I watched the beginning of the Funeral Liturgy Scandal again. The priest, who Cardinal Dolan should hold responsible for the sacrilege and blasphemy in his cathedral, is dressed in a Chasuble which is used solely for a Mass, not a Liturgy outside of Mass. Outside of Mass a cope may be used, or cassock, surplice and stole or alb and stole.
After blessing the body of the deceased at the entrance of the Cathedral, the procession arrives at the altar. A priest wearing a cassock but with his surplice off and over his arm, speaks to the priest whose microphone is on. This priest, who may be the rector, I am not sure, says to him that this is not going to be a Mass but rather the Liturgy outside of Mass.
Thus the decision to change it from a Mass to a Liturgy outside of Mass was done after the Liturgy began, not before.
I can’t watch the full liturgy as it turns my stomach, but when it is time for the eulogies to take place, the same priest, perhaps the rector, is miffed about the eulogies and tries to intervene, but the celebrant priest, who should be disciplined by the Cardinal, waves him off and more sacrilege/desecration takes place in the sanctuary publicly videoed for all to see and hear.
God help us.
The Church is a hospital, but the mentally and physically ill should not run the institution, they should be treated, restrained if necessary and given bitter medicine which will help them in the long run. They should receive treatment, to include discipline and sedation if needed. They should not run the Church, I mean the hospital, or overrun it!
The Church, which is a “hospital” for the mortally sinful and spiritually dying, cannot be run by those whose sinfulness is highly contagious and corrupts the healthy if they aren’t quarantined. They can’t take over a sterile environment meant to cure their contagious and thus compromise the treatment the Church offers, which is God’s grace that convicts us of our diseased sinfulness and enables us to repent and believe God, not our own sick truth.
God help us!
4 comments:
I thought eulogies weren't even allowed at Catholic funerals.
Father McDonald, with your permission, I offer the following from The Pillar:
-- About that funeral … What happened at a controversial NYC liturgy last week?
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/about-that-funeral-what-happened
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Following my initial reading of this thread, I decided to watch the video in question again today. With Father McDonald's permission:
-- I believe that the folks in attendance had tremendous love for "Cecelia."
-- As I watched the funeral service again today, I had a greater appreciation of Father Martin's statement from Saturday.
Father Martin said, "...I believe that churches are sacred spaces and certain actions are out of bounds...some actions I've seen struck me as, while perhaps to the congregation joyful and celebratory, disrespectful of the sacred space that is St. Patrick's Cathedral."
"I would imagine that some congregants might say that they intended nothing disrespectful or offensive; but when in a church, synagogue or mosque, or any other sacred space, I feel that you should always err on the side of respect and prudence."
-- It may be that many in attendance would insist that they did not act in disrespectful, offensive fashion. They may insist that they had acted only in joyful fashion out of their love for "Cecilia."
I imagine that among those in attendance, that there were folks who did not intend to disrespect Holy Mother Church. I imagine that there were folks present who had little, if any understanding of Catholicism. Perhaps, at times, their inappropriate conduct was the result of ignorance in regard to Catholicism.
However, in regard to "Cecilia's" family: They released a statement which noted that the family viewed the funeral service as a way to have acted "in historic defiance of the Church’s hypocrisy and anti-trans hatred."
That is not the way of good will.
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In regard to the three eulogists:
The first was "Cecilia's" "partner." He exhibited tremendous emotional pain at the loss of his "partner" "Cecilia." I have great sympathy for him in that regard. I noticed today that that he had genuflected when he returned to his front row pew.
However, I am amazed that he had stood, as well as applauded, with almost everybody else, when the Spanish-speaking eulogist referred to "Cecelia" in foul, filthy terms.
The second eulogist (a man, I believe, dressed as a woman) at the beginning, as well as conclusion of his eulogy, insisted that the folks present shout "Cecelia," "Cecelia," "Cecelia." He also insisted upon a standing ovation for "Cecelia."
That eulogist, in my opinion, had delivered, if you will, a performance. I found him to have acted in controlling fashion.
The third, and final eulogist, was the foul-mouthed Spanish-speaker. Enough said about that person. I was dismayed at the English-speaking translator who, in gleeful fashion, relayed the foul language in question.
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I give credit to Holy Mother Church, who despite Her having been deceived and trampled, commended "Cecelia" to our majestic, merciful God.
May "Cecilia" Gentili rest in peace. May "Cecelia's" family and friends — even those who had deceived the Cathedral's staff — experience the peace of Jesus Christ.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
BillyHW,
You are correct:
From Catholic Answers
According to the Order of Christian Funerals, there is never to be a eulogy at a funeral Mass (OCF 27), although the celebrant may express a few words of gratitude about the person's life in his homily, or he may allow a relative or a friend to say a few words about the deceased during the concluding rite (GIRM 89).
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