Catholic Funeral Rites--Common Questions

Issues:
- What is a Catholic funeral? (Is it just the funeral Mass? The vigil? The committal?)
- What is a Mass for the Dead? Is it different than a funeral Mass?
- Is it permissible to have a funeral without a Mass?
- May a funeral Mass take place on a Sunday?
- May funeral Masses be celebrated with the cremated remains of the deceased present?
- May a eulogy be given at a Catholic funeral?
- Who may preside at the funeral rites?
- Where must a funeral take place? May it take place outside of a church?
- May a vigil take place in the church before the funeral liturgy?
- What are the liturgical colors for a funeral Mass?
- May flowers be used at a funeral Mass?
- May a casket be draped with an American flag?

What is a Catholic funeral?
Catholic funeral rites are the liturgical rites in which the Church "commends the dead to God’s merciful love and pleads for the forgiveness of their sins."1  Through the funeral rites, Christians "offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just."2  There are three principal components to a Catholic funeral: the vigil for the deceased (sometimes referred to as the "wake"), the funeral liturgy (which often includes the celebration of Mass), and the rite of committal. These are outlined in the Order of Christian Funerals.

A wake or vigil precedes the funeral liturgy. The vigil may take place in the home of the deceased, in the funeral home, in the church (provided it takes place well before the funeral liturgy), or in some other suitable place. At the vigil, "the Christian community keeps watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in God’s presence." 3  Its structure includes introductory rites, the liturgy of the Word, prayers of intercession, and a concluding rite.

The funeral liturgy is the central liturgical celebration for the deceased.4  As such, the Church encourages the celebration of a funeral Mass as part of the funeral liturgy. However, a funeral liturgy outside of Mass is also permitted in those cases where Mass cannot be celebrated.

The funeral Mass is offered for the deceased, usually at the parish church of the deceased. "The Mass, the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection, is the principal celebration of the Christian funeral."5  The Mass includes the reception of the body (if this has not already take place), the liturgy of the Word, the liturgy of the Eucharist, and the final commendation (unless the commendation will be celebrated at the place of committal).

The commendation is the prayer in which "the community calls upon God’s mercy, commends the deceased into God’s hands, and affirms its belief that those who have died in Christ will share in Christ’s victory over death."6 

The rite of committal concludes the liturgical rites of a Catholic funeral; the burial of the deceased generally follows the rite of committal. The committal ordinarily takes place where the body of the deceased is to be buried (or "committed") to the ground, or where the remains are to be interred. This rite can also be used for burial at sea. The committal is "the final act of the community of faith in caring for the body of its deceased member."7  The rite includes the final commendation (unless the commendation has already been celebrated at the funeral Mass).

What is a Mass for the Dead? Is it different than a funeral Mass?
A Mass for the Dead is a Mass offered for the repose of the soul of a deceased person. "From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God" (Catechism, no. 1032, emphasis added).

Masses for the Dead may be celebrated "on receiving the news of a death, for the final burial, or the first anniversary, even on days within the Octave of Christmas, on obligatory Memorials, and on weekdays, except for Ash Wednesday or weekdays during Holy Week. Other Masses for the Dead, that is, ‘daily’ Masses, may be celebrated on weekdays in Ordinary Time on which optional memorials occur or when the Office is of the weekday, provided such Masses are actually applied for the dead" (General Instruction on the Roman Missal [GIRM], no. 381).

The funeral Mass is a Mass for the dead. Indeed, the GIRM says, "Among the Masses for the Dead, the Funeral Mass holds first place" (GIRM, no. 380). However, unlike other Masses for the Dead, the funeral Mass has elements (such as the reception of the body) that are unique to the funeral liturgy.

Is it permissible to have a funeral without a Mass?
While a funeral Mass is preferred, a funeral liturgy outside Mass is permitted. The rite may be used for various reasons:

• when the funeral Mass is not permitted, namely, on solemnities of obligation, on Holy Thursday and the Easter Triduum, and on the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter Season;
• when in some places or circumstances it is not possible to celebrate the funeral Mass before the committal (for example, if a priest is not available);
• when for pastoral reasons the parish priest (pastor) and the family decide that the funeral liturgy outside Mass is a more suitable form of celebration.8 

May a funeral Mass take place on a Sunday?
In general, yes. However, there are exceptions: the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter. The GIRM instructs that a funeral Mass "may be celebrated on any day except for Solemnities that are holy days of obligation, Holy Thursday, the Easter Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter" (no. 380, emphasis added).

Sunday is the day we especially celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead and triumph over sin and death. A Sunday funeral Mass, though not typical, is permissible because it celebrates the hoped-for resurrection of the deceased in Christ.

If the funeral is to take place on a Sunday or holy day when a funeral Mass may not be celebrated, the "Funeral Liturgy Outside Mass" may be used instead.

May funeral Masses be celebrated with the cremated remains of the deceased present?
Because of an indult granted by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in July 1997 (Protocol no. 1589/96/L), funeral Masses in the United States may be celebrated in the presence of the cremated remains of the deceased. (This indult now serves as "Appendix 2: Cremated Remains" in the Order of Christian Funerals.)

