Archdiocese of Newark Bans Eulogies at Mass

Newsday ^ | January 22, 2003

[heyheyhey]

Newark Archdiocese Bans Eulogies at Mass

By Associated Press

January 22, 2003, 10:43 AM EST

NEWARK, N.J. -- Roman Catholic Archbishop John J. Myers has barred friends and relatives from delivering funeral eulogies, saying the tributes "are getting out of hand" and can distract from the purpose of the funeral Mass.

In a directive sent to Newark Archdiocese priests last week, Myers said clerics could still talk about the deceased during the funeral Mass homily.

But any tributes from families and friends should be read before or after the Mass, preferably in a side chapel or at graveside, and should be delivered by one person.

[...]

[heyheyhey]

It's all over the news,

Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN

Austin American Statesman, TX

WCCO, MN

ABC News

Dayton Daily News, OH

Times Picayune, LA

KFOX, TX

WSOC, NC

Tuscaloosa News, AL Centre Daily Times, PA

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL

Times Daily, AL

Detroit News, MI

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[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Roman Catholic Archbishop John J. Myers has barred friends and relatives from delivering funeral eulogies,

Good for him.

``We felt it really wasn't asking a lot for family members to speak,'' said Mary Jo Dervos, whose family was not allowed to deliver eulogies during her grandmother's funeral Mass on Monday. ``My grandmother was so devoted to the church. She was in the rosary society for 50 years.

Sounds like a wonderful woman.

We believed the Mass was the most appropriate place.''

Wrong.

[Desdemona]

As a life-long Catholic and cantor of many a funeral, thank Heaven somebody did this. Eulogies aren't just distracting, half the time they are an ego trip by the speaker. That's part of what the wake, at least an Irish wake, is for. We tell stories at lunch after Mass, too, but I hadn't heard a eulogy in Catholic church until about five years ago.

In one parish, at least, I know of, they aren't allowed. Here's to hoping they're banned in more dioceses.

[Publius]

I strongly disagree with you.

When my mother passed away last March, I was given 3 minutes by the priest for a eulogy to be delivered at the end of the mass just before we all departed for the cemetery. It wasn't easy to condense 84 years of a woman's life into 3 minutes, but after enough blue-penciling and rehearsing I got it down to the second. I received a lot of praise for it, and a number of relatives asked me to e-mail it to them.

Three minutes at the end of a mass won't hurt anybody.

[heyheyhey]

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal of 1975 [!] says,

338. At the funeral Mass there should as a rule be a short homily, but never a eulogy of any kind. [...]

Archbishop Myers didn't introduce anything unusual, but rather reminded an old principle.

Reporters in so many publications [see post#2] were too lazy to find this out.
Presstitutes...

[Desdemona]

I thought so. It's one thing to have a personal statement in the program or something, but eulogies drive me up a wall.

[heyheyhey]

Basically, a eulogy shouldn't be a part of the funeral Mass.

So, your priest was perfectly right in allowing for a eulogy to be delivered at the end of the mass just before all departed for the cemetery, and Archbishop John Myers is right in saying that any tributes from families and friends should be read before or after the Mass.

[traditionalist]

Three minutes at the end of a mass won't hurt anybody.

Why can't it be after mass, in the reception hall or at the cemetary after the body has been put in the ground?

The reason the Church has never officially sanctioned eulogies at any time during the Funeral Mass is because it is completely unrelated to the purpose of the Mass, which is to offer a sacrifice for the repose of the deceased's soul. Fondly remembering the deceased is what the wake or reception is for.

[don-o]

It's all over the news,

Uh, it's an AP story. Every newspaper in the world prints AP stories.

To the point: Good on the bishop to squelch this practice. May his tribe of tradition upholding bishops increase.

[heyheyhey]

Every 20-30 seconds AP comes up with a new Breaking News, but few receive as much nationwide publicity as this local non-news [in a normal world that is].

Many of the listed above are slightly slanted. E.g. WCCO, MN says an outright lie "Archbishop Bans Eulogies At Funerals" in the title.

An unacquainted reader is destined to get this simple message -- mean Catholic Church.

[St.Chuck]

338. At the funeral Mass there should as a rule be a short homily, but never a eulogy of any kind.

In traditional funeral masses there isn't even a homily. Personal remarks by the priest are said at the burial. Wakes are for others to remember the deceased.

[St.Chuck]

To the point: Good on the bishop to squelch this practice. May his tribe of tradition upholding bishops increase.

Yes, how refreshing for a bishop to actually enforce the will of the church as stated in it's documents. A hearty Amen to your comment.

[sinkspur]

Colossally stupid and heartless.

If Myers is banning family from speaking to friends about their deceased family members, all Catholics in Newark must be attending Mass on Sundays.

That, or he's got his priorities screwed up.

[St.Chuck]

Colossally stupid and heartless. If Myers is banning family from speaking to friends about their deceased family members, all Catholics in Newark must be attending Mass on Sundays. That, or he's got his priorities screwed up.

Uh....are you suggesting that because all Catholics don't attend mass on Sunday, they should be allowed to speak at the funeral mass of a loved one? I think I am missing something here. Care to elaborate?

[sinkspur]

Uh....are you suggesting that because all Catholics don't attend mass on Sunday, they should be allowed to speak at the funeral mass of a loved one? I think I am missing something here. Care to elaborate?

Family members speaking at funerals is WAY down the list of things this bishop ought to be fretting about.

Or, any bishop, for that matter.

[St.Chuck]

Family members speaking at funerals is WAY down the list of things this bishop ought to be fretting about.

I don't see following the rules as fretting. If the rules of the church were followed consistently there wouldn't be much to "fret" about.

[sinkspur]

I don't see following the rules as fretting.

Picking this as the first rule to fret about, when there are practicing gays in seminaries, is a bit strange.

[Snuffington]

Picking this as the first rule to fret about, when there are practicing gays in seminaries, is a bit strange.

Sure sink. This has been the very first and highest priority of Archibishop Myers. Just like you say.

(It will be nice when we can stop humoring you, and start conversing like your sanity has returned.)