Making Sign of Cross when Non-Catholic Deceased

[Gullveig]

Just out of curiosity. What’s an Asatruar’s funeral?

As a Catholic, I would not attend a function if it is very exclusive in nature. Like for example, I would not attend a Muslim’s funeral or circumcision ceremony though I could if I want to, but I would not. I could acknowledge them by phone or a visitation to their house at some other points in time (if I need to - relatives, for example).

Asatru is the modern reconstruction of pre-Christian Germanic and Norse religion. A practitioner of Asatru is an Asatruar. Funerals are special occasions, because remembering the deeds of and communing with the dead person are highly important things in the faith and disrespecting a dead Asatruar or their family at their funeral would be like a non-Christian stomping on the Eucharist at Mass, for example.

Like I said, I would have no problem with my Christian friends deciding not to attend my funeral if they could not respect the process. But if someone Christianizes my funeral, I would probably haunt them.

 

[Reuben_J]

Asatru is the modern reconstruction of pre-Christian Germanic and Norse religion. A practitioner of Asatru is an Asatruar. Funerals are special occasions, because remembering the deeds of and communing with the dead person are highly important things in the faith and disrespecting a dead Asatruar or their family at their funeral would be like a non-Christian stomping on the Eucharist at Mass, for example.

Like I said, I would have no problem with my Christian friends deciding not to attend my funeral if they could not respect the process. But if someone Christianizes my funeral, I would probably haunt them.

Thanks for information. In other word, you would not welcome your Christian friends to attend the funeral.

Like I said I would not go for such funeral especially if the practitioners are so antagonistic to Christianity. Personal prayer in Christianity is very personal. I could say a prayer as I stand or pass beside/by a casket and you would not notice it. You do not even notice me crossing myself. And why is that people look at you and notice every personal movement you make? It does not happen like that in normal circumstances unless the hosts particularly are suspicious of you and which in that case, there is no reason at all to come.

I remember attended a Muslim funeral in a Muslim cemetery during my college days for a friend who died prematurely. They performed Islamic funeral service and I being a non-Muslim was quite lost there. I said a prayer myself, “Lord, may you grant him rest, have mercy on him and bless his soul.” I crossed myself. I was standing in the crowd and nobody seemed to know or care what I am doing. For all they care, I was merely standing like the rest of the crowd and they might not know that I was a Christian.

So in situation like that, I cannot imagine why I would be very offensive. The reason why I would not attend such funeral is because I don’t have to and perhaps because the service would be very alien to me and I may not be comfortable with it.

 

[Gullveig]

Thanks for information. In other word, you would not welcome your Christian friends to attend the funeral.

Like I said I would not go for such funeral especially if the practitioners are so antagonistic to Christianity. Personal prayer in Christianity is very personal. I could say a prayer as I stand or pass beside/by a casket and you would not notice it. You do not even notice me crossing myself. And why is that people look at you and notice every personal movement you make? It does not happen like that in normal circumstances unless the hosts particularly are suspicious of you and which in that case, there is no reason at all to come.

I remember attended a Muslim funeral in a Muslim cemetery during my college days for a friend who died prematurely. They performed Islamic funeral service and I being a non-Muslim was quite lost there. I said a prayer myself, “Lord, may you grant him rest, have mercy on him and bless his soul.” I crossed myself. I was standing in the crowd and nobody seemed to know or care what I am doing. For all they care, I was merely standing like the rest of the crowd and they might not know that I was a Christian.

So in situation like that, I cannot imagine why I would be very offensive. The reason why I would not attend such funeral is because I don’t have to and perhaps because the service would be very alien to me and I may not be comfortable with it.

It’s not a matter of being antagonistic to Christianity, it’s a matter of there being appropriate times and places for everything. An Asatru funeral is simply not the place to invoke other gods, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or otherwise and we would consider doing so an insult to our gods and to the soul of the deceased. Since Christians and Muslims worship the same god, basically, of course it wouldn’t be a big deal at a Muslim funeral. Our gods and beliefs about the soul are very different from yours, though.

In our part of the country, most families arrange either a wake or a viewing the day before the funeral. I would personally consider that an acceptable neutral zone for Christians who felt they needed to pray over a dead Asatruar for whatever reason. The funeral itself and the symbel that usually occurs after an Asatru funeral would be the places to avoid doing so.

