If a bunch of theologians say one things and a bunch of Popes say the opposite who do we obey? We obey the Popes, as they have more authority. Amazing how you do exactly what you accuse me and the Dimonds of, being a lay Pope. You falsely conjure the notion that just because God can miraculously convert a non-catholic before their death that means we can pray or say mass for them without any external reason to believe they had a conversion.
Lol. So let's see. On one hand, we have (1) ALL PRE V2 Theologians. (2) SAINT Therese (3) SAINT Padre Pio, and others, and on the other hand, we have (1) Peter Dimond's private interpretation of Magisterial teachings. Lol, it's not a difficult choice for me, for Gray, and for most other Roman Catholics here. Only a small number of Dimond-disciples insist their heroes are inerrant or infallible in this fallible private judgment interpretation of theirs.
Also, as I mentioned above, a Trad Pope wrote - "enlightened at the last minute by a hidden benefit of the Merciful God". Peter Dimond cited this recently, but misunderstood it. I'll see if I can find it. It will help underline the point. Also, if you admit "because God can miraculously convert a non-catholic before their death" why exactly does that prevent you from indeed concluding "that means we can pray or say mass for them". Why would you want to hinder prayers or private Masses for a possibly saved Soul? It's a lack of charity to NOT want to pray for souls to be saved, and as Maccabees teaches, "it is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins". (2 Macc 12:46).