Praying for the dead

Another distinctive feature of Catholicism that has nearly been lost in the ecumenical soup is praying for the dead.

Because we believe that the Sacrifice of the Mass, in particular, and other prayers and works of charity may be offered to speed our dead through Purgatory, we have a long tradition of praying for the Holy Souls.

However, under the influence of a cruel Protestantism that insists that once someone is dead, there is nothing we can do for them, Catholics are increasingly inclined to treat funerals as eulogies and services to comfort the survivors, rather than occasions of prayer for the dead person.

So one of the key parts of our identity as a Catholic family is to pray for our relations and friends who have died: every day, without fail.