The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-02-05
CATHOLIC BELIEF
ON PURGATORY
Continued from first page)

who nave 1dIlen asleep from
us, believing that the supplications
which we present will be of great
assistance to their souls. while the
holy and tremendous Sacrifice is Of
fered up" He answers by illustra-
ton those that might be disposed to
doubt the efficacy of prayers foe the
dead. IF a King had banished GER
tain persons who had offended him
and their relations having woven a
crown, should offer it to him in be
half of those under his vengeance.
would he not grant a respite to their
punishment? SO we, in Offering up
"A crown of prayers in behalf Of
those who have fallen asleep, will
obtain from them forgiveness
through the merits of Christ.
tCatech. N. 8. 10. p. 328) Thus if
space would permit, | could quote
from, st. Ephrem, st Ambrose. St.
Jerome, all of the 4th Century; from
st. Augustine. from the 9Th Cen
tury and the Councils of the Church,
but from what | have quoted YOU
IA perceive that this devotion is
not an invention of modern times
but a doctrine universally enforced
in the first and purest ages of the
Church. You see that praying for
the dead was not a devotion cauti.
ously recommended by some OBJ
scure or visionary writer but and
act of religion preached and incuI-
Gated by all the great Doctors and
Fathers of the Church, who are the
recognized expounders of the Christ
ian religion. You see them. too, in
c~ulcating this doctrine. not as a cold
and abstract principle but as an i'm.
peratIye act of daily piety and en-
bodying it in their ordinary exercis-
eS Of devotion and IN the Sacrifice Of
the Mass. On the Monuments which
were erected to the dead. some Of
which are preserved even to this
day, epitaphs were Inscribed, earn.
estly invoking for their souls the
PRAYERS Of the living. How crafty
ing it Is to our Catholic hearts,
that "A devotion SO soothing to af-
f1icted spirits. it is at the same time
so firmly grounded on the traditions
OF ages
A. Lastly. that the practice Of
praying for the dead has decended
from Apostolic times, is evident also
from the Liturgies of the Church.
A Liturgy is tie established tormu-
larry of public worship, containing
the Authorized PRAYERS of the Church.
The principal Liturgies are, the
Liturgy of st. James, the Apostle,
who founded the Church at Jerusa-
lem; the Liturgy of st. Mark. the
Evangelist, founder of the Church
of Alexandria and the Liturgy OF
st Peter who established the Church
in Rome. These Liturgies are called
after the Apostles who compiled
them Besides these we have those
of st, ~Chrysostom End st. Basil.
Now all these Liturgies, without
exception have prayers for the dead
and their providential preservation
serves as another triumphant vim
dication of the venerable ar Equity
of this Catholic doctrine of purga-
tory.
Even the Greek-schismatic Church
of which the present Russo-G Greek
church is an offspring. as well as
the Armenian, Chaldean. Coptlc,
Maronlte and Syriac rites. tbranches)
without exception have prayers and
sacrifices for the dead. Also the
Arians, HISTORIANS and the Euty-
chians pray for their dead. Now, ]
ask, when could those Eastern sects
have commenced to adopt the Cath
Ollie practice of praying for the
dead? They could not have receiy-
ed it from US since the 9Th Century
becauce the Greek Church separat,
ed from us then and has had nc
communion with us since that time,
except at intervals, up to the 18th
Century. Nor could they have
adopted the practice since the fourth
and fifth Centuries. in as much as
the Arians. HISTORIANS and Euty.
chians have had no religious com.
munication with us since that per.
iod. Therefore. in common with
us. they received this doctrine
from the Apostles. If men living II
different countries drink wine, hav.
ing the same flavor and taste anC
color. the inference is, that the wine
was made from the same species of
grape. So must we conclude that
the refreshing doctrine Of intcrces