funereal

[Hunter53]

I went to a funereal of an old friend last year at a new order Mass. They did a rosary before Mass instead of the night before and had the Pascal Candle burning during Mass. How long have they done this and why?

 

[Phemie]

I went to a funereal of an old friend last year at a new order Mass. They did a rosary before Mass instead of the night before and had the Pascal Candle burning during Mass. How long have they done this and why?

Outside of the Easter Season, the Paschal Candle is always lit for funerals and baptisms.

Praying the Rosary before the Mass is not part of the Rite of Christian Burial so I assume it’s simply part of that parish’s tradition or perhaps just something the family did.

 

[puzzleannie]

the Paschal Candle, like the sprinkling of the casket with holy water and the white pall covering the casket are sings of our baptism and the promise of eternal life

the rosary is a custom, whatever the family prefers, there is a rite for a wake service but they can have the rosary instead if they wish

 

[Hunter53]

Outside of the Easter Season, the Paschal Candle is always lit for funerals and baptisms.

Praying the Rosary before the Mass is not part of the Rite of Christian Burial so I assume it’s simply part of that parish’s tradition or perhaps just something the family did.

I can never remember the candle being used for this before also the Rosary is usually said the night before and always the sorrowful mysteries, not the glorious. When did this change?

 

[Phemie]

I can never remember the candle being used for this before also the Rosary is usually said the night before and always the sorrowful mysteries, not the glorious. When did this change?

It did not ‘change’. It’s possible that that parish has a tradition of saying the Rosary before each Mass – it’s done before all weekday Masses in our parish. Or it’s possible that a family member requested it.

The Rosary, as wonderful a prayer as it is, is not part of the official Rite of Christian Funeral (which includes “Prayers After Death”; “Gathering in the Presence of the Body”; “Funeral Vigil”; “Transferring of the Body” “Reception of the Body”; and “Funeral Mass/Liturgy” and “Committal”) although in many communities it’s recited instead of the Funeral Vigil.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Because you have posted in the “Traditional Catholicism” forum and because you refer to the “new order Mass” I am going to assume that you are used to going to the extraordinary form of the Mass and other liturgies.

I can assure you that it is perfectly correct, as other posters have already done so, to place the Paschal Candle near the coffin.

As no doubt you are aware the Rosary is a devotion not liturgy. So, to a certain extent it is immaterial whether it was recited or not. It may, as other posters have said, be a practice in that parish or a practice of that family and they may have requested it.

I do not see anything wrong with the Glorious Mysteries. Shouldn’t one of the messages that comes across at funerals is that we don’t dwell completely in despair that it is the end of everything but that we as Christians have the joyful hope and expectation of heaven thanks to our Lord’s glorious resurrection.

 

[Hunter53]

Because you have posted in the “Traditional Catholicism” forum and because you refer to the “new order Mass” I am going to assume that you are used to going to the extraordinary form of the Mass and other liturgies.

I can assure you that it is perfectly correct, as other posters have already done so, to place the Paschal Candle near the coffin.

As no doubt you are aware the Rosary is a devotion not liturgy. So, to a certain extent it is immaterial whether it was recited or not. It may, as other posters have said, be a practice in that parish or a practice of that family and they may have requested it.

I do not see anything wrong with the Glorious Mysteries. Shouldn’t one of the messages that comes across at funerals is that we don’t dwell completely in despair that it is the end of everything but that we as Christians have the joyful hope and expectation of heaven thanks to our Lord’s glorious resurrection.

Yes but this sounds a little to much like the protestant church to me.

 

[Catholic90]

Yes but this sounds a little to much like the protestant church to me.

What? Being joyful at a funeral instead of morose?

 

[Hunter53]

What? Being joyful at a funeral instead of morose?

No but assuming that everyone automatically goes to heaven because many modern Catholics that I have talked to no longer believe in purgatory.

 

[Indyann]

No but assuming that everyone automatically goes to heaven because many modern Catholics that I have talked to no longer believe in purgatory.

If one makes it to purgatory, they will make it to heaven. Therefore, joy is not out of place.

You must hang around a “dubious” group of Catholics. I have never heard a “modern” Catholic say “there is no purgatory”.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

No but assuming that everyone automatically goes to heaven because many modern Catholics that I have talked to no longer believe in purgatory.

Would you please re-read my post. I did not say everyone goes to heaven. No one knows the fate of any deceased person. What I said was that thanks to our Lord’s passion, crucifixion, death, burial, descent into hell, and resurrection we, as Christians, have hope in the eternal life in heaven. Because we have this hope I said there was nothing wrong in reciting the Glorious Mysteries as opposed to reciting the Sorrowful ones. This does not negate the existence of either purgatory or hell.

In fact most of the Church’s rites following death are to pray for the soul of the deceased. If the deceased is in heaven they have no need of those prayers. So, if, as you wrongly submit, that in the Catholic Church we believe that every one goes to heaven no matter what then the Church could get rid of all her rites associated with death because no soul would need our prayers.