According to Catholic belief, the soul of the dead can go to either one of these three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, go.
In the Roman Catholic Church, the 1st of November is considered as ‘All saint’s day’ and the 2nd of November is considered as ‘All soul’s day’ (Family members decorate the graves of their loved ones at the cemetery on this day). “It is believed that at 3.00 pm on 1st November, souls of the ancestors descend onto earth, visit their loved ones, and return back to God by 12.00 pm on the 2nd of November.
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Hence from 3:00 pm of the 1st of November until 12:00 pm of 2nd of November, any catholic was permitted to ring the bell of the church or chapel (10 sets of 3 strokes each), as ringing of bells was considered to have indulgence”, mentions Mrs. Joyce Aguiar e Carvalho, a senior resident of Colvá, Goa.
