Today is All Souls Day, on which the Church commemorates all the faithful departed, praying in a particular way for the souls in Purgatory who are being purified before entering the glory of Heaven.
The Mass is the greatest prayer we can offer for the dead. On this day, priests have the privilege of celebrating three Masses: the first for all the faithful departed, the second for a particular intention (which may be a deceased person), and the third for the intentions of the Holy Father. This privilege was granted by Pope Benedict XV in his 1915 Apostolic Constitution ""Incruentum altaris sacrificium""
The Church also encourages the faithful to have Masses offered for their deceased relatives and friends. A longstanding devotion is the Gregorian Masses: a series of 30 Masses offered on 30 consecutive days for the repose of the soul of one particular deceased person. The tradition is associated with Pope St Gregory the Great.
Today the faithful may gain a plenary indulgence, applicable to the souls in Purgatory, by devoutly visiting a church or public oratory and reciting the Our Father and the Creed, under the usual conditions. A plenary indulgence can also be obtained under the conditions of the All Saints' Octave.
Réquiem aetérnam dona eis, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.