I am confused. When and where did the priest commune with the dead? He had paranormal experiences in this area of Nogales, AZ. He knew enough about the life of a soul to realize that the soul had a need for prayers, and so he prayed for them. All the paranormal activities with these specific souls ceased.
Yes, it is a Catholic custom to pray for the dead. We believe in the Church triumphant (those who are in heaven; the Church militant (those still on earth) and the Church suffering (those in Purgatory). To be in purgatory is not the worst as someone above had=s written - it means that eventually you will be in heaven - but you need to have your soul “purged” so to speak. Imagine that when you die, you are not condemned to hell, but since you are a sinner as we all are, you approach the judgement with sins on your soul. Consider purgatory as one last opportunity to be cleansed before you are allowed to approach the throne of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Imagine that when you die, you are not condemned to hell, but since you are a sinner as we all are, you approach the judgement with sins on your soul. Consider purgatory as one last opportunity to be cleansed before you are allowed to approach the throne of God.
When we are forgiven, there is no sin left to pay for. It's been FORGIVEN. It's gone.
Suffering doesn't cleanse us from sin because it can't. Only death, the shedding of blood can do that so suffering in purgatory would be useless.
Colossians 2:13-14 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Hebrews 9:22 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:24-28 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 10:12-14 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:19-22 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
And finally.... *Allowed* to come before the throne???????
Hebrews 4:15-16 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
That was what that priest was doing, praying for the repose of those souls. God heard his prayer and they are now at peace.
It is a good, holy, and right thing to do.
Sometimes I wonder if those posters who cite scripture do so as to promote their own “opinions” and take the scripture way, way out of context?
He did it here:
"The priest has found an effective formula is to have a Mass said for any soul that seems to be disturbing a place and gently telling the soul, "Call to Jesus. Keep saying 'Jesus' over and over, until He comes.""
"He knew enough about the life of a soul to realize that the soul had a need for prayers, and so he prayed for them.
No, he did not know enough about the life of that soul to have any such realization. He had no way to know anything about the spirits except what he "felt" or what the spirits communicated to him, and demonic spirits lie, so their communications shouldn't be trusted.