A Public Response to a Private Letter

This week, I received the following letter:
“I attended Mass at St. Malachi this weekend and heard you mention Yasser Arafat as one of the “faithfully departed” for whom we should pray. Though I fully realize that God is all-forgiving for those who are truly sorry for their sins, I was quite uncomfortable with offering prayers for Mr. Arafat. The enclosed article [“Arafat: father of modern terrorism” by Jeff Jacoby in The Plain Dealer, November 14, 2004] states why. Though I surely can understand offering prayers for him that he atone, change his ways and “see the light” while he was alive, I have a hard time offering prayers for him upon his death. His salvation is between him and God, and there is no changing that once he died! I pray all the time that good conquer evil, that peace prevails over violence. But praying for a dead Yasser Arafat is just too bitter a pill for me to swallow.”
Let me respond:
This letter raises important questions about what our faith teaches us about death and praying for the dead. I knew that praying for Yasser Arafat might be difficult for many people, as it was for this letter-writer. Although many Palestinians loved Yasser Arafat and saw him as a hero and freedom-fighter, others saw him as a terrorist and murderer (cf. Jeff Jacoby's column). Praying for him does not mean I defend or approve his violent/terrorist activities.
Scripture teaches God “desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). The letter-writer states “his [Arafat's] salvation is between him and God, and there is no changing that once he died!” True. But it is also true that judging Arafat belongs to God-not to us. Although we CAN judge that terrorism, the murder of innocents, is objectively evil, this does NOT mean that we can judge the state of Arafat's soul. Only God can. I would argue that since God desires “all people to be saved,” our stance as Christians should be to hope and pray that by God's mercy all people, Yasser Arafat included, would be saved. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1032) says: “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: 'Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.'” (St. John Chrysostom) 
Knowing the great evil of many of his actions (although we can't judge him guilty of sin for those actions - that would be judging him) and thus assuming he has much to answer for, wouldn't praying for him be the most charitable thing we could do for him? After all, who needs our prayers the most - the person with little to atone for or the one who has much to atone for? 
That's why I think we should pray for Yasser Arafat, even in death. Fr. Tony Schuerger