Pietas Romana et Parisiensis, or, A faithful relation of the several sorts of charitable and pious works eminent in the cities of Rome and Paris the one taken out of the book written by Theodorus Amydenus ; the other out of that by Mr. Carr.

CHAP. VIII. Of the publick and common Suffrages for the Dead.

NOW we come to shew the world the Pie∣ty or Charity used in Rome toward the deceased for freeing from the pains of Pur∣gatory such as are detained therein according to the antient Prayer made for them, con∣tained in the holy Canon of the Mass.

Memento Domine Famulorum tuorum qui nos Praecesserunt cum signo fidei, & dormiunt in somno pacis, ipsis Domine locum refrigerii, lucis & pa∣vis ut indulge as deprecamur.

This memory of such as sleep in Christ the City of Rome shows by many arguments that she preserves.

For all those foresaid Congregations or Sodalities, when any of their Brethren decease, do upon set days recite for them the Prayers prescribed by the Church of God commonly called the Office for the Dead.

And least these, which are not Members of any Sodality, should be destitute of the suffra∣ges of such Prayers: There is established in Rome, ever since the year 1582. in the parish Church of St. Blase, in the Via Julia, a Soda∣lity of Lay persons, called the Sodality of the Suffrage. Because the onely intent of it is to be imployed in the Suffrages for the Dead.

In the foresaid Church are maintained seven Priests, that every day say Mass for those Souls of the faithful, who dye in the grace of God, but are kept from his presence in Purgatory till they are purged from such spots as they contracted here. The Brethren of that Soda∣lity, tho Lay persons, do yet every Festival recite the foresaid Psalter of the Church for the dead; and, during the whole octave of the Commemoration of the dead, do every day say solemn Litanies, and make Processions from their Oratory, to the Church of St. Gre∣gory, and to other principal Churches in the City.

And likewise very often in the year do they repeat the prayers of forty hours; nor do they omit any thing prescribed by the Church that may any way serve towards the expiation of those Souls.

But on the Holy day set for the Commemo∣ration of the Dead, which is next after the Calends of November, and some days follow∣ing, there is a great concourse of all sorts of people to the aforesaid Church of St. Gregory, where Prayers and Oblations are made for the

Dead with so much chearful Piety, as shews that the memory of the dead is never oblite∣rated among the Romans.

In this sort of Charity likewise those three Patriarchal Churches mentioned above (viz. That of St. John Lateran, St. Peter's in the Vatican, and St. Maries at the Manger) have this laudable custome, to send the next day after the Commemoration of the Dead no small number of Priests with Torches, and other necessaries for divine Service, to every parish Church in the City, there to sing the solemn Mass for all the dead that respectively in each lye buried: because the parish Priest alone is not able of himself to discharge that peice of Charity.