Catholic Funeral...

[jax8686]

im just wandering if a catholic funeral has any importance other than the prayers offered at that time… is there any benefit to a catholic funeral, or does a protestant one accomplish basically the same thing (excluding the prayers for the dead)?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

jax8686:

im just wandering if a catholic funeral has any importance other than the prayers offered at that time… is there any benefit to a catholic funeral, or does a protestant one accomplish basically the same thing (excluding the prayers for the dead)?

A Catholic Funeral can take three forms. 1. Liturgical Prayer, 2. Liturgical Rite, 3. Celebration of funeral Mass. ( 1. or 1+2 or 1+2+3) A Protestant funeral may have Liturgical Prayer. I don’t now of many who have Funeral Rites. And of course none are able to have a Funeral Mass.

 

[Ivornotion]

jax8686:

im just wandering if a catholic funeral has any importance other than the prayers offered at that time… is there any benefit to a catholic funeral, or does a protestant one accomplish basically the same thing (excluding the prayers for the dead)?

Well if you recognise the Mass as the most complete offering to the Father for the repose of the soul of the deceased, and a shorter stay in purgatory, then why would you want to offer less ?

 

[jax8686]

i am strongly catholic, and i will be buried catholic, its not a question. the question is, my girlfriend is protestant, and although i pray, there is little chance she will convert to catholicism in the near future. i do plan on marrying her as soon as it is acceptable. her family is protestant. assuming we are married, and obviously she will die, but would there be something wrong with a protestant burial… i dont want to make it sound like im taking control of her life, but we did just talk about this, and if/when we are married, that will be our/my decision to make. i just want to be sure that its ok…(for lack of better wording…)

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

jax8686:

i am strongly catholic, and i will be buried catholic, its not a question. the question is, my girlfriend is protestant, and although i pray, there is little chance she will convert to catholicism in the near future. i do plan on marrying her as soon as it is acceptable. her family is protestant. assuming we are married, and obviously she will die, but would there be something wrong with a protestant burial… i dont want to make it sound like im taking control of her life, but we did just talk about this, and if/when we are married, that will be our/my decision to make. i just want to be sure that its ok…(for lack of better wording…)

A Protestant who is Maried to a Catholic and has no adverse feelings about the Catholic Church can have a Catholic funeral including Mass.

 

[urbana]

On the other hand, there would be nothing wrong with a protestant funeral. After her death, nothing can alter whether she will go to heaven or hell, only the length of her stay in purgatory could possibly be altered. You could easily have a protestant funeral, and ask that a mass be offered for the repose of her soul at another time. This would be basically equivalent in affect (mass offered for her), but might coincide better with her preferences or the comfort of her family.

 

[m134e5]

jax8686:

my girlfriend is protestant, and although i pray, there is little chance she will convert to catholicism in the near future

Pray…hopefully you’ll have many years together, and she’ll come to see what you see in the Faith, and see the truth in it. You may think there’s little chance now, but who knows how things will be several years down the road? When I went to church the sunday before I moved to college, I said to God “that’s the last time I set foot in a church!” Now I’m a practicing Catholic. (It’s not a good idea to tell God you don’t want to do something He wants you to do…you’ll probably end up doing it :bowdown: )

 

[jax8686]

m134e5, thanx for the encouragement. and honestly, i do completely agree with you, that hope for someday down the road is probably the only reason i havent called everything off over religious differences… and thanx urbana, thats exactly what i wanted to know. youve all been great help, thanx alot, and pray hard