When the Church caters to Catholics as though they are consumers and need to be given what they want for funerals:
The post Vatican II ethos that the liturgy should be planned by committees, creativity should reign and we need to give the customer (parishioners) what they want has denigrated the Ordinary Form Mass in general and the Funeral and Wedding Masses in particular.
In the 80’s we encouraged Catholic schools to have various grades plan out the school Mass. Horrible results! We asked CCD classes to do the same. We gave liturgy committees carte Blanche in planning Sunday liturgies. And the priest, he was either active or passive in all of this trying to please his customers, I mean parishioners.
Have you ever filled out a parish survey asking you what you want for the liturgy? And then the pastor tries to give it to you (never tradition, but super-creativity?).
The National Chismatic Reporter of all fake Catholic news there is, has an article on Chicago’s stricter guidelines for funerals, "When the Time Comes: A Resource Guide for when Catholics enter Eternal Life," This is a portion of what the NCR article states:
My final comment and question? Just who allowed the laity to think they have a right to demand this, that or the other from their parishes as it regards the Mass when the Mass, no matter which type, is already prescribed? It was Vatican II or its spirit and pastors and priests who allowed it or gave their authority to those who should not have it!
I went to a parishioner’s home yesterday to plan the funeral of the husband/father of the family. It was so easy. The widow simply said, father you choose the readings, have someone from the church read the first reading and you pick the music.
But then she asked if one or two people could offer some words during the liturgy. I said to her very calmly that we have a policy that lay speakers should speak at the time of visitation the night before or after the funeral Mass at a reception or luncheon.
She said, you know that’s a good idea. God bless her!
The post Vatican II ethos that the liturgy should be planned by committees, creativity should reign and we need to give the customer (parishioners) what they want has denigrated the Ordinary Form Mass in general and the Funeral and Wedding Masses in particular.
In the 80’s we encouraged Catholic schools to have various grades plan out the school Mass. Horrible results! We asked CCD classes to do the same. We gave liturgy committees carte Blanche in planning Sunday liturgies. And the priest, he was either active or passive in all of this trying to please his customers, I mean parishioners.
Have you ever filled out a parish survey asking you what you want for the liturgy? And then the pastor tries to give it to you (never tradition, but super-creativity?).
The National Chismatic Reporter of all fake Catholic news there is, has an article on Chicago’s stricter guidelines for funerals, "When the Time Comes: A Resource Guide for when Catholics enter Eternal Life," This is a portion of what the NCR article states:
"It is very hard for pastors or pastoral ministers, in dealing with families, who basically feel that they have the right to whatever they want — which is again a very consumer-driven understanding of what church is about," Gecik said, counting the experiences of people hijacking the liturgy with a 20-minute, improvised eulogy that "thoroughly embarrassed the family" among the horrible results.
The Chicago guidelines state, "Experience shows that sharing personal remarks at the Funeral Mass can be inopportune for a number of reasons. It can create hard feelings if hurtful things of the past are raised or create discomfort in ill-advised attempts at humor. There are also concerns in view of past experiences that eulogies can overshadow in length and attention the Funeral Mass itself, especially if those offering words turn the Church's rites into a celebration of life that focuses only on the accomplishments of the deceased's past, with scant attention to our faith in the resurrection."
I went to a parishioner’s home yesterday to plan the funeral of the husband/father of the family. It was so easy. The widow simply said, father you choose the readings, have someone from the church read the first reading and you pick the music.
But then she asked if one or two people could offer some words during the liturgy. I said to her very calmly that we have a policy that lay speakers should speak at the time of visitation the night before or after the funeral Mass at a reception or luncheon.
She said, you know that’s a good idea. God bless her!
7 comments:
When my son passed away, we had nothing to do with setting up the mass. I can't imagine adding that to the other logistical things required for a funeral. I think it also freed up our priest to care for us instead of focusing on creating a liturgy.
Now, the mass for his funeral ended up being the mass for Ember Wednesday of Pentecost -- the Ember Day mass was of such rank that it took precedence over the mass of the angels, which would normally have been permitted for a baptized child who hadn't attained the use of reason.
I might've chosen the mass of the angels, if I'd had a choice, but we had a funereal mass with red vestments!
When my father died we were given a book by the funeral parlor director that enumerated everything. We had only to approve contingencies that were unknowable at the time the book was made. We encountered similar books at the bank, accountant, lawyer, and even the cemetery. This was one of the most moving aspects of that sad event and is one of the two great lessons he taught us; the first being to remain in awe of God however much we learn. I am now completing my own library so that my family and friends can have the leisure to ponder their own mortality along with mine.
Fr McD: "It was Vatican II or its spirit and pastors and priests who allowed it or gave their authority to those who should not have it!"
Indeed, it was both, but the latter was made possible by the former through the catchphrase "active participation by the faithful above all else", which summarises the entire reform of the liturgy: the liturgy became of the people, by the people, for the people...
I have found that allowing the family to be a part of the planning process for a funeral can be very consoling.
Some, when given the option to choose readings and/or music, opt to let me do that, which is fine.
Others are grateful for the opportunity to delve into the readings a little more deeply in order to be able to choose what may be particularly meaningful to them or reflective of the life of the deceased. This provides them with an opportunity to be in touch with God's Word which is, I would suggest, a desirable thing.
I have put together a simple planning form for the Vigil, Funeral Mass, and Committal (Burial) that leads those making the choices through the logistics. Attached is a list of Scripture readings taken from the ritual book. None have found it burdensome to make these choices.
Bee here:
The photo of that poor man propped up in the kayak. Yikes!
God bless.
Bee
I have an issue at funerals when the priest 'canonizes' the deceased: "I know in my heart so and so is in Heaven right now looking down on us". The homily usually turns into a celebration of the life of the deceased instead of focusing on the Scripture readings and the need to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased including requesting Masses for them from time to time. I know he is trying to be pastoral and sensitive to the family, but often he overdoes it.
Anonymous 2:04 - While wanting to be "pastoral and sensitive" is a good thing, preachers, including not a few priests, do a disservice to the mourners by telling them that their loved one is in heaven.
This underscores the absolute necessity of basing funeral homilies - an all homilies - on the Sacred Scriptures. Were preachers to stick with the Sacred Texts, they might not be inclined to say what the Scriptures do not say. We are told that God is merciful, but we are also told that God is just. Our task as Christians is to live in such a way that we are found worthy to be welcomed into heaven.
A good preacher can weave into his or her homily scenes from the life of the departed that are signs of his or her goodness and faith. But these should be spoken of as examples for the congregation to follow, not as markers of an unhindered transition from our mortal existence into the realms of the Saints and Angels.
A preacher can be influenced by his or her desire to be "pleasant" at a time of suffering. Or the preacher can, probably subconsciously, be seeking approval by saying "nice" things about the dead. "We like Fr. So-And-So because he doesn't say things that challenge us." Our task as preachers is the be "prophets" - to speak God's word to the hearers. Remembering the fate of the Biblical prophets, we have to avoid tickling the ears of the congregation in order to win their approval.
On the other side of the coin, preachers can be too harsh, especially at funerals. There is no necessity to dig out all the fire and brimstone one can find at funerals. It is a challenge, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, an honest, biblically based homily is the best.
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