SACRED HEART TRI-PARISH

 Holy Family Church, Keenesburg, CO, Our Lady of Lourdes, Wiggins, CO and Sacred Heart Church, Roggen, CO

Denver Catholic

REGISTER

November 12, 2008

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Q&.A: Catholic funeral practices

By Roxanne King .

"For dust you are; and to dust you shall return"- Gen 3:19

Last week the Denver Catholic Register spoke with Deacon Charles Parker, director of the archdiocesan Office of Liturgy, about Catholic funeral practices.

Q: What does the Catholic Church teach about death?

A: It’s a transition from life to new life. In the prayers for the funeral Mass it says when our earthly dwelling ends in death we gain an everlasting life in heaven.

Q: What does the Church say about care of the body after death?

A: One of the reasons we use incense at the funeral Mass and incense the casket that houses the body is we believe the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; through baptism and confirmation we know that Christ resides in our body. So that's why we owe the greatest honor and respect to the body in this life and after death.

Q: Both burial and cremation are permitted for Catholics. Which is the preferred option and why?

A.: The Church dearly says that while cremation is permitted it doesn’t enjoy the same value as burial of the body. In the new appendix to the Order of Christian Funerals for the cremation rite, it says the Church prefers and urges that the body be present for the funeral rites if one does choose cremation, but the Church says that cremation doesn't hold the same value as burial of the body. Just as Christ was bodily buried in the tomb, so ought we to follow that example.

Q: Do cremated remains need to be buried?

A: Cremated remains need to be treated with the same respect as we would the body of our deceased loved ones. They need to be inurned into the ground or placed in a cremation niche, which is the same for cremation as a mausoleum is for the body.. The practice of keeping your loved one around the house is not the reverent disposition the Church requires. Nor is the scattering of ashes allowed. The cremated remains are to be buried or placed in a mausoleum- type niche.

Q: Why is it important not to scatter the remains?

A: The Church says the scattering of remains is not the reverent disposition that the Church requires; we need to treat them as we would a body. We would never think of parting out the body of our loved ones, nor should we part out their remains.

Q: What are the three stations of a Catholic burial?

A: The three principal stations of Catholic burial are: the funeral vigil-some people opt for a rosary-followed by a funeral Mass and lastly, the prayers of committal done at the gravesite. Those are the three principal stages of Christian burial. There are additional options. There are options for the family to gather with a priest or deacon in the presence of the body and do initial prayers at first viewing at the mortuary. There are options for praying the office of the dead. There are many different options, just as there are for the funeral, to mark this journey with our loved ones from this earth to new life.

Q: What is and isn't permitted regarding music for a Catholic funeral liturgy?

A: Funeral music has to be sacred, liturgical n1usic-particutarly if the liturgy is in a. church in a sacred space. The music for a funeral Mass or rosary or vigil service held in a church must be sacred liturgical music. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you don't hear a particular piece of music on Sunday in a Church, you won't hear it at a funeral Mass. If a family chooses to have a rosary or vigil service at a mortuary chapel, which is non-sacred space, there is a little more freedom for non-liturgical music to be used, but it must still be of the proper decorurn and not anything contrary to Christian values.

Q: Are all cemeteries blessed?

A: No. Certainly Mount Olivet and St. Simeon's (cemeteries) are blessed ground. A Catholic can be buried in other grounds which are not blessed ground but if they are buried there the priest or minister or a lay minister if they lead the burial rite has a prayer of blessing for the grave. .

Q: Can non-Catholics be burled in a Catholic cemetery?

A: Non-Catholics can be buried in a Catholic cemetery. Oftentimes the Liturgy Office receives calls from someone who wants to bury such a person and they want a funeral Mass. It is permitted as long the deceased would not have objected to it.

Q: What is one of the most frequent questions your office gets about Catholic funeral practices?

A. The one thing people should keep in mind is there is a balance between honoring the wishes of the dead and having rites and rituals that the Church has provided that bring meaning to the family that’s living. So people should let their funeral wishes be known. Oftentimes family members have no idea what their mom or dad or grandma or grandpa would want. Letting people know beforehand reduces the stress of trying to bury someone. It's a very difficult task to bury someone; we ask people to pick readings, pick music and decide on various other things at the mortuary. Ultimately, we as Catholics are living for the grave-it is only through the grave that we come to know and live in the presence of God, Therefore, we should approach funeral planning and our death with confident assurance and hope and plan it as another part of our life's journey.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: With the popularity of cremation it is important to know that if your loved one is cremated before the funeral Mass there are some distinctions in the ritual. For example, while the cremated remains are greeted in the back of the church like the body would be, there is no funeral pall for the urn-the funeral pall that symbolizes the baptismal garment. The prayers at graveside and at the sprinkling with holy water are a little different. It's important for people to know that the preference of the Church is to celebrate with the body, then cremate following that, then burial. Mortuaries can help people understand that in that case they do not buy a casket; they can rent or loan one for that use.