“Let us not stop at cleaning and decorating graves, but let us offer our loved ones the prayer they need from us the most,” said the spokesman of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Fr. Leszek Gęsiak SJ on the occasion of the Memorial of All Faithful Dead, falling on November 2.
The spokesman of the Episcopate recalled that on All Souls’ Day the Church remembers all the believers who preceded us on the pilgrimage of faith and are now in Purgatory. “It is a special day when we not only remember our deceased relatives by visiting their graves, but it should be a day of intense prayer for their souls because this is what they need from us the most. This is also the purpose of mourning processions in churches and cemeteries, ”he noted.
Fr. Gęsiak SJ reminded that this year, by the decision of the Apostolic Penitentiary, it will be possible to obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful who died throughout November, and not only in the Octave of the Celebration of All Saints.
A plenary indulgence under ordinary conditions can be obtained by visiting a church or public chapel on November 1 from noon and on November 2, and saying “Our Father” and “I Believe in God.” “This year, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it can be postponed to any other day of November, freely chosen by the individual faithful. In addition, by fulfilling certain conditions, you can get a plenary indulgence for pious visits to a cemetery, church or chapel throughout November. We can obtain a plenary indulgence once a day and offer it for a deceased person, added the spokesman of the Episcopate.
In the context of All Souls’ Day, the spokesman of the Episcopate reminded that the pandemic was still ongoing and sanitary restrictions were still in force. “Let us not forget that this year’s All Souls’ Day also comes to us in a pandemic situation. Therefore, let us remember about observing sanitary norms and rules, such as wearing masks in closed spaces, which was also asked by the President of the Polish Episcopate, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki in the appeal in the context of the upcoming All Saints ‘celebration,’ said Fr. Gęsiak SJ.
