Hope vs justice X: Christian tales about the prayers on behalf of the dead

 

Hope vs justice X: Christian tales about the prayers on behalf of the dead

In what follows, I’ll report three tales of presumably efficacious prayers on behalf of the dead: the tale of Thecla and Falconilla present in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, the story of Gregory the Great’s prayer on behalf of Emperor Trajan and a commentary on this tale by Thomas Aquinas and, finally, the tale of Perpetua’s prayer for her deceased brother Dinocrates.   

Acts of Paul and Thecla

“And when the beasts were exhibited, they bound her to a fierce lioness; and Tryphæna accompanied her. But the lioness, with Thecla sitting upon her, licked her feet; and all the multitude was astonished. And the charge on her inscription was: Sacrilegious. And the women cried out from above: An impious sentence has been passed in this city! And after the exhibition, Tryphæna again receives her. For her daughter Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream: Mother, you shall have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the place of the just.

And when, after the exhibition, Tryphæna received her, at the same time indeed she grieved that she had to fight with the wild beasts on the day following; and at the same time, loving her as much as her daughter Falconilla, she said: My second child Thecla, come and pray for my child, that she may live for ever; for this I saw in my sleep. And she, nothing hesitating, lifted up her voice, and said: God most high, grant to this woman according to her wish, that her daughter Falconilla may live forever. And when Thecla had thus spoken, Tryphæna lamented, considering so much beauty thrown to the wild beasts.

And when it was dawn, Alexander came to take her, for it was he that gave the hunt, saying: The governor is sitting, and the crowd is in uproar against us. Allow me to take away her that is to fight with the wild beasts. And Tryphæna cried aloud, so that he even fled, saying: A second mourning for my Falconilla has come upon my house and there is no one to help; neither child, for she is dead, nor kinsman, for I am a widow. God of Thecla, help her!

And immediately the governor sends an order that Thecla should be brought. And Tryphæna, taking her by the hand, said: My daughter Falconilla, indeed, I took away to the tomb; and you, Thecla, I am taking to the wild-beast fight. And Thecla wept bitterly, saying: O Lord, the God in whom I believe, to whom I have fled for refuge, who delivered me from the fire, grant a recompense to Tryphæna, who has had compassion on Your servant, and because she has kept me pure. Then a tumult arose, and a cry of the people, and the women sitting together, the one saying: Away with the sacrilegious person! The others saying: Let the city be raised against this wickedness. Take off all of us, O proconsul! Cruel sight! evil sentence!” (source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0816.htm )

See also: https://academic.oup.com/book/1885/chapter-abstract/141636479?redirectedFrom=fulltext

The tale of Trajan and Gregory the Great apparently falsely attributed to John of Damascus (see later in the commentary that Aquinas makes)

“9. Why, then, is the matter so difficult? Did not the Protomartyr save Falconilla after hear death?

But perhaps you will argue that she, by virtue of her dignity as Protomartyr, saved her, and that her prayer deserved to be heard.

And I reply to you: Granted – there was the Protomartyr. But consider for whom the supplication was made! It was made for a pagan woman who served a clearly impious and alien lord. Here, however, a believer treats the very same Lord on behalf of another believer.

Place things side by side and compare them, and every doubt will depart from you.

…

16.But it is time to recall other accounts. Gregory the Dialogist, Bishop of old Rome, renowned and known as a holy and wise man – and they say that when he celebrated the liturgy an angel always concelebrated with him – while walking on the road stopped to pray to the Lord to forgive the sins of Emperor Trajan.

Then a heavenly voice came to him saying:

“I have your prayer and grant forgiveness to Trajan. But you must cease offering prayers to the impious.”

That this is true is affirmed by the whole East and West.