The prescriptions for such a funeral liturgy are covered in article numbers 426–38. For the most part, the funeral Mass or funeral liturgy outside Mass is celebrated as is normally done with the deceased’s body present (nos. 428–29). Some of the differences include the placement of the cremated remains of the deceased "in a worthy vessel" (no. 427); the placement of the vessel of cremated remains on "a small table or stand" located "at the place normally occupied by the coffin" (no. 427); and the sprinkling of the cremated remains [actually, the vessel containing the remains] with water at the beginning of Mass (no. 433).

May a eulogy be given at a Catholic funeral?
Catholic funeral rites do not allow space for a eulogy.9  The focus of a Christian funeral is the paschal mystery: the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.10  The funeral rites are not so much a celebration of the life of the deceased, but a prayer that the life and death of the deceased may be joined to Christ in heaven. Because the focus of a Catholic funeral is first on God, eulogies do not have a place within the funeral liturgy.

This does not mean we cannot reflect on and celebrate the life of the deceased. It does mean that such a celebration of the life of the deceased would be more appropriate to a non-liturgical gathering (for example, a post-funeral luncheon).

The Church’s rites do allow a member or a friend of the family to speak in remembrance of the deceased prior to the final commendation.11  This is not a full eulogy, but a brief reflection proportionate to the other parts of the funeral rites.

Who may preside at the funeral rites?
"Priests, as teachers of faith and ministers of comfort, preside at the funeral rites, especially the Mass; the celebration of the funeral liturgy is especially entrusted to pastors and associate pastors. When no priest is available, deacons, as ministers of the word, of the altar, and of charity, preside at funeral rites. When no priest or deacon is available for the vigil and related rites or the rite of committal, a layperson presides."12 

The Church’s clear preference is that a priest or deacon preside at the funeral rites. No one other than a priest can preside at a funeral Mass.

Where must a funeral take place? May it take place outside of a church?
A funeral, whether celebrated with a funeral Mass or not, must normally take place in one’s parish church (cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon 1177.1). Another church may be chosen, given the consent of whoever is in charge of that church and notification to the proper parish priest of the deceased (cf. Canon 1177.2). "If a death occurred outside the person’s own parish, and the body was not transferred to it nor another church legitimately chosen for the funeral rite, the funeral is to be celebrated in the church of the parish where the death occurred unless particular law has designated another church" (Canon 1177.3).

Additionally, "the funeral liturgy outside Mass is ordinarily celebrated in the parish church, but may also be celebrated in the home of the deceased, a funeral home, parlor, chapel of rest, or cemetery chapel."13 

May a vigil take place in the church before the funeral liturgy?
Yes, provided it is held "at a time well before the funeral liturgy, so that the funeral liturgy will not be lengthy and the liturgy of the word repetitious."14 

The vigil may also "be celebrated in the home of the deceased, in the funeral home, parlor or chapel of rest, or in some other suitable place."15 

What are the liturgical colors for a funeral Mass?
"The liturgical color chosen for funerals should express Christian hope but should not be offensive to human grief or sorrow. In the United States, white, violet, or black vestments may be worn at the funeral rites and at other offices and Masses for the dead."16 

May flowers be used at a funeral Mass?
"Fresh flowers, used in moderation, can enhance the setting of the funeral rites."17 

While the moderate use of flowers is currently allowed, they were at one time prohibited. Msgr. Peter Elliot, in his Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, explains: "The presence or absence of flowers is an effective sign according to the principle of contrast" (no. 70, p. 26). That is, the absence of flowers at a funeral Mass, which is a memorial for the dead, contrasts the presence of flowers at Sunday Mass, which is a celebration of new life in Christ. (Similarly, the absence of flowers during Lent contrasts the decoration of the altar for Easter, marking the contrast between the two seasons.)

May a casket be draped with an American flag?
"Any national flags or the flags or insignia of associations to which the deceased belonged are to be removed from the coffin at the entrance of the church. They may be replaced after the coffin has been taken from the church."18 

"Only Christian symbols may rest on or be placed near the coffin during the funeral liturgy."19 

 1 Order of Christian Funerals in The Rites of the Catholic Church, vol. 1 (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), no. 6.
 2 Ibid., no. 5.
 3 Ibid., no. 56.
 4 Ibid., no. 128.
 5 Ibid., no. 5.
 6 Ibid., no. 147.
 7 Ibid., no. 204.
 8 Ibid., no. 178.
 9 Cf. Order of Christian Funerals, nos. 27, 141. Cf. GIRM, no. 382.
 10 Order of Christian Funerals, nos. 1; 22; 27.
 11 Ibid., no. 170.
 12 Ibid., no. 14.
 13 Ibid., no. 179, emphasis added.
 14 Ibid., no. 55.
 15 Ibid., no. 55.
 16 Ibid., no. 39.
 17 Ibid., no. 38.
 18 Ibid., no. 132.
 19 Ibid., no. 38.

Date created: 3/1/2006
Date edited: 9/26/2007