Why would the Army of the Dead want to fight for Aragorn?
To regain their honor and be released from their prison.
How is the predicament of the poor souls in purgatory similar to the Army of the Dead?
The poor souls can’t leave purgatory until they ‘regain their honor’ by fulfilling their life’s mission to perfectly love God and neighbor.
They can’t pray for themselves, but they can respond to our request for their help.
Whether the poor souls help us while they are still in purgatory or after they are released has not been definitively declared by the Church, as noted in this article.
The Catechism does state: “Our prayer for them [i.e. the poor souls] is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.” (CCC 958)
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Did Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli stand a chance against the invading enemy without the Army of the Dead fighting for them?
Nope!
The Army of the Dead was stronger than any living army.
Can we summon the Poor Souls to fight for us in the battles we face today?
Yes!
Everyone should pray for the poor souls everyday and call upon their help.
Since they can’t help themselves, it is an act of mercy to the poor souls to request of them the work of helping us.
With their help, we can turn the tide in the favor of God’s Kingdom.
As mentioned above, we don’t know definitively when the poor souls are free to help us, but they do help!
In the time of their visitation, they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever. – Wis 3:7-8
(Didn’t the Army of the Dead kind of look like sparks darting through stubble as they overran the orc army under the leadership of King Aragorn?)
What tremendous power does the Church give to Catholics to release souls from the sufferings of purgatory each day?
Partial and Plenary(full) Indulgences.
Indulgences are a remission (removal) of some or all of the punishment due to sins which have been forgiven, yet still need to be atoned for after death. A faithful Christian who is duly disposed can gain under certain prescribed conditions an indulgence for a soul in purgatory. Through indulgences, the Church dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. -CCC 1471
Since two of the conditions for obtaining Plenary Indulgences are the reception of Holy Communion and going to confession, only practicing Catholics can gain them.
Amazingly, every Catholic can merit a partial or plenary indulgence for a soul every day of the year- that could be as many as 365 souls personally freed by you!
Imagine how large an army could be amassed if every Catholic invoked the poor souls help and strived to free them!
Then Imagine if Catholics encouraged family and friends to join this movement to release souls from Purgatory to conquer together the crookedness and deceit of our age!
“The holy souls are eager for the prayers of the faithful who can gain indulgences for them. The holy soul’s intercession for the faithful is powerful. Pray unceasingly for them. We must empty Purgatory!” – St. Padre Pio