Catholic Funeral Rites

[drw72]

I attended my second funeral this weekend and noticed something that raised some questions in my mind.

The first funeral was a traditional Catholic funeral with Vigil, Funeral Liturgy (Mass), Rite of Committal (Burial).

The one this weekend was done by our Parish Priest (retired a few months ago) at the funeral home chapel. I noticed he did not have his collar on. Then we went to the cemetery where he conducted the Burial Rite but now he had his collar on.

So my questions are:

1. why would he take off his collar at the chapel and then put it on at the cemetery?
2. If a deceased person died several days before the Vigil / Funeral and his/her soul has already gone on, does the ceremonies (Rites) we perform for the body make a difference or have an effect on the after life (soul, resurrection, judgement, etc)?

 

[celtspirit]

I attended my second funeral this weekend and noticed something that raised some questions in my mind.

The first funeral was a traditional Catholic funeral with Vigil, Funeral Liturgy (Mass), Rite of Committal (Burial).

The one this weekend was done by our Parish Priest (retired a few months ago) at the funeral home chapel. I noticed he did not have his collar on. Then we went to the cemetery where he conducted the Burial Rite but now he had his collar on.

So my questions are:

1. why would he take off his collar at the chapel and then put it on at the cemetery?

2)** If a deceased person died several days before the Vigil / Funeral and his/her soul has already gone on, does the ceremonies (Rites) we perform for the body make a difference or have an effect on the after life (soul, resurrection, judgement, etc**)?

You ask an important question

upon death a soul will either go straight to heaven or purgatory although if in a state of mortal sin the soul will be lost for eternity.

 

[otjm]

I attended my second funeral this weekend and noticed something that raised some questions in my mind.

The first funeral was a traditional Catholic funeral with Vigil, Funeral Liturgy (Mass), Rite of Committal (Burial).

The one this weekend was done by our Parish Priest (retired a few months ago) at the funeral home chapel. I noticed he did not have his collar on. Then we went to the cemetery where he conducted the Burial Rite but now he had his collar on.

So my questions are:

1. why would he take off his collar at the chapel and then put it on at the cemetery?
2. If a deceased person died several days before the Vigil / Funeral and his/her soul has already gone on, does the ceremonies (Rites) we perform for the body make a difference or have an effect on the after life (soul, resurrection, judgement, etc)?

1. I have no idea; probably asking him will be the best route. I suspect any other answer might be a guess.
2. We live in time. God is outside of time, and souls are effectively outside of time. The Church holds that it is of great value to pray for the dead. If they are in hell, the prayer is heard by God and is not useless - no prayers are, but won’t change the person’s judgement. If the person is in heaven, no prayers are needed (and it is debatable how many get to heaven “right away”). If they are in Purgatory, the Church holds that our prayers avail them.

What is time? It is a measure of change, so it is hard to say that souls - which have no body, and are not in the material world, are “in time”. Thus it is relatively pointless to talk about how many days a soul may be in purgatory. However, we do it anyway, not that it has any particular meaning.

 

[jilly4ski]

I attended my second funeral this weekend and noticed something that raised some questions in my mind.

The first funeral was a traditional Catholic funeral with Vigil, Funeral Liturgy (Mass), Rite of Committal (Burial).

The one this weekend was done by our Parish Priest (retired a few months ago) at the funeral home chapel. I noticed he did not have his collar on. Then we went to the cemetery where he conducted the Burial Rite but now he had his collar on.

So my questions are:

1. why would he take off his collar at the chapel and then put it on at the cemetery?

Was the priest vested during the chapel funeral? If so, his collar might have been covered by his vestments, specifically the amice, but at the burial, his collar would have again been visible.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I attended my second funeral this weekend and noticed something that raised some questions in my mind.

The first funeral was a traditional Catholic funeral with Vigil, Funeral Liturgy (Mass), Rite of Committal (Burial).

The one this weekend was done by our Parish Priest (retired a few months ago) at the funeral home chapel. I noticed he did not have his collar on. Then we went to the cemetery where he conducted the Burial Rite but now he had his collar on.

So my questions are:

1. why would he take off his collar at the chapel and then put it on at the cemetery?
2. If a deceased person died several days before the Vigil / Funeral and his/her soul has already gone on, does the ceremonies (Rites) we perform for the body make a difference or have an effect on the after life (soul, resurrection, judgement, etc)?

1. The collar is not supposed to be visible when the priest offers Mass. In previous days, the amice was used to cover the collar so it would not be visible. Today, one may use an amice or an alb with a neck line that covers the collar. Since it is not supposed ot be visible, a priest may remove the collar and open the button of the neck for greater comfort under the layers of vestments; I often do this myself when I am not wearing the soutane. If I am wearing the soutane, I will often remove the collar before proceeding to vest.
2. Assuredly the various rites before death, at the moment of death and and at various intervals after death have a benefit for the soul of the deceased. Those before and at the time of death in view of the passage from this life and for the judgement. Those rites and prayers after death are for the happy repose of the soul of the deceased, should that soul be in the place of purification. The soul of the deceased is commended to God in the context of the Church’s liturgy. The Mass is specifically offered for the happy repose of the soul of the deceased and the prayers are those of the Church for her child, the deceased, who has departed this life so that mercy may be shown to them and so that they may be received into their heavenly inheritance.

 

[drw72]

No, he was not vested.

Also the “service” or Liturgy was done at the funeral home chapel. Not an actual Mass.

He did the readings, short homily, and that was about it. I could tell by the responses from the people attending that they were not all Catholic. Maybe he did it because of mixed company so to speak.

 

[kdbueno]

The funeral “rites” bothers me, is this purely Catholic?

 

[Gorgias]

No, he was not vested.

Also the “service” or Liturgy was done at the funeral home chapel. Not an actual Mass.

In addition to the funeral liturgy that we’re accustomed to (i.e., a ‘Mass’), there also exists a funeral liturgy outside Mass. It includes the Liturgy of the Word, intercessions, and the Lord’s Prayer. That’s likely what you saw at the funeral home. Sometimes, families ask that there be no Mass, but they still want some sort of prayer service. That’s when the service that you saw comes into play.

In addition, the funeral Mass (or lack thereof) does not affect the judgement a person receives. However, we believe that prayers for the dead are efficacious (for instance, we pray for the souls in Purgatory); moreover, during funeral liturgies, we pray for those who mourn the loss of their loved one.

 

[EasterJoy]

1. The collar is not supposed to be visible when the priest offers Mass. In previous days, the amice was used to cover the collar so it would not be visible. Today, one may use an amice or an alb with a neck line that covers the collar. Since it is not supposed ot be visible, a priest may remove the collar and open the button of the neck for greater comfort under the layers of vestments; I often do this myself when I am not wearing the soutane. If I am wearing the soutane, I will often remove the collar before proceeding to vest.

In other words, the Roman collar is not intended to be a liturgical vestment, correct, but simply a mark that allows laypersons to recognize the clergy outside of church or chapel?

 

[Gorgias]

In other words, the Roman collar is not intended to be a liturgical vestment, correct, but simply a mark that allows laypersons to recognize the clergy outside of church or chapel?

It’s visible under a cassock, and the cassock may be worn in liturgical situations (outside of Mass)…