L. Ruland, Geschichte der kirchlichen

Leichenfeier, Ratisbon 1901.
1» See the Decree of the S. Con- gregation of the Holy Office, of
May 19, 1886. — Regarding certain conditions under which such persons may be left in good faith, see the decree of July 37, 1892, issued in reply to certain questions asked by the Archbishop of Freiburg (Cath- olic Encyclopedia, Vol IV, p. 482).
so On cremation in general cfr. Wm. Devlin, t. v., in the Cath. Encyclopedia, Vol. IV; Ada S. Sedis, XXV, 63; Am. Eccles. Re- view, XII, 499; Fortnightly Review,
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b) Suffrages offered for the dead cannot bene- fit the just in Heaven or the damned in Hell, but they can and do benefit the poor souls in Purga- tory. The just do not need human assistance. This is especially true of baptized infants and the blessed martyrs. St. Augustine says it is an in- sult to pray for a martyr, 21 The ancient practice, evidenced by the teaching of the Fathers and the early liturgies, of praying and offering sacrifice for deceased Apostles, martyrs, prophets, and saints, was inspired by a desire to thank God for having glorified them in Heaven. We pray for them, says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, "in order that through their prayers and supplications God may receive our own." 22 And St. Augustine: "When sacrifices ... are offered on behalf of the very good, they are thank-off erings, . . . and in the case of the very bad, even though they do not help the dead, [these sacrifices] afford conso- lation to the living/' 23
c) To understand how the suffrages of the liv- ing can benefit the poor souls we must recall the distinction between the meritorious and the sat-
St. Louis, Mo., Vol. XXIII, No. 17; 22 Cat. My stag., V, 9: • • ut
A. Besi, Die Beerdigung und Ver- Dsns orationibus ittorum at deprsca-
brennung der Leichsn, Ratisbon tionibus suscipiat preeet nostras."
1889; G. Haul, Gottesacker oder (Mime, P. G„ XXXIII, 11 15).
Liichenofen, 1898. 28 Enchiridion, no: " SacriHcia
21 Sertn., 17: " Iniuriam facit . . . pro valde bonis gratiarum ac-
martyri, qui orat pro martyrs," tiones sunt; pro valda malts, si nulla
(Cfr. Pohlc-Prcuss, M-ariology, p. adiumento tnortuorum, viventium
145). consolationts sunt.'*
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isfactory value of good works. 24 The meritori- ous value of a good work consists in an increase of sanctifying grace and is not transferable. Its satisfactory value consists in an expiation of punishment due, and may be surrendered in favor of another. It is the satisfactory value alone that God accepts on behalf of the dead.
From this point of view we can appreciate the " heroic act of charity " approved by Pius IX, which consists in the voluntary relinquishment of all claim to the sat- isfactory fruits of one's good works as well as to the suffrages of one's friends after death for the benefit of the poor souls. However, it is doubtful whether God accepts such a sacrifice and actually deprives those who make it of the satisfactory values which they surrender. That He approves of the heroism that dictates such a noble act goes without saying, for it is in full accord with St. Paul's exclamation, " I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ, for my brethren." u
Over and above their meritorious and satisfactory value, prayers for the dead have an impetratory value, inas- much as tliey move God to hear the petitioner's prayer, qua prayer, regardless of the value of the satisfaction offered.
With regard to indulgences it is commonly held that they may be applied to the poor souls "by way of suffrage" (per modum suffrogii). 2 *
d) We can offer suffrages for the dead either
24 Cfr. St Thomas, Summa TheoL, 29 The student will find this sub- Supplement., qu. 71, art 4. ject treated more fully in Pohle-
25 Rom. IX, 3: " Optabam enim Preuaa, The Sacraments, Vol. Ill, ego ipse anathema esse a Christo pro pp. 260 sqq.
fratribus meis."
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by performing, or causing others to perform, a good work that produces its effects ex opere operato (e. g. the Mass) ; or by creating satisfac- tory or impetratory values for the benefit of the poor souls by giving alms, reciting the office of the dead, etc. In the former case it is sufficient that the good work be performed to secure its ef- fects ; 27 whereas in the latter case all those condi- tions must be fulfilled which are required to ren- der a good work meritorious, principally this, that the applicant be in the state of sanctifying grace. 28 An act by which no merits or satisfac- tions are gained for the doer himself, cannot ap- ply such merits or satisfactions to others. 29
Can the just, who have arrived at the status termini, intercede for the poor souls in Purgatory?
The just who have arrived at the status termini are di- vided into two classes: (i) the Angels and Saints in Heaven, and (2) the poor souls in Purgatory.
