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Can a soul be delivered from hell through our prayers?

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Full Question

Can a soul be delivered from hell through our prayers?

Answer

Like heaven, hell is an eternal state, so prayers cannot help the souls there. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, “eternal fire.” The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs. (CCC 1035)

Since souls in heaven also have no need for our prayers, only those in purgatory are helped by prayers for the dead.

Conclusion

So, No. A soul cannot be delivered from hell through our prayers

This article was first published on Nov 15, 2014.

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Raphael Benedict

Raphael Benedict is a Catholic who wants nothing but to spread the catholic faith to reach the ends of the world. Make this possible by always sharing any article or prayers posted on your social media platforms. Remain blessed

27 Comments

  1. The Apostles Creed say that He (Jesus) will come again to judge the living and the dead. my understanding of this is no one who died neither went to hell or to heaven. does this mean they are all in purgatory or simply in a state of “sleep” as Jesus said to the grieving family of Lazarus?

  2. A little kid ask if he’s told to go to h…(he pointed down) he could tell them to go to heaven. I told him that it sounds good but not all are as smart as him. So they may things that h and heaven are one in the same. And to ask Father.

  3. Have you read that Jesus prayed for Lazarus even when the latter was dead for days, Also St. Paul or St. Peter maybe (not sure so… 🙂 ) also prayed for the boy who died, the one who fell asleep on the window,fall and dies on impact. Just saying. Sorry cause I’m a little sleepy so i can’t think that much hehehe 🙂 Any way, this one’s for you mademoiselle + 🙂

  4. tanong ko sa mga katoliko paano nag karoon ng larawan gayong walang nakakita sa Dios
    pangalawang tanong sino ang gumuhit ng larawan ni jesus/ at paanop siya iginuhit sino ang pinag kopyahan ng pintor na gumuhit sa kanya,,,,kapg nasagot ninyo ang tanong na ito tanggapin ko na tama kayo pero paghindi ninyo nasagot mag isip na kayo Godbless

    1. Ranz, Amigo, Kamusta 🙂 Tanong mo amigo diba na walang naka kita sa Diyos. paanong walang na ka kita sa Diyos, eh bumaba nga si Hesus sa mundo upang mag turo, gumamot at mag ligtas ng mga tao. AT. ang sabi Niya ay, “Ang Naka kita Sakin ay Naka kita na sa Ama, “Pagkat AKO at ang AMA ay IISA” So ang mga pintor, eskultor etc.. ay nakita si Hesus at sa kanilang alala ay Siya ay ipininta o nililok ng mga artista nung mga panahong iyon at nag salin hanggang sa ngayon. AT ang SHROUD of TURIN ay aktwal na imahe ni Kristo Hesus at HINDI ma itatwa ng mga siyentipiko at mga pilosopo. Adios Amigo. 🙂 +

  5. We pray for the dead because we don’t know and can’t judge what happened at the point of death if they went to hell or purgatory. Think of the passage where the person in debt was thrown into prison until he paid in full or when the men brought there paralytic friend to be healed by Jesus. On his own he could not be healed it was thru the intervention of friends. Look into great promises given to St Faustina with regards to one praying the chaplet for a person dying or even dead. St Gertrude as well as others.

    1. Nag aral ka ba danie boy o nag aaral pa din hanggang ngayon? ano man sa dalawa, mag protesta ka sa mga eskwelahan, sinehan, art museum at mga halintulad nito na wag gagawa ng mga ulap, rainbow etc.. wag mag painting o gumawa dahil “likeness ng heaven above” ang mga yon diba. go protest now danie boy 🙂 +

  6. Religious statues or images serves as a reminder for us that they are up there in Heaven.
    It is like a picture of your beloved dead. A remembrance of how they look when they were still
    with you here on earth. The way you look at it is, you take it literally! I pray that you will
    make it to Heaven at the end even if you keep on protesting. May God be with you! Amen

    1. no one can see God how could it be that God has an image,if you would say images serves as a reminder for us that they are up there in Heaven.
      It is like a picture of your beloved dead,that is not a good reason that you are worshiping idols…

  7. God forbids graven images then asked the Israliets to build a chest adorned with graven images to house the ten comandments.
    Catholics do not worship these statues. They are simply reminders for us. Like keeping a picture of your wife in your wallet. It doesn’t mean you worship Kodak paper.

