Funeral for a Non-Catholic Spouse?

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Can anyone tell me how the funeral of a non-Catholic spouse would be handled? My husband is not Catholic, but is seriously considering converting. He is not in RCIA at this time due to a very heavy work travel schedule, but he has regularly attended Mass with me and the children for the last 16 years. Would he be able to have a Catholic funeral?
 
I do not know, but if I had to guess, I would say no because he is not in full union with the church, but I may be wrong, they may allow it if he died with the intent to convert, there are many people on these forums who are better able to give a correct answer.
 
Anybody may have a Catholic funeral, as long as the person was not openly antagonistic toward the Church so as not to cause scandal.

There are three parts to a Catholic funeral: The Vigil, the Funeral Rite (which may or may not include Mass), and the Commital. The parts are not dependent upon each other. The funeral is one of the most flexible aspects of being Catholic, or close to being Catholic.

Your husband is not ill, I hope? And you are not planning on killing him for his heavy travel schedule?😉 Talk to your priest, who has seen him there for whatever part of the 16 years he’s been in your parish. If you don’t like what you hear, talk with another priest.
 
Canon Law:
CHAPTER II.
THOSE TO WHOM ECCLESIASTICAL FUNERALS MUST BE GRANTED OR DENIED
Can. 1183 §1. When it concerns funerals, catechumens must be counted among the Christian faithful.
§2. The local ordinary can permit children whom the parents intended to baptize but who died before baptism to be given ecclesiastical funerals.
§3. In the prudent judgment of the local ordinary, ecclesiastical funerals can be granted to baptized persons who are enrolled in a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community unless their intention is evidently to the contrary and provided that their own minister is not available.
Can. 1184 §1. Unless they gave some signs of repentance before death, the following must be deprived of ecclesiastical funerals:
1/ notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics;
2/ those who chose the cremation of their bodies for reasons contrary to Christian faith;
3/ other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful.
§2. If any doubt occurs, the local ordinary is to be consulted, and his judgment must be followed.
Can. 1185 Any funeral Mass must also be denied a person who is excluded from ecclesiastical funerals.
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It appears that it requires the permission of the Bishop, and the spouse must have been baptized or be enrolled as a catechumen. I think the Bishop’s permission is readily granted unless on of the noted exceptions occurs.

I know of a couple of recent local cases where the non-Catholic husband received a funeral mass.
 
KatieD said:
Can anyone tell me how the funeral of a non-Catholic spouse would be handled? My husband is not Catholic, but is seriously considering converting. He is not in RCIA at this time due to a very heavy work travel schedule, but he has regularly attended Mass with me and the children for the last 16 years. Would he be able to have a Catholic funeral?
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Yes, most likely. A Baptized non-Catholic Spouse who has attended Mass on a regular basis will usually be allowed the Rite of Christian Burial. It is also possible to have a funeral Mass.
 
Thanks for your responses! No, he’s not ill and I’m not planning to do away with him 😉 We were just discussing things like this the other day, and I wasn’t sure how to answer this one. I’m hoping that as his schedule frees up in the next two years, he can set aside one definite evening per week for RCIA. (Our current pastor has only been with us for a few months, but he’ll be around for quite a while I hope!)
 
I want to second the yeses of the other posters. I attended the funeral of the non-Catholic father of a diocesan priest. Not only did the bishop approve of the funeral, but he, and just about every other priest in the diocese attended. One whole side of the church was filled with priests. Of course, it would be better if your husband could officially joint the Church so that this problem will never come up. If he is already a baptized Christian, maybe your pastor or another priest could instruct him privately to fit his work schedule.
 
Excellent and informative thread. Make sure you have arrangements together beforehand. For instance, I need to inform my non-Catholic relatives that if I’m handling the arrangements, it’s always gonna be Christian burial. No ridiculous ash-scattering and what not.
 
As a follow-up, may I ask if a non-Catholic may be buried in a Catholic cemetary? I was always under the impression that one had to be Catholic (and die in good graces, as it were) in order to be buried in consecrated ground. In fact, I know a good number of people who converted in their later years just to be buried next to a spouse.

What’s the truth of the matter?

Thank you.
 
IrishAm said:
As a follow-up, may I ask if a non-Catholic may be buried in a Catholic cemetary? I was always under the impression that one had to be Catholic (and die in good graces, as it were) in order to be buried in consecrated ground. In fact, I know a good number of people who converted in their later years just to be buried next to a spouse.

What’s the truth of the matter?

Thank you.
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According to the Dioceses of Joliet and Rockford, yes.
 
I’m glad to have found this thread. There was a controversy at our parish regarding the funeral of the non-Catholic wife of a parishioner. Father said that it was up to the discretion of the priest, and that a funeral Mass is a prayer for the deceased. He said that he would even do a funeral for a non-Christian.

He told us that different priests have different practices regarding this.
 
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