November dedicated to all those who have died


Father Roman writes to us from Haifa about the tradition of the Church to pray for the deceased in November.

november russians

Like every year in November, Father Roman took a group of children to visit the cemetery and pray near the tomb of Noah, the brother of one of the pupils. The Russian-speaking community, according to its custom, gathered on one Saturday in the cemetery to celebrate mass and pray for those relatives and friends who have passed away.

This year several Arab members of the Hebrew speaking community asked Father Roman whether it was permissible to pray for the deceased who did not believe in Jesus or were not baptized in his name. They are used to hearing that we pray only for deceased believers. The same question was posed to Father Roman by members of the Russian-speaking community. They also asked if it was permissible to pray for those who had committed suicide.

Of course, Catholics pray for all the deceased. While in Mass, when a liturgical text mentioning those baptized in Christ is used, we can only mention the names of those who believed and belonged to the Church. But during the prayers of the faithful we can mention any person, even if they did not believe in God, and ask for mercy for their soul. We should remember the Great Litany on Good Friday, when after praying for the Church, the believers, those preparing for baptism, etc. we also offer prayers for those who do not believe in Christ and for those who do not believe in God.

It is also appropriate to pray for those who have put an end to their lives. Both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the leaders of the Church invite us to pray for those who committed suicide, warning not to judge them too quickly and having faith in the mercy of God, who can save every human being as after all he alone knows the secrets of the depth of the human heart.

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