November 2nd is a remarkable day in the Roman Catholic Church as Catholics from different walks of life celebrate All Souls Day.

All Souls Day is a day to commemorate all the faithful departed, baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory because they died with the guilt of lesser sins on their souls. Parishioners light candles in memory of loved ones and sometimes write the names of the departed in a special commemorative book. Church bells also ring on All Souls’ Day, as it’s believed that the sound will comfort the dead and cleanse them.

This day began in some monasteries in the 6th century, and by the 10th century, it had spread to dioceses, becoming fixed in some places to November 2.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, all who die in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death, they undergo purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

During an interview, Fr. Dr. John Baptist Masayi of St. Augustine’s Institute Nsambya (UCS) revealed that the tradition of the Church encourages prayer for the dead, in particular by offering masses for them.

“The dead cannot pray for themselves, but we can pray for them. Our prayers are the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to the most abandoned ones,” Fr. Masayi said.

Fr. Masayi said that although everyone prays individually for the departed souls, on November 2, the whole church unites in praying for them, believing that it comforts their souls.

“What a great joy it is for the souls in purgatory that people on earth are assisting them with their prayers. Is it not a feast for them?” he questioned.

He added that the Catholic Church believes that when people die, the rust of sin covers their souls, and this has to be burned away by purifying the fire of purgatory. Fr. Masayi reveals in his reflection that as the rust lessens, the soul is opened to the divine rays of eternal happiness.

“As Scripture tells us in 2 Maccabees 12:46, our intercession helps them, for it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be freed from sin. If someone has to write a letter from purgatory, I guess it would read thus: My dear, I am very grateful to you for remembering me and praying for me,” Fr. Masayi added.

The Catholic Church believes that when people die, they go to Purgatory, where they await final purification in heaven. Purgatory is a place where people get cleansed of the things that once prevented them from loving God and others as they ought to during their lifetime.