The Catholic response to the death of Osama Bin Laden – Pray for his soul?
There has been comment aplenty relating to the general Christian response to the death of Osama Bin Laden, however, in this post I’d like to focus specifically on the Catholic response.
As some will know I’m converting to Catholicism and I’ll say right now that the learning curve is one of the steepest I’ve ever encountered, so you will have to forgive my ignorance.
The news yesterday that a Catholic church in Ireland were going to perform a Mass dedicated to Osama bin Laden, sparked intense online debate as to the appropriateness, with no small amount of outrage.
As it turned out this was a hoax which you can read about here.
But what isn’t a hoax is the fact that Catholics are praying for the soul of Osama. Protect the Pope had this to say on the matter:
Some people are expressing outrage that Catholics are praying for the soul of Osama Bin Laden. Praying for God’s mercy on a hardened sinner at the moment of their death doesn’t mean going soft on their crimes, or discounting the terrible suffering of their victims and families. But it does mean taking seriously Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness of our enemies. Again, forgiveness doesn’t mean dispensing them from justice, but it does mean letting go of hate and a thirst for vengeance from our hearts.
Over at the Catholic Herald an article appeared yesterday by Francis Phillips, which concluded thusly:
As Christians, we should pray for Bin Laden’s soul; for his (sixth?) wife, wounded in the attack; and also for his 12-year-old daughter, who watched what happened and who helped identify her father’s body.
In my ignorance I was so surprised by the assertion that we as Christians should pray for Bin Laden’s soul, I asked:
The question I’d like to raise is based on this assertion:
As Christians, we should pray for Bin Laden’s soul
Why would we do that? What would be achieved? Would it be hoped that in some way he would repent in purgatory and join with the believers in God?
This question was greeted by a couple of comments that I wish to replicate here, as I found them fascinating, helpful, and full of grace.
The first is by Paul Priest:
The elder Brother in the Prodigal Son Stuart; the labourers in the vineyard who worked all day…
Everyone who recognises,acknowledges their sin and repents ; recognising the Sacrifice of Our Redeemer – WILL be saved.
Plus Our ways are not God’s ways – we have no idea in regard to this poor, pitiful soul – we have no idea of his psychopathology or inner turmoil or how much his sin was wrought by the conspiracy of those who sinned against him – we have absolutely no idea how free this person was to even sin – how tortured or trapped he was…he might have very well been a monster – but his fate is in the hands of God – it is our duty – our express duty – a commandment of the Church to pray for all sinners [because that imperative always includes ourselves]
Remember St Paul? As Saul of Tarsus he was the Grand Inquisitor whose sole aim in life was to genocidally wipe out that “vile heretical cultic sect” Christianity. Our greatest , bitterest most-avowed enemy became one of our greatest saints – we have no idea what might happen to anyone in the journey beyond – the limits of God’s mercy are boundless…We are expressly forbidden to judge the sinner – only the sin – no matter who they are or were – ergo we pray – and pray hard!
The second response came from Sean Gough:
Stuart its Sean here from Quo Vardis
as far as what good would it do!!!!!!
Every good in the world, Hid soul is the most desperate of souls, and the most in need of Gods mercy. If we were to refuse him our prayers then we would be judging his soul to be beyond Gods mercy, we would be setting limits to the love of God. This is intolerable, because we will be judged by the same standards that we judge others with, and we are no more worthy of Gods mercy than Bin Laden. The very second we begin to set limits, we automatically limits our selves.
Although we may be judged according to our actions, This is only in as far as they signify our cooperation with his grace, Gods grace and his mercy are NOT something we can earn, it is simply a free gift. Paul Priest is right to refer you to the prodigal sons, we must, as hard as it is, love Bin Laden’s soul – because Jesus loves his soul. To pray for his soul is our expression of that love.
If Jesus is incapable of loving Bin Laden, then he is incapable of loving me. Its that simply.
Tags: Christian Life
May 10th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Surely though, Bin Laden getting a “get out of jail card” is inherently unjust when many who will not have been prayed for won’t.
May 10th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Interesting dilemma Stuart.
One of the things I found so rewarding on Saturday was being with people who have such strength in their faith, and such knowledge. Like you I am exploring anew my faith and still have a huge amount to learn, as we all do and always will.
In my humble opinion it would be a strange thing to only pray for those who lead exmplary and relatively sin free lives. It is those of us who sin who most need prayer and forgiveness and those who sin most grievously need the most prayer. Or should that be most need prayer?
May 10th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
But it seems to favour the famous (or infamous).
May 10th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Remember that the Church has named countless saints over the centuries, but has never once named anyone in hell. Hell certainly exists, but we don’t know who is there. We have a duty to pray for all souls. no matter who they are, but God is the judge, not us…and that’s the point.
May 10th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
If praying made any difference in this situation surely it would only benefit those being prayed for?
take two examples:
a) A poor, unknown, person who died somewhere in Pakistan on the same day as Bin Laden – not prayed for.
b) Bin Laden – prayed for by lots of people.
By your logic person (a) has less chance than person (b) because he is not being prayed for by anybody.
If this is not true then it means that prayer in this situation is ineffective. If it is true then it is unjust.
I am just pointing out the odd logic which exists however you take this. Its not good either way.
May 10th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
When I heard that OBL had been killed my first reaction was sadness, that this wicked man’s soul was now in hell, that his chance for repentance was gone. And even for him, the enormity of it rendered me very troubled. Of course, we do not know whether he had accepted the salvation offered to him in Christ, although, judging from what we have been told about his final activities, it seems unlikely. His death should be a huge impetus for us to preach the Gospel and to pray for all the lost all the time as the Bible tells us to do. Yes, Jesus died even for Bin Laden, but I fear that Bin Laden refused the salvation so dearly bought in his pursuit of a life of terror and murder.
May 11th, 2011 at 12:45 am
And I should add that praying for the dead does not seem to me to be a bibilical concept. After death the judgement….
May 11th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
In hoc signo vinces†
Sounds more like the veneration of evil than christianity, to pray for Bin Laden is nothing but heresy and idolatry.
May 11th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
I agree G oy. Scripture tells us to pray for others and to work while there is still time. Praying for Bin Laden is nothing but romantic folly, a cheapening of the biblical doctrine of love, – an it is too late!
Lisa, according to the Scripture all who profess the Name of Jesus are saints. We do not earn sainthood, it is bestowed upon us by grace. So, Saint Lisa, I look forward to seeing you in Heaven.