“These guidelines will help to maintain the religious nature of the liturgy of funerals and encourage us to entrust our loved ones to God’s mercy, rendering Him thanks for the blessing they received in life”, said the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dermot Clifford, in presenting the guidelines for the celebration of funerals published in recent days. The guidelines were drawn up in response to the pastoral letter with the title “Celebrating a Catholic Funeral” that the Irish bishops had written in November 2003. “A solemn experience, rich in prayer, consolation and hope for those mourning”: that’s what a funeral celebration ought to be, according to the archbishop of Cashel and Emly, a diocese comprising 46 parishes and 78,536 faithful. “The death of a family member is a particularly sorrowful event says the introduction to the document with the title “Celebrating the Funeral Liturgy” -. Yet in spite of the trauma of loss, the bereaved need to deal at short notice with many practical aspects, including the organization of the funeral” which it would be as well to prepare with “the assistance of the priest who will celebrate it”. Spiritual accompaniment should continue from the prayers recited in the mortuary chapel to the moment of burial. “The entry of the coffin into the church marks the transition from the private expression of the grief of the family to the liturgical expression of prayer of the parish community as a whole”, points out the document, which also explains the meaning of the blessing of the bier, of the lighting of the paschal candle and of the crucifix or gospel placed on the coffin. “The family may also bring to church symbols linked to the life of the deceased, on condition the document specifies that they do not conflict with religious symbols”. Friends and relations are welcome in the animation of the mass, in particular for the readings and the spontaneous prayers, though these “need to be agreed with the celebrant” in advance, as also must “the music and singing”. “Non-religious songs or compositions” are to be excluded from the rite. Floral wreaths and decorations too must be sober and in line with the solemnity of the liturgy.
