All are permitted to pray privately for deceased non-Catholics.
The problem here was the potential for scandal (ie., promoting indifferentism) by the public offering of Catholic rites to a heretic.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia (under entry for “Prayer for the dead.” Scroll down to section titled “Church laws regarding public offices for the dead”):
“There is no restriction by Divine or ecclesiastical law as to those of the dead for whom private prayer may be offered — except that they may not be offered formally either for the blessed in heaven or for the damned. Not only for the faithful who have died in external communion with the Church, but for deceased non-Catholics, even the unbaptized, who may have died in the state of grace, one is free to offer his personal prayers and good works…”
Thanks for the reply. It's clear that public rites may not be offered for deceased non-Catholics, and it seems that it was commonly held before V2 that private prayers and works were permissable, I'm just not certain what exactly Pope Gregory disapproves of in this passage. Maybe it's not the prayers themselves, but only the public recommendation of them.
Wow! Such a firm yet charitable correction.
> you also ordered that in the funeral eulogy of the deceased the sacred orator should especially commend her to the pious prayers of the faithful
Are we to take from this that private prayers for deceased non-Catholics are also forbidden?
I think it is unclear.
No.
All are permitted to pray privately for deceased non-Catholics.
The problem here was the potential for scandal (ie., promoting indifferentism) by the public offering of Catholic rites to a heretic.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia (under entry for “Prayer for the dead.” Scroll down to section titled “Church laws regarding public offices for the dead”):
“There is no restriction by Divine or ecclesiastical law as to those of the dead for whom private prayer may be offered — except that they may not be offered formally either for the blessed in heaven or for the damned. Not only for the faithful who have died in external communion with the Church, but for deceased non-Catholics, even the unbaptized, who may have died in the state of grace, one is free to offer his personal prayers and good works…”
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04653a.htm
Thanks for the reply. It's clear that public rites may not be offered for deceased non-Catholics, and it seems that it was commonly held before V2 that private prayers and works were permissable, I'm just not certain what exactly Pope Gregory disapproves of in this passage. Maybe it's not the prayers themselves, but only the public recommendation of them.
Corrrect.