Posted on 06/20/2003 8:02:36 PM PDT by Salvation
Funeral Rights
by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr.
Originally published by National Catholic Register, June 8-14, 2003
One of the pivotal virtues for Christian living is hope, by which we trust that God in His infinite mercy will one day welcome us into His eternal Kingdom. We realize we’re not there yet, and that we need to persevere to the end.
One of the sins against hope is presumption (Catechism, no. 2092), which takes many forms. One form of presumption, commonly witnessed at funerals, is the attitude that in the end God will forgive us irrespective of our cooperation with grace. According to this mindset, heaven is the inevitable and more or less universal sequel to this life.
As many of us know, the prevailing view at funerals today is that the deceased is “in a better place.” It comes as no surprise, then, that funerals increasingly have become in practice “mini-canonization” services.
Against this backdrop, many are startled to learn that the Catholic Church actually forbids eulogies at funerals (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 382; Order of Christian Funerals, no. 27). Rather, the homily at the funeral Mass, which must be given by a bishop, priest, or deacon, should “illumine the mystery of Christian death in the light of the risen Christ” (Catechism, no. 1688).
“As bearers of the tenderness of the Church and the comfort of the faith,” priests are called to “console those who believe without offending those who grieve” (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 17). Balancing this vital pastoral task with the prohibition of eulogies has become increasingly difficult.
Grieving Catholics often consider it something of a “right” to be able to eulogize deceased loved ones at length during the funeral Mass. In recent months, Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark and Bishop Frederick Henry of Calgary have issued decrees that prohibit even “brief remembrances” of the deceased during funeral Masses.
Here some clarification is in order. First, the funeral rites have three discernible phases: (1) the vigil (or “wake”), which marks the time between death and the funeral liturgy; (2) the funeral liturgy itself, which may or may not include a Mass; and (3) the Rite of Committal, which typically takes place at the graveside.
While the Church has preserved the integrity of the homily at the funeral Mass, the rite does provide for a “remembrance of the deceased before the final commendation” by a family member or friend. The “remembrance” is not supposed to replace the homily nor should it cross the line and become a eulogy, which is an address in praise of the deceased.
The remembrance is a legitimate part of the funeral rites and it can provide an appropriate outlet for the expression of the mourning experienced by those who survive the deceased. Yet, remembrances can be unpredictable and difficult to control in the context of a sacred Church liturgy. For that reason, Archbishop Myers and Bishop Henry have restricted the remembrance to the vigil or the graveside service.
Why is this important? Because the Christian funeral is not a celebration of the life of the deceased person, but a celebration of the saving mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. After all, the merits of Christ’s sacrifice, made present and effective at Mass, are ultimately the basis of our hope and comfort when confronted with a loved one’s death.
Further, we must break through the presumption that the deceased is already in heaven. Instead, we need to pray and offer sacrifice for the deceased, which Scripture describes as a “very excellent and noble” practice (cf. 2 Mac. 12:43; Catechism, no. 1032). What better way to do this than by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
When we lose sight of the fundamentally paschal character of funeral Masses, we not only fail to pray for the dead, but we also miss a teachable moment for all of us. The reality of death affords all of us the opportunity to reflect upon our own mortality and thus seek to restore right relationship with God. An objective observer at many funerals today could easily conclude that it doesn’t really matter how one lives, because everyone’s eternal fate seems to be the same.
Part of the grieving process involves our being able to share with others our memories of our dear departed loved ones. Spending time with those who have recently suffered such a loss is indeed a praiseworthy act of mercy. But there’s a time and place for everything.
An analogous situation might be that of a marriage. There are many “moments” that are rightly part of the celebration, but nonetheless it’s proper to keep matters more appropriate to a rehearsal dinner, wedding shower, or reception out of the sacred marriage liturgy. The same applies to funerals.
I often think of a dear friend who died over a year ago. He had a tremendous sense of humor but, particularly as his terminal illness progressed, he always got very serious when talking about his impending death. Even though he was a daily communicant for decades and devoted his “retirement” to service of the Church, he pleaded with me to not assume “he made it” after he died, but rather to offer prayers, alms, and works of penance on his behalf. His approach may seem extreme or scrupulous to some, but in reality it was a magnificent display of hope—in God, not our own efforts.
Leon J. Suprenant, Jr. is the president of Catholics United for the Faith (CUF) and publisher of Lay Witness magazine. For answers to liturgical questions, call CUF toll-free at 1-800-MY-FAITH.
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A much-needed corrective for a sentimental yet cruel era.
Bring back black vestments and the Dies Irae, and save the eulogies for the wake.
Consigning this legitimate part of the funeral rites to the funeral home the night before may be the preference of some; others prefer to reach the broader circle of friends at the funeral liturgy.
Interesting that no other American bishop has followed Myers' stricture.
At a Tridentine funeral liturgy, black vestments would be entirely in order.
If you can find any. Most parishes gave them to the dioceses to use on dead priests.
No doubt, though as this article should make clear, there's no theological nor even pastoral basis for the hijacking of the liturgy for such purposes.
Liturgy is worship and sacrifice, not therapy.
A eulogy before the committal rite, Romulus.
The liturgy of sacrifice and worship is, by then, essentially over.
Surprisingly, in the L.A. Diocese it happened, in November 1999.
My step dad was buried at the Calvary Cemetary in Los Angeles. The priest (not a diocecan priest, one from a different order...can't remember which...) was arranged to say mass (as well as the previous night's wake).
Anyway, to the surprise of many of us, the entire mass was said in Latin. And, there was no eulogy during that mass...until at the very end (after it concluded)...my Brother in Law got up and delivered a beautiful one. There were many in attendance, who, not only were not Catholic, but didn't understand Latin.
Those who were not Catholic (or didn't understand Latin), at least, got to hear a rememberence. The rest, understood what was going on with the purpose of the mass.
It was my step dad's brother, who converted to a Protestant denomination, that made the funeral arrangements at Calvary. The priest was recommended by the funeral home (our regular one was out of town, and we couldn't get a hold of him), and was sent to us.
Divine intervention? ;)
I couldn't agree with you more.
Regards,
That would be at the cemetery, then. Or maybe in the car on the way???
No. Before the blessing of the body, right after the final prayer. In the Church.
The rubrics say this is acceptable, John Myers notwithstanding.
The question is, can you find any black vestments?
To each his own, but I prefer the white vestments currently worn.
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