The liturgical prayers of the Church show that the Angels and Saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael, are powerful intercessors for the dead. 80 Whether the poor souls can assist one another is a more difficult question to answer. We know that, being in a state of punishment, they all need assistance for themselves. To assume that they can obtain release
27 Cfr. Pohle-Preusi, The Sacra- BO . . ut inter cedentibus omnir ments, Vol. I, pp. 122 tqq. bus Sanctis tuts pletatis tuae clemen-
28 Cfr. Pohle-Preuss, Grace: Ac- tid omnium delictorum suorum ve- tual and Habitual, pp. 82 tqq., 413. ***** consequantur." (Roman Mis-
29 Cfr. St. Thomas, Summa Theol., sal). Supplement., qu. 71, art. 3.
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from Purgatory by their own prayers, would seem to contradict the revealed teaching that they are unable to acquire merits or even quasi-merits. 31 However, ex- pressly excluding this untenable corollary, we may hold that the poor souls are able to pray for one another ef- fectively. Suarez 82 and Bellarmine 83 furthermore main- tain that the poor souls can aid the faithful on earth by their intercession. This is, however, opposed to the teach- ing of St. Thomas, who in reply to the objection that the poor souls can help us because they are friends of God says : " Those who are in Purgatory do not yet enjoy the vision of the Divine Logos, which would en- able them to know what we think and speak, and there- fore we do not implore their suffrages, but those of the living." 84 The further objection that the poor souls must have power with God because they are impeccable, he re- futes thus : " Though they are superior to us in as far as they can no longer sin, they are inferior to us as regards the punishments which they suffer, and therefore they are in no condition to pray [for others], but rather in a state where they need the prayers of others." 85
Nevertheless those who piously invoke the poor souls, or promise them Masses, need not be disturbed, because it is probable that they can aid us by their interces- sion, and quite possible that God may aid both the poor souls and those who pray for them without the
si On the meritum de congruo tee Pohle-Preuw, Grace: Actual and Habitual, pp. 430 sqq.
*2D* Oration*, I, si.
ZZD* Purgatorio, II, 16.
84 Summa Thiol., aa aae, qu. 83, art 4, ad 3: "///*, qui sunt in Purgatorio, nondum fruuntur visione Verbi, ut possint cognoscere ea, quae nos cogitamus vel dieimus, et
ideo eorum sufFragia non imploramus orando, sed a vhris petimus collo- quendo."
nop. cit., art. 11, ad 3: "/W, qui sunt in purgatorio, etsi sunt superiores nobis propter impeccabili- totem, sunt tamen inferiofes quantum ad poenas, quas patiuntur, et se- cundum hoc non sunt in statu oran- di, sed magis ut oretur pro eis."
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knowledge of the former. Let us not forget our Sa- viour's dictum : " Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy 80 The Church in her liturgy prays for the poor souls, but never invokes their intercession.
Readings : — S. J. Hunter, S. J., Outlines of Dogmatic Theology, Vol. III, pp. 442 sqq. — Wilhelm-Scannell, A Manual of Catholic Theology, Vol. II, pp. 553 sqq. — Wiseman, Lectures on the Prin- cipal Doctrines and Practices of the Catholic Church, Sect XI, London 1836 (frequently reprinted). — Coleridge, The Prisoners of the King, London 1897. — Canty, Purgatory, Dogmatic and Scholastic, Dublin, 1886. — Loch, Das Dogma der griechischen Kirche vom Purgatorium, Ratisbon 1842. — Redner, Das Fege- feuer, Ratisbon 1856. — Bautz, Das Fegefeuer, Mayence 1883.— Tappehorn, Das Fegefeuer, Dillingen 1891.— St Binet, S.J., Der Freund der armen Seelen oder die kath. Lehre vom jenseitigen Reinigungsorte, Freiburg 1896.— Fr. Schmid, Das Fegefeuer nach kath. Lehre, Brjxen 1904. — Idem, Die Seelenlauterung im Jenseits, Brixen 1907. — Bellarmine, De Purgatorio. — Casaccia, // Purga- torio, Biella 1863. — B. Jungmann, De Novissimis, Ratisbon 1871. — Oxenham, Catholic Eschatology, London 1878. — Sadlier, Pur- gatory: Doctrinal, Historical, Practical, New York 1886.— Atz- berger, Geschichte der christlichen Eschatologie, Freiburg 1896. — E. J. Hanna, art "Purgatory," in Vol. XII of the Catholic Encyclopedia, pp. 375-380.— H. Thurston, S.J., The Memory of the Dead, London 1916 (contains a brief but fairly comprehen- sive sketch of the Catholic practice of prayer for the dead from the first centuries of Christianity to the close of the Middle Ages.)
MMatth. V, 7: "Beat* misericordes, quoniam ipsi mistricordiam con*
j$qu$ntur."