Case 9. Mass for a Non-catholic

Caius, an old missionary in England, recently indeed poured forth private prayers to God for the deceased Queen, but thought it would be a sin to do anything else. Not therefore without astonishment did he hear that in a neighboring Catholic church an evening memorial service, as it is called, had been held with a special sermon; that in another a Mass had been privately applied, as the priest there afterwards publicly announced; and that in another a Requiem Mass had been publicly celebrated for the soul of the deceased. Wondering, therefore, Caius consulted a theologian about what was to be judged concerning the aforesaid things. Hence it is asked:

1. Is it prohibited by divine or natural law to pour forth prayers publicly or privately, or to apply Mass, for any persons whatsoever?

2. What is prohibited in this matter by ecclesiastical law?

3. What is to be said of the case?

1. Is it forbidden by divine or natural law to pray publicly or privately or to apply Mass for any one?

Apart from scandal or other extrinsic reasons we are not forbidden by divine or natural law to pray or to offer Mass for any one whom it will benefit. It is useless to pray or to offer Mass for the damned.

2. What is forbidden in this matter by ecclesiastical law?

The Church by her sentence deprives excommunicated persons of a share in the public suffrages offered by her ministers in her name. All acknowledge that by this law it is forbidden to pray or offer Mass publicly for those who are to be avoided as excommunicates. Some hold that it does not prohibit public prayer for those excommunicates who are tolerated. Some think that it is a law which has force only in the external forum, and that privately we may offer Mass for all whom it will benefit, as we may and certainly should pray for all men privately.¹

1 Manual of Moral Theology, vol. ii, p. 116.

3. The case. The wonder felt by Caius at an evening memorial service with sermon being held in a Catholic Church for one who had died out of her communion, was not without grounds. Such a thing savors of heterodoxy, not of Catholicism, which does not allow such things to be introduced into her public worship by private authority. If the priest who said Mass privately for the dead Queen had kept it to himself, nothing could have been said against him, but when he announced publicly that he had done it, it was much the same as if he had publicly announced beforehand that he was going to do it, and this is not tolerated by the usage of the Church. The Requiem Mass publicly offered for the dead Queen was contrary to the practice of the Church, which we should follow in all things, and against the express declaration of Gregory XVI, 16 Feb. 1842: “By both ancient and new discipline it is forbidden that persons who have died in the external and notorious profession of heresies be honored with Catholic rites.”