Do you see that this surpasses the case of Falconilla? For she at least harmed no one, whereas he caused the bitter death of many martyrs.” (Concering Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in Faith, 16; source: https://www.mystagogyresourcecenter.com/2026/02/concerning-those-who-have-fallen-asleep.html )

Thomas Aquinas on the story of Trajan and Gregory of the Great:

“Obj. 5: Further, the Damascene in the same sermon relates that Gregory, while praying for Trajan, heard a voice from heaven saying to him: I have heard thy voice, and I pardon Trajan: and of this fact the Damascene adds in the same sermon, the whole East and West are witnesses. Yet it is clear that Trajan was in hell, since he put many martyrs to a cruel death. [On Those Who Have Fallen Asleep in Faith, falsely ascribed to Damascene]. Therefore, the suffrages of the Church avail even for those who are in hell.

…

Reply Obj. 5: Concerning the incident of Trajan it may be supposed with probability that he was recalled to life at the prayers of blessed Gregory, and thus obtained the grace whereby he received the pardon of his sins and in consequence was freed from punishment. The same applies to all those who were miraculously raised from the dead, many of whom were evidently idolaters and damned. For we must say likewise of all such persons that they were consigned to hell, not finally, but as was actually due to their own merits according to justice: and that according to higher causes, in view of which it was foreseen that they would be recalled to life, they were to be disposed of otherwise.

Or we may say with some that Trajan’s soul was not simply freed from the debt of eternal punishment, but that his punishment was suspended for a time, that is, until the judgment day. Nor does it follow that this is the general result of suffrages, because things happen differently in accordance with the general law from that which is permitted in particular cases and by privilege. Even so the bounds of human affairs differ from those of the miracles of the divine power, as Augustine says (On the Care of the Dead 16).” (Supplement of the Third Part, Summa Theologica, question 71, article 5, objection and reply 5, source: https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~ST.IIISup.Q71.A5.Rep5  )

Perpetua prayer for her brother Dinocrates

Here it is assumed that a child of 7 years old (Dinocrates), presumably unbaptized, can be punished after death. Nevertheless, if Dinocrates died unbaptized, according to this story he can be saved and this is in contrast to the view that children who die unbaptized will be surely damned. Here is the account:  

“3. After a few days, while we were all praying, on a sudden, in the middle of our prayer, there came to me a word, and I named Dinocrates; and I was amazed that that name had never come into my mind until then, and I was grieved as I remembered his misfortune. And I felt myself immediately to be worthy, and to be called on to ask on his behalf. And for him I began earnestly to make supplication, and to cry with groaning to the Lord. Without delay, on that very night, this was shown to me in a vision. I saw Dinocrates going out from a gloomy place, where also there were several others, and he was parched and very thirsty, with a filthy countenance and pallid color, and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother after the flesh, seven years of age, who died miserably with disease — his face being so eaten out with cancer, that his death caused repugnance to all men. For him I had made my prayer, and between him and me there was a large interval, so that neither of us could approach to the other. And moreover, in the same place where Dinocrates was, there was a pool full of water, having its brink higher than was the stature of the boy; and Dinocrates raised himself up as if to drink. And I was grieved that, although that pool held water, still, on account of the height to its brink, he could not drink. And I was upset, and knew that my brother was in suffering. But I trusted that my prayer would bring help to his suffering; and I prayed for him every day until we passed over into the prison of the camp, for we were to fight in the camp-show. Then was the birthday of Geta Cæsar, and I made my prayer for my brother day and night, groaning and weeping that he might be granted to me.

4. Then, on the day on which we remained in fetters, this was shown to me. I saw that that place which I had formerly observed to be in gloom was now bright; and Dinocrates, with a clean body well clad, was finding refreshment. And where there had been a wound, I saw a scar; and that pool which I had before seen, I saw now with its margin lowered even to the boy's navel. And one drew water from the pool incessantly, and upon its brink was a goblet filled with water; and Dinocrates drew near and began to drink from it, and the goblet did not fail. And when he was satisfied, he went away from the water to play joyously, after the manner of children, and I awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from the place of punishment.” (chapter 2, 3-4; source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0324.htm )