Use rosary to pray for the dead, Catholics urged

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Catholics should pray the rosary not only for those who are living, but also for the benefit of the dead, Manila Cathedral vice rector Fr. Vincente Gabriel Bautista said yesterday.

Since the living have no idea if the soul is in purgatory, hell or heaven, prayers should be offered for the deceased, he noted.

“Our prayer is for all of those who have died, who are in need of God’s mercy. Much as well, if we are in need of mercy, they are also in need of God’s mercy,” Bautista said.

He explained the Fatima Prayer is usually added at the end of each decade of the rosary: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who most need Your mercy.

“The mandate of the Blessed Mother to the little children of Fatima was not only to pray for peace, for serenity, but also for those who have died,” Bautista said.

Our Lady of Fatima is one of the many Catholic titles of Mother Mary that is based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

He added that there are also those who dedicate one of the five decades of the rosary for the repose of souls.