Who Can Gregorian Masses Be Offered For?

The short answer

Gregorian Masses are requested for one deceased person. It may be someone who died recently or many years ago, a Catholic or a person of another faith, and also someone who took their own life. Gregorian Masses are not, however, celebrated for several people at once or for the living. What Gregorian Masses are is explained in the article What are Gregorian Masses?

Why only for one person?

This is how the practice took shape from the very beginning: St Gregory the Great ordered thirty Masses to be celebrated for one deceased person – the monk Justus. In recognising the confidence of the faithful in the thirty Gregorian Masses, the Church refers precisely to this form: a series offered for one deceased person. Religious orders and parishes agree in describing Gregorian Masses as an intention “for one deceased person only”.

This does not mean that a Mass offered for several deceased people is of lesser value – every Eucharist is the Sacrifice of Christ. It is a matter of fidelity to the particular practice the Church has recognised. A series of thirty Masses for two people is no longer Gregorian Masses in the strict sense, but an ordinary series of Masses for the dead.

Spouses, parents, “the whole family”

The most common question is: can one series of Gregorian Masses be requested for deceased parents, or for a husband and wife? No – but there are good alternatives:

• a separate series of Gregorian Masses for each person – they can be celebrated at the same time by different priests or one after the other;
• a novena of Masses for the dead – nine Masses that can be offered for several people, e.g. for both parents;
• the annual remembrance of the dead – prayer throughout the year for the departed members of your family whose names you give.

Can Gregorian Masses be offered for a living person?

No. By their nature Gregorian Masses are a prayer for a deceased person – that is how St Gregory describes them and how the Church understands them. For the living – the sick, those in difficulty, those far from God – other forms of prayer are requested:

• 30 Masses to the Heavenly Court – thirty Masses for a living person; sometimes called the “Gregorian Masses for the living”, although it is a distinct practice;
• a novena of Masses for the living – nine Masses in urgent need, e.g. before an operation.

Of course, you can also request a single Mass for any intention. An overview of all the forms can be found on the novenas, remembrance of the dead and other Mass intentions page.

For a non-believer or a person of another faith

Yes. The Code of Canon Law states that a priest may offer Mass for anyone, living or dead (can. 901). In the Eucharistic Prayer the Church commends to God “all the dead, whose faith you alone have known”. Gregorian Masses can therefore be requested for an Orthodox grandfather, a Protestant neighbour or a father who was far from the Church during his life. This does not cancel out their convictions – it is an act of love on the part of those who pray for them.

For a person who took their own life

Yes. Families in this situation are often afraid that it is “not appropriate” or that the Church will refuse. That is not so. The Catechism teaches that we should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives: by ways known to Him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance, and the Church prays for them (CCC 2283). The Catechism also reminds us that grave psychological disturbances, suffering or fear can diminish a person's responsibility (CCC 2282). Gregorian Masses for such a person are a very good way of entrusting them to God's mercy – and of finding a little peace oneself.

For someone who died long ago

Yes. There is no time limit whatsoever. Many people request Gregorian Masses for parents or grandparents who died decades ago – on the anniversary of death, in November or whenever they feel the need. We do not know how purification after death takes place, which is why prayer for the dead is never “too late”. More about choosing the date can be found in the article When should Gregorian Masses be requested?

How to give the intention

The name of the deceased person is enough, e.g. “for the repose of the soul of John Smith”. There is no need to give the date or cause of death, the person's religion or your relationship to them. Gregorian Masses are one of many forms of prayer for the dead, and if you already know for whom you wish to offer them, you can request Gregorian Masses in Białynicze straight away.

Sources

• Jesuits, St Stephen's Parish – Mass intentions (in Polish)
• Code of Canon Law – can. 901
• Catechism of the Catholic Church – nos. 958, 1032, 2282–2283