Why do Catholics pray for the dead?

Answer 1

Great question! :)

Prayers for the dead are often offered up so that those who are undergoing purification through Purgatory may finally see God in Heaven:

From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead. (CCC 1032)

By praying for the dead, Catholics are also following the examples set forth for them in Sacred Scripture.

Following the Example of Scripture - The Old Testament

From the Old Testament, a prominent example is of Judas Maccabeus and all his men who prayed for dead soldiers, that their sins of idolatry be forgiven:

All men therefore praising the Lord the righteous Judge, who had opened the things that were hid, Betooke themselves unto praier, and besought him that the sinne committed, might wholy bee put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Iudas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sinne, forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to passe, for the sinne of those [who] were slaine. (2 Macc 12:41-42, 1611 KJV)

And when he had made a gathering throughout the company, to the sum of two thousand drachmes of silver, hee sent it to Ierusalem to offer a sinne offering, doing therein very well, and honestly, in that he was mindful of the resurrection. (For if he had not hoped that they that were slaine should have risen againe, it had bin superfluous and vaine, to pray for the dead.) (2 Macc 12:43-44, 1611 KJV)

And also in that he perceived that there was great favour layed up for those that died godly. (It was an holy, and good thought) wherupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sinne. (2 Macc 12:45, 1611 KJV)

Following the Example Scripture - The New Testament

One example that is often recalled is when St. Paul offered a prayer for mercy on Judgment Day for Onesiphorus, which many theologians suggest ocurred after Onesiphorus died:

May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus. (2 Timothy 1:16-18 NAB)

Another example is pointed out by St. Francis de Sales in 1 Corinthians, when St. Paul writes

Otherwise, what will people accomplish by having themselves baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they having themselves baptized for them? (1 Cor 15:29 NAB)

St. Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622) explains as follows:

This passage properly understood evidently shows that it was the custom of the primitive Church to watch, pray, [and] fast for the souls of the departed. For, firstly, in the Scriptures to be baptized is often taken for afflictions and penances; as in St. Luke chapter 12 [12:50]... and in St. Mark chapter 10 [10:38-39]... in which places our Lord calls pains and afflictions baptism. This, then, is the sense of that Scripture: if the dead rise not again, what is the use of mortifying and afflicting oneself, of praying and fasting for the dead? And indeed this sentence of St. Paul resembles that of 2 Maccabees 12:44: It is superfluous and vain to pray for the dead if the dead rise not again. (St. Francis de Sales, 368. Cited in Armstrong 2004, pp. 163-164)

REFERENCES

The Bible Museum. The Bible: 1611 King James Version: 1st Edition, 1st Printing, (Goodyear, AZ: The Bible Museum, 2006).

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The New American Bible, (Iowa Falls: IA, World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1991).

Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994).

Armstrong, D. The Catholic Verses, (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2004).

Answer 2

Catholics do not worship their ancestors. They do remember, pray for, if appropriate, honor their ancestors. Worship is reserved for God, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; the three persons of the Holy Trinity. Saints, including the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, are revered for their holiness; but not on the level of the Holy Trinity. It's sort of like the difference between your love for your mother and father and fondness of your favorite Aunt or Uncle.

Answer 3

Yes. Prayer for the dead is derived from Scripture in the book of 2 Maccabees - one of the 7 books that Martin Luther took out [moved to an appendix]* of the [his German] Bible. Also from 1 Corinthians 41 and Job 1:5.

"Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."607 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.608 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: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" ~Catechism of the Catholic Church

* Luther's German Bible included all of the deuterocanon, and was even delayed from going to the printing press because he was ill while in the process of translating these books. (cf. Michuta 2007, p. 245-246)

REFERENCES

Michuta, G. Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger - The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible, (Port Huron, MI: Grotto Press, 2007).

Answer 4

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Catholic AnswerIf you are using the word "worship" in the modern protestant American sense of "adoration due to God alone" then, of course not. Catholics do pray for the dead as the Second Book of Maccabees says:

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2 Maccabees 12:46It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.

Answer 5

Roman Catholic AnswerFirst, let's get some definitions about what we are talking about:

Prayer - The "raising of the mind and heart to God" (St. John Damascene). It is, after devotion, the highest exercise of the virtue of religion, and includes worship, praise, Thanksgiving, sorrow, reparation, and petition. It may be mental or vocal. It is to God primarily that we pray, because he is the source of all our good; but we ought to pray also to our Blessed Lady [the Virgin Mary], in order that through their prayers and merits God may deign to hear us....

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

The dead: you are referring to people who are no longer alive "in the body", but, of course, they are always alive to the Lord. And the "dead" in heaven are far more "alive" than we are, as they are in constant communion with the Lord.

So, when the question of praying to the dead is known in the Church as "invocation of the saints". It is the teaching of the Church that God enables the saints to hear and see the needs of those on earth; that they present our petitions before the throne of God; and consequently that we may pray to them. This is part of the doctrine of the communion of saints (see the Nicene or Apostles Creed) "We employ two forms of prayer, differing in the manner of address; for to God we say properly, "Have mercy on us, hear us": to the saints, "Pray for us" . . . the greatest care must be taken by all not to attribute to any other that which belongs to God" (Catechism of the Council of Trent), though this is a matter of the intention rather than of the words used. Invocation of our Lady and other saints does not supplant prayer to God, but is by way of reinforcement thereto, as when one asks a friend for help in confirmation of ones own efforts in any matter. Therefore no Catholic is formally bound to pray to the saints; the Council of Trent only requires him to acknowledge that it is "good and useful" so to do. The Mass is, of course, offered to God only, and barring particular exceptions such as the litany of the Saints, the prayers of the liturgy are all addressed to Him directly.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

Q. Why is it necessary to pray to the Virgin Mary or the saints? There is but one Mediator, Christ Jesus, from whom we may obtain forgiveness and life everlasting.

A. If a mother prays for a wayward son, she is mediating on behalf of that son. And if God hears her prayers, that does not detract from the mediation of Christ. And as she can pray for her son, the Lady Mother of Christ and the saints can pray for us. And when they do, it is Jesus mediating for us, for it is Jesus in them Who is doing so. You lack understanding of Christian doctrine. Christians, whether in heaven or on earth, are the members of Christ. He identifies Himself with them. When Saul persecuted the Christians, Jesus said to him, "What persecutest thou Me?" And if the sufferings of the saints are His sufferings: the intercession of the saints is another form of His intercession. We Catholics believe in the Communion of saints; the common union of all saints in Christ. Protestants say that they believe in the Communion of Saints, but sedulously exclude all union with them. Catholics at least are conscious of belonging to the great family of God's children, and do not insist on being strangers to all with whom they will be associated in heaven.

from Radio Replies, by Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1942

Answer 6

Yes, of course, anyone can, although it is usually just one way. They are known as the "great cloud of witnesses" (in Hebrews 12:1) and pray for us regularly (Revelation 5:8). The dead only communicate with us by a special dispensation from God. If anyone thinks that they have heard from someone who has died - or anyone "from the other side", as they say - the only possible response is to pray for them. Under no circumstances should you ever try to communicate with those beyond. The vast majority of communications that people receive from "the other world" are from demons masquerading as our beloved dead. You can never know for certain, and it is perilous beyond imaging to entertain a demon much less try to communicate with them - look what happened to Eve, we're still paying for that one. The least powerful fallen angel (demon) could wipe out the entire universe with a thought if they weren't restrained by God. And there is absolutely no way to know for sure that it is not a demon trying to communicate with you. Pray!