  8. God has forbidden the use of images in worship but he did not forbid the religious use of statues. Instead, he actually commanded their use in religious contexts!

  9. The statue means that’s our remembrance of the faithful people in our catholic church . they’re just there to remind us how they loved God and how they served God faithfully . they’re there so that we can imitate them.

    1. everyone is intellegent enough to know that statue is an object and not God. Catholic use only that object as a visual llike a potrait of Jesus Christ on the cross as a reminder that Jesus our Lord, our God once lived here on earth among his creatures to preach the truth and died on the cross to save the sinners.

    2. Do you have a picture of a loved one who passed away?…If so when you see it and fill yourself with memories, emotions, and love for the deceased, do you worship the paper, printing color, and the image it forms?…Certainly you dont…So when catholics honor saints and adore the deity through statues, they dont worship and honor the plaster of paris or concrete or painting it represents….The prohibition in the Decalogue in the images should be understood in its context. The jews who are in exile on their way to Canaan, were contaminated with the pagan worship of the egyptians. Part of the populace was, that is why the 10 commandments of Decalogue made clear the pagan worship which was done through inanimate images…That should be the context to understand the scripture and decalogue…If making images was abhorrent to God, he should not have asked the jews to make an image of cherubims in the ARK OF THE COVENANT…where his presence is emphasized..and this is not only the example of images…YAHWEH EVEN ASKED THE MOSES TO MAKE A CRUCIFIX WITH A S SNAKE ON IT, WHICH WOULD BE THE SOURCE OF MIRACULOUSLY CURING THOSE WHO WERE STRUCK BY A DISEASE BECAUSE OF THEIR SINFULNESS DURING THEIR TRAVEL ON THE DESERT…so if you just read the bible and understand it with the help of the church, you would learn why you’re private beliefs and interpretations which goes against the teaching of the church is unfounded and you are being gullible to the private interpretations of other protestant denomination…the catholics have the lineage and pedigree as the only church established by Christ through Peter and successors..and Christ promised the Holy Spirit to guide it in its teachings…IT WILL NEVER GO WRONG BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A CONFUSED BUT ALL KNOWING GOD…

      1. You speak of biblical knowledge, but if that were truly the case in your situation, you would know that the church was not founded and established through Peter. Why would the Messiah want to build His church in a fallible man? That idea in itself came from personal interpretation.
        I guarantee you that every picture of Jesus is far from being accurate. The bible has plenty about that. And as far as Moses…it was a bronze molded snake lifted on a pole. And it was a shadow pointing to the Christ to come. Catholicism points more to Mary, the Saints and Sacraments more than it does to Christ. Read your bible not from a Latin translated context but from a Hebraic/Greek context…

        1. Jesus is like a wise man who built His house on the rock, and Jesus built his Church on the Rock of Peter — That’s what the Bible verily says… no matter what language or translation you use.
          Further, it is not the image that is important, but the effect the image has on the heart. Images of Jesus could never portray Him as He truly is, but they can elevate the Heart to God nonetheless, and this is where they derive their importance from, not their accuracy.
          Additionally, Catholicism will never point to Mary or to the Saints without the premise that we are directing ourselves toward God through the saints for through Mary. It was through Mary and her radical yes to God that the world received it’s Savior, and it is through Mary that we can choose to continue to reach for God. Mary and the Saints are not ends in themselves to me reached for; rather, they are those whom we seek guidance and support from while reaching for the Father through His Son, Jesus. Just as you ask your friends to pray for you and you pray for your friends, as we are directed to do in James Chapter 5, the Saints can provide the same service. Who are more alive or closer to God than those in Heaven, we do not ask favors from the dead.
          Additionally, neither are the sacraments ends in themselves. By definition, the sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification.
          God Bless!

          1. Thank you for your sharing and insites it was very enlighten .favor if not to much with you i would like to comunicate with you to seek some inspiring words that will increase my faith in God.thank you

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