are powerful intercessors. There are many devotions to the Holy Souls and we are to pray for them and they will pray for us.

 

[Zekariya]

We ask the saints to pray for us. We pray for the souls in purgatory. Only those who die in a state of grace are in purgatory.

When you commit a sin after baptism, there is a temporal punishment you must pay.

An example: A lapsed Catholic murders a man. His temporal punishment is life in prison. He confesses the sin (with true repentance) and is absolved. He still must pay the temporal punishment either in prison for life or in purgatory.

An indulgence pays for our temporal punishments that we earn from sin that we commit. When we die, if we have not paid for all of our temporal punishments, we will pay for them in purgatory.

A partial indulgence remits part of our temporal punishment. A plenary indulgence remits all of our temporal punishment we have earned up to that point.

Note: Baptism remits all sins and temporal punishment. Confession remits only sins.

We can apply our indulgences to the poor souls in purgatory and pray for them.

 

[Kathryn_Ann]

HI, OP stepping in a moment. Thank you for all answers, but please, could I have more information on the question of exactly WHO we are allowed to pray TO?

I imagine we can pray FOR anyone. :angel1:

Some of you have addressed this but I would be so grateful for more info as to WHOM we can pray TO? Only those known to be canonized Saints? TO people in purgatory or not?
And who can intercede for us, that we are allowed to pray TO for intercession?

If someone can help by quoting/showing the Catechism on this please, I would be so grateful.

Can only Canonized Saints be prayed TO? What about a mother or father who died as agnostics? Can a child pray TO them? Do they hear us? Does the Communion of Saints only include Catholic souls, or everyone, or whom does it include?

It’s Church teaching I’m looking for please.
Thank you to all who have posted so far.

You are all so kind and patient with me. :heaven::grouphug:
Kathryn Ann

 

[Zekariya]

HI, OP stepping in a moment. Thank you for all answers, but please, could I have more information on the question of exactly WHO we are allowed to pray TO?

I imagine we can pray FOR anyone. :angel1:

Some of you have addressed this but I would be so grateful for more info as to WHOM we can pray TO? Only those known to be canonized Saints? TO people in purgatory or not?
And who can intercede for us, that we are allowed to pray TO for intercession?

If someone can help by quoting/showing the Catechism on this please, I would be so grateful.

Can only Canonized Saints be prayed TO? What about a mother or father who died as agnostics? Can a child pray TO them? Do they hear us? Does the Communion of Saints only include Catholic souls, or everyone, or whom does it include?

It’s Church teaching I’m looking for please.
Thank you to all who have posted so far.

You are all so kind and patient with me. :heaven::grouphug:
Kathryn Ann

We can ask for prayers from anyone who we believe to have died in a state of grace (a deceased parent for example). The Communion of Saints include the Church Militant (those in a state of grace on earth), the Church Suffering (those in purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (those in heaven).

Only canonized Saints have been formally acknowledged by the Church to be in heaven. There are many unknown Saints.

 

[Servant31]

Yeah I actually resind my answer. I heard something on EWTN that made me thing Im wrong. Lol I think on this I have no idea what im talking about…
A full indulgence removes all temporal punishment for all sins or for a single sin?

 

[Zekariya]

Yeah I actually resind my answer. I heard something on EWTN that made me thing Im wrong. Lol I think on this I have no idea what im talking about…
A full indulgence removes all temporal punishment for all sins or for a single sin?

A partial indulgence remits part of our temporal punishment. A plenary indulgence remits all of our temporal punishment from all of the sins we have committed up to the point which we earned a plenary indulgence.