Pastoral Notes on Funerals

The Order of Christian Funerals offers rich and varied rites and texts as well as valuable general principles and instruction. These notes presume that celebrants, funeral directors and parish bereavement groups are familiar with it and have assess to it. These accompanying notes serve to complement it and give further pastoral guidance on preparations and local customs.

The people and ministries
Every person, including nursing and medical staff, welfare personnel and other carers, funeral directors and pastoral and liturgical ministers, has their particular and important role when someone dies. The family of the deceased, the priest and the parish bereavement team or liturgy group are normally involved in preparing the funeral liturgy. Specific roles are expanded upon below.

The places for various celebrations
The home or hospital, the church, the cemetery or crematorium and the reception hall or home are places which have their own significant and appropriate rituals for the dying, the deceased, the bereaved and the community.

Three major rites in the Catholic Order of Christian Funerals have their own purpose, genre, structure and a special sense of progression:

• The Vigil in the church, chapel or home is often the first time for family and friends to gather for prayer and keeping watch. Some families may be unaware that the Order of Christian Funerals provides many options from a rich Catholic tradition of readings and prayers. The rosary, if especially desired, may be integrated into the vigil liturgy. Other ritual and words may be better suited here than at the funeral Mass, especially sharing stories and symbols of the person’s life.
• The Funeral Mass in the church is the central funeral liturgy focusing upon the death and resurrection of Christ and the faith and hope of Christian people. For some families unfamiliar with the Mass, a Liturgy of the Word with final commendation may be chosen. Other Masses should not be needlessly added to distract from this central liturgy. Because of its public and growing popular nature, the celebrant and planners must be aware of ecumenical and social issues and be sensitive to the needs and anxieties of the families and a very varied congregation.
• The Committal Rite in the cemetery or crematorium is the final farewell and separation of the body of the deceased from the community and so should not be neglected in importance or preparation.

When the rites at these times and places properly explained and performed, the family are helped in their grieving process. There are both human and divine elements in the progression of the rites from the initial notice of death to the final letting go. Care and wisdom is needed in choosing the appropriate rites, texts, gestures and actions at these places so the life and death of the Christian is commemorated and farewelled with pastoral sensitivity and in accordance to current Church practices.

Preparing the Liturgy
The places, dates and times for the funeral liturgy (and vigil, if desired) and burial service (rite of committal) should first be negotiated with the priest and family. A time should be arranged early for the family to gather with the priest and/or parish bereavement ministers to prepare the liturgy.

Parishes should have easy to follow resources to assist the family to select readings, prayers, prayers of the faithful, music and hymns.

Booklet or leaflets may be helpful but are not always needed. Hymnbooks or overhead projector screens may serve the purpose well. Preferably the congregation should listen to the scriptures proclaimed rather than follow texts from booklets.

Preparing the booklet may be a way for people to contribute to the preparation, or it may be an unnecessary burden upon them or the parish. Ensure that copyrights are observed and texts are correctly arranged and placed in booklet to avoid page turning during a specific rite or texts.

Liturgical ministries (readers, leading prayers of the faithful, servers, eucharistic ministers) are integral to the liturgy and properly express the nature of liturgical celebration. Family and or parishioners should be selected with care, and be prepared for their tasks beforehand.

Liturgy of the Word - the readings
The readings express both the Christian meaning of life, death and resurrection and are important to express our faith and receive consolation and encouragement. The Gospel should be the first chosen, then readings from the Old Testament and Psalm and the New Testament (if required). Paraphrased readings are not suitable and non-scriptural readings do not have a place in the Liturgy of the Word. The readings should be proclaimed from the Lectionary or other worthy liturgical books.

Preferably the Psalm or at least the response should be sung. The Gospel Acclamation, if not sung, may be omitted. Note that the Alleluia Verse is not said or sung during Lent but may be replaced by another form of the Gospel Acclamation.

Prayers of the Faithful
Often the family would like to spend time preparing these prayers. Resources, which lay out samples in sections: for the church, for the deceased, for the family, for the community, and for particular needs, are most helpful.

Placing of Symbols
Christian symbols (paschal candle [preferably already lit], white pall, cross, sprinkling of holy water, bible, rosary beads and missal) may be placed on or near the coffin before or during the Funeral Mass. They have their own special significance and should be placed simply, with dignity and without much explanation. Short verses and responses or music may accompany the action. Other symbols or personal articles should be restricted to the vigil or the home and, if left in the Church, placed on a table distinct from the altar and coffin.

Music and Hymns
The responses in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist have first priority to be sung, though pastoral considerations may modify this general principle.

It is a good to choose a gathering song, which is accessible for the entire congregation to sing. Instrumental music is preferable at the Presentation of the Gifts, though a hymn reflecting the action of presenting the gifts of bread and wine may be sung.

A communion hymn should be familiar and easy for the congregation to sing without undue reference to words, e.g. a song with a repetitive chorus.

When the distribution of Communion is finished, as circumstances allow, a reflective hymn to assist silent prayer or a hymn of thanksgiving may be sung. The "Song of Farewell" may be sung during the sprinkling with holy water and incensing of the coffin. Otherwise this is done in silence.

The final hymn may be replaced with suitable instrumental music. If a hymn is chosen, it should speak of our faith in the resurrection and eternal life.

Choosing hymns or songs that were the deceased person’s favourites are often not appropriate for the occasion of mourning, or liturgical celebration and congregational participation. They may be more fitting to play and listen to at smaller, intimate gatherings to commemorate the person.

The Words of Remembrance
Words of Remembrance, recalling the life, deeds and special stories of the deceased are best given by only one family member or friend as part of the Introductory Rites, that is after the greeting by the presider, and before the placing of Christian symbols. These words should avoid a purely biographical account or series of anecdotes, which are more familiar in so-called eulogies and more appropriate after the vigil or at the reception. The length of the words of remembrance should be in keeping with the length of the homily, that is five to seven minutes, so that the liturgy is balanced and progresses evenly. These words should be written out, and if possible, shared with the celebrant beforehand.

Homily
The homily serves to illumine the scripture texts and focus on the death and resurrection of Christ, God’s compassion and love and the faith and hope of Christians. The homilist, likewise, should avoid words that are simply biographical or anecdotal in nature.

Rite of Commendation
The rite commendation and farewell immediately follows the post-communion prayer. Silence or a hymn may be sung during the sprinkling and the incensation of the coffin; the celebrant should avoid explanation. The Lord’s Prayer is not said here. The final blessing and dismissal are omitted.

Pastoral Care
After the burial or committal rite, the gathering for refreshments or a meal is both natural and an opportunity for people to meet informally. It is also a sign to the bereaved family that people and ministers continue to care for them.

Funerals present an enormous opportunity for evangelisation and Christian service and witness. People can experience the human face of the Church through its care, concern and effective liturgies. For some it may be their only experience in many years of the Catholic Church and for them an opportunity to explore questions about their faith.