Lord God, mercy;

For the souls of the brothers who died in bitterness, mercy;

For the souls of the brothers who did not have forgiveness, mercy;

For the souls of the faithful who are in Purgatory, mercy;

Lord God, mercy;

 

It's Holy Week in the municipality of Goiás. The penitents sing a very funereal litany while wandering with small torches through the labyrinths of the city, totally dark.

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They carry physical and spiritual light. They lead an army that fights to obtain forgiveness for the souls of the deceased, through intense prayers. An army of living souls, praying for the already disembodied souls who need this enlightenment. An army whose main task is to help sinners find the way to forgiveness and accelerate their journey from Purgatory to Heaven.

 

Lord God, mercy;

For the souls of the faithful and dead of this city, mercy;

For the souls of those who suffered in dying, mercy;

For the souls of the brothers who committed suicide, mercy;

Lord God, mercy;

 

The procession stops at each of the churches along the way. In them, probably, God will better hear the prayers of the faithful. When they arrive at the gates of the city's cemetery, only penitents are allowed to enter. The last prayer of the night takes place at the edge of the tombs.

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The singing ends and the penitents disappear. It is possible that they took off their tunics and left the cemetery, without us realizing it, mingling with the other people who accompanied the procession; or it could be that they too were souls, who were sent to Heaven after that prayer, they ceased to be among us at the end of the procession, because they received God's mercy and were finally able to go to Heaven to be by His side.