My step father died last sunday. I found myself the last week praying for the repose of his soul. I know that me doing this is out of the Catholic in me. Is there baises for praying for souls of the departed thou in Anglicanism? Just wondering if anyone smarter than me my drop a quote for or against and explain in context of the Anglican tradition.
Adrian, I think most Anglicans would fall somewhere between ordinary low-church Protestant notions for whom the dead and prayer have no connection at all, and the Romans/Orthodox who would address prayers to the dead in Christ with the expectation that these dead in Christ can and do hear these prayers and are capable of granting a request we make to them. In my own movement (over decades!) from Anabaptistic Zwinglian forms of Protestantism toward a reformed catholic faith, I've had to puzzle over the issue you've inquired about. I've found it helpful to distinguish praying "to" someone who is dead (e.g. to the Virgin Mary) and praying "for" someone who is dead, particularly praying for someone whom we have good reason to suppose they died in the faith. Some will insist there is in Scripture no command or example of praying for the dead or praying to the dead. The necromancy condemned in the Law is an attempt to get information/counsel from the dead, such as Saul's attempt to get Samuel's counsel after he had died, by enlisting the aid of the witch at Endor. One might also insist that there is no command to avoid such prayers addressed to the dead (so long as it does not amount to necromancy!) or to avoid addressing petitions to God on behalf of the dead. These issues came very much to the forefront of my thoughts when my nine-year old daughter died of a brain tumor. About two weeks before she died, when we all knew that her death was imminent, she asked me what it was like to die, whether it was a terrible experience. Not having had much experience to draw on (!) I was left with the little I had learned about the deaths of brain tumor patients, assuring her that I would always be close by to insure her comfort and that for her — because she was a Christian, trusting in Christ for her eternal destiny — there were a number of hints from our Lord Himself about the experience of dying (e.g. being carried off by angels). I told her many other things, gathered from the accounts of parents who had attended the deaths of their own children from brain tumors (I was a member of an online forum dealing with such matters). The point: she was anxious about a great unknown. And, like all of us, her knowledge about the details of that event was exceedingly spotty! Now, she died, and knowing her anxiety arising from her (and my) ignorance, it was a natural thing for me to pray for her after she had died, to the end that she would be comforted, assured of our love for her, that we have not forgotten her, and so forth. I often ask our Father in heaven to convey our greetings to her (as well, these days, to my mother, my father, my brother and his wife and daughter, my mother-in-law, and father-in-law, and various aunts, uncles, and grandparents, all of whom died in the faith). Do they receive these greetings? I certainly don't know! Am I remiss in making the requests? I find no law against such prayers.
Prayers for the dead have had a prominent place in Anglicanism. Read the prayers in the BCP's Funeral liturgy.
Quick reply. Thanks so much for sharing your story father bill. Also yeah we've read those prayers fron the bcp over the last few week.
A Lutheran minister once told me that if your evil you go to hell, if your good you go to heavven.It's a final decision.either way prayers won't save you and if your in heaven you don'tt need them.I don't agree with that I am golng to become a priest an in the Anglican funeral liturgy there are prayers for the dead. Being an anglocatholic in the eucharist prayer theres a commemorration for the dead and if not there in the prayer s of the peolpe.We don't know what happens after death and pyayer to God will not hurt Its ok to ask. A departed person or saint to prayer with you