The whole thing at MadCathHeraldThe faithful must be guided then, through sensory perception, to the understanding of the Mass as the petition to God the Father for His Mercy, granted to us through the Sacrifice of His Son on the Cross. Anything that would distract from this understanding of what is taking place in the church where the Funeral Mass is being celebrated must be considered out of place, and lacking true charity and consideration for the departed soul.
This is the reason why the GIRM clearly states that by no means should there be a eulogy given at a Funeral Mass, “At the Funeral Mass there should, as a rule, be a short homily, but never a eulogy of any kind.”[GIRM 2000] “A brief homily based on the readings should always be given at the funeral liturgy, but never any kind of eulogy.” [OCF # 141]
Contrary to common sentiment, the funeral liturgy focuses on the Mystery of Salvation carried out by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and not on the person who has passed away. The departed loved one is precisely the focus of that Mercy and Salvation prayed for at the Mass. Distracting from the focus of the Mass means distracting from the Prayer offered for the deceased.
Although the celebrant must be sensitive toward the family and friends of the person who has passed away, this does not need to take the form of a change in the liturgy established by Her who has the right and responsibility to do so: Mother Church.
The “Commemoration of the Departed,” which the rubrics permit before the Final Commendation and farewell, has not been defined or modeled in an authoritative way. The rubrics provide that the celebrant is standing near the casket during such “Commemorations.” This would imply the brevity of such commemorations, so that surely not more than one “commemorator,” would be permitted.
However, the urgent problem is that the commemoration defaults often to some sort of eulogy, which is always prohibited. Thus currently, “commemorations” have often included the drinking habits, use of irreverent language, or “romantic” es-capades of the deceased, which is prohibited in any and all commemorations and eulogies. “Commemorations,” have repeatedly become de facto eulogies, which are always prohibited.
HT Kat
1 comment:
Bishop Morlino appears to be a true shepherd of souls. It is interesting to sit in anticipation of the eulogy at a funeral Mass (after just having received Our Lord in Holy Communion). One never knows what to expect. A wake seems like a logical place for a eulogy. However, a wake is more like a place to catch up with old friends. On those infrequent occasions when a priest (very rarely), deacon, "pastoral assistant," or bereavement committee member shows up to lead a rosary or a "service" at a wake, it hijacks the event. I always thought that the post-funeral repaste might be a good place for a eulogy. I hope that other bishops will take the lead of Bishop Morlino, if they haven't already. It will prevent the funeral Mass from evolving into a comedy show, political rally or pre-emptive canonization. It would be helpful if the priest made an announcement prior to the funeral Mass as to its purpose, which has long been forgotten by Catholics. The non-Catholics in attendance learn nothing about its purpose given the present state of affairs. They probably go away with the idea that, since it's a celebration of the deceased's life and a send-off for his immediate entrance into heaven, being a non-Catholic is as good as being a Catholic.
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