Clarification on funeral mass

[MaryAliceK]

A catholic friend lost her mother yesterday and is helping her Catholic father plan the funeral. My friend’s mother was not Catholic, although she attended mass with her husband snd raised her children in the Catholic church. Her father is planning a funeral mass and is assuming his cousin, who is a priest, will celebrate the mass for them. I told my friend that a funeral mass is reserved for practicing Catholics…is that correct? Can you please clarify this for my friend and her family? What other memorial services are options for them?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I’ve always been taught that this is not correct. A funeral mass is for any person, Catholic or otherwise, at the discretion of the priest celebrant. I’ll be interested to see if anyone knows anything to the contrary. Condolences and prayers.

 

[Catholic90]

Our Catholic church has for at least 20 years had funeral masses for people who were not officially Catholic. It is the charitable thing to do in many cases.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

A catholic friend lost her mother yesterday and is helping her Catholic father plan the funeral. My friend’s mother was not Catholic, although she attended mass with her husband snd raised her children in the Catholic church. Her father is planning a funeral mass and is assuming his cousin, who is a priest, will celebrate the mass for them. I told my friend that a funeral mass is reserved for practicing Catholics…is that correct? Can you please clarify this for my friend and her family? What other memorial services are options for them?

The best answer is that your friend should check with the pastor of the parish.

A funeral Mass is not prohibited for a non-Catholic. In Googling I found this from a parish in Illinois:

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic burial, including the funeral Mass, is permitted for a baptized non-Catholic who might reasonably be presumed to desire or prefer Catholic burial services. Such a decision would be appropriate where the non-Catholic party worshiped regularly at the Catholic Church or identified with the Catholic Church more than any other. It would not be appropriate if the deceased were an active member of a non-Catholic Christian Church, except in cases where the minister of the deceased was unavailable. (Canon 1183.3) source]

 

[Skeptic92]

A catholic friend lost her mother yesterday and is helping her Catholic father plan the funeral. My friend’s mother was not Catholic, although she attended mass with her husband snd raised her children in the Catholic church. Her father is planning a funeral mass and is assuming his cousin, who is a priest, will celebrate the mass for them. I told my friend that a funeral mass is reserved for practicing Catholics…is that correct? Can you please clarify this for my friend and her family? What other memorial services are options for them?

No, a Funeral mass can be attended by any friend, relative, or even a parishner at the Church that didn’t even know her Mother.

The only thing that is reserved for practicing Catholics is receiving the Blessed Sacrament, but all non-Catholics will be invited to come to the celebrant to receive a blessing by giving what ever signal the diocese uses to indicate a blessing, in every Parish ive been to, it’s by blessing their right hand on there right shoulder, but in some places it may be difference.

My prayers are with your friends mother, Requiescat in pace

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The brother of one of the RCIA catechumens died one year. I don’t think he had any religious affiliation. Our pastor did a Liturgy of the Word for him at the funeral home as a favor to the catechumen.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I think that a Funeral Liturgy outside Mass can be celebrated for a non-Catholic providing that it is not something the deceased would be opposed to. If active in a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community, they would normally have their funeral in their faith community; they may have a Catholic Funeral Liturgy outside Mass if their own minister is not available. In some dioceses a Funeral Mass for a non-Catholic might require the permission of the bishop, in others the bishop grants the decision to individual parish priests (pastors) in their pagella of faculties.

 

[Spirithound]

A catholic friend lost her mother yesterday and is helping her Catholic father plan the funeral. My friend’s mother was not Catholic, although she attended mass with her husband snd raised her children in the Catholic church. Her father is planning a funeral mass and is assuming his cousin, who is a priest, will celebrate the mass for them. I told my friend that a funeral mass is reserved for practicing Catholics…is that correct? Can you please clarify this for my friend and her family? What other memorial services are options for them?

My condolences to your friend. She and her father will want to contact the priest-cousin ASAP. Assumptions can lead to much heartache. I don’t know the rules, but he will.