in thread "Luther on Retroactive Prayer — Can you pray for someone in the past?": FWIW, the Catholic idea of prayers for the dead is that it is only applicable to souls in purgatory, i.e., souls of those who died in a state of grace, and so are destined for heaven, but are still in need of spiritual purgation. The prayers help to facili... 4d ago (collapse hidden) 22 FWIW, the Catholic i (view hidden) 22