SD, we must all be ignorant then, and you must not be too bright for asking our opinion on things, but by your statement above, we have to assume several things,
1, Are the saints, in heaven and aware, or still asleep.
2, Are they able to listen to these still on earth,
3, Does God allows them to accept prayers from those
still on earth?
4, Does God consider it necrophilia?
5, Do They have nothing better to do with their time?
6, In their enlightened state of awareness, do we look like fools to them, praying to dead people?
7, Do we have to pray out loud for them to hear?
8, Do they have omniscience powers, to read our mind?
9, Do other Spirits/Angels have to translate the silent prayers to them?
10, Do they have power to do anything about it?
11,Since only the Catholics believe in praying to the dead, are the Protestants off partying some place while the ex-catholics have to stand duty 24 hours a day hanging over the listening rail?
Jim, Havoc joined these two issues together and they should not be. I was disussing live, on earth, Christians praying to God, in Heaven, directly, for mercy for the "dead" (to us earthlings), suffering in Purgatory. I will gladly look at your questions about asking the "dead" who are in Heaven for their prayers at a later time. For now I wish to talk about Purgatory only and not mix the two together.
If a fellow Christian needs help I think God would look favorably on us praying for mercy for another.
4, Does God consider it necrophilia?
You might want to revise this. ;-)
SD