 

[Reuben_J]

It’s not a matter of being antagonistic to Christianity, it’s a matter of there being appropriate times and places for everything. An Asatru funeral is simply not the place to invoke other gods, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or otherwise and we would consider doing so an insult to our gods and to the soul of the deceased. Since Christians and Muslims worship the same god, basically, of course it wouldn’t be a big deal at a Muslim funeral. Our gods and beliefs about the soul are very different from yours, though.

In our part of the country, most families arrange either a wake or a viewing the day before the funeral. I would personally consider that an acceptable neutral zone for Christians who felt they needed to pray over a dead Asatruar for whatever reason. The funeral itself and the symbel that usually occurs after an Asatru funeral would be the places to avoid doing so.

Okay. I don’t understand the funeral process. That’s why I was asking. I think that’s pretty reasonable since Christian relatives can come during the wake/viewing and pay their last respect on different day. Usually we do not come for the funeral ritual if we could come at other times to pay respect or meet the family to offer condolence.

OTOH, crossing oneself is not a big deal as more often than not, nobody would particularly notice you are doing that. As I said, you could just be anybody in the crowd. But I guess, the Asatru funeral is something else.That’s perhaps another reason too why I would not (usually) want to attend a different religious ritual.

BTW Muslims are quite ‘allergic’ to the cross but on the whole they understand the concept of prayer and I never had any problem with them whenever I cross myself, like during a dinner or a function before meal. You are right since they are very ‘praying people’, they understand (even if they don’t agree with you) the concept of praying and usually they are very appreciative of it.

Thanks for the information again.

 

[Starrsmother]

When viewing a deceased Catholic prior to the funeral, it has always been my understanding that we should make the sign of the cross and say a prayer for the soul of the deceased. What should be done when the deceased and others present are not Catholic?

I would think that as a Catholic you should pray as a Catholic. I don’t think it would actually offend a non-Catholic, and if it did, I still you’d be right to do so. If a Catholic family member of mine died and a Jewish person should be present at the viewing, I wouldn’t expect him or her to pray the Hail Mary. I’d expect he would pray according to his or her own custom and understanding.

 

[EvangelCatholic]

We make the sign of the Cross -at our services and many do privately as well-we even have a rosary -be kind

Yes, it is a mistake to assume that only Roman Catholics make the sign of the cross. Probably the majority of Christians cross themselves if you include Orthodox, Anglicans and Lutherans.

 

[Allegra]

It’s not a matter of being antagonistic to Christianity, it’s a matter of there being appropriate times and places for everything. An Asatru funeral is simply not the place to invoke other gods, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or otherwise and we would consider doing so an insult to our gods and to the soul of the deceased. Since Christians and Muslims worship the same god, basically, of course it wouldn’t be a big deal at a Muslim funeral. Our gods and beliefs about the soul are very different from yours, though.

In our part of the country, most families arrange either a wake or a viewing the day before the funeral. I would personally consider that an acceptable neutral zone for Christians who felt they needed to pray over a dead Asatruar for whatever reason. The funeral itself and the symbel that usually occurs after an Asatru funeral would be the places to avoid doing so.

If I knew such a person, and they were dead, I would probably attend their wake or laying out, rather than the funeral. I invoke the name of my God wherever I go, even if I do it silently, so attending a funeral where that is considered a problem would be, well, problematic.

 

[Allegra]

I would say that it is OK to make the sign of the cross at most funerals, certainly all Christian funerals. However, I personally would not recommend making the sign of the cross at a Jewish funeral. That is just my opinion.

I don’t know any Jewish people who are offended if Christians pray for them. My mother grew up in a highly Jewish neighborhood and has quite a few Jewish aquaitances from her childhood. When we have a death in the family, they come to our house and help clean it and bring us cakes and lunch. This is a really nice tradition in their culture, to help take care of a family in mourning. When my grandfather died, they even thought of bringing tuna fish sandwiches because it was a Friday and it was Lent! I believe that most Jewish people would be happy to see a Christian friend attend a funeral or a laying out at their home when someone has died. I would be more concerned about offending a vehmently anti-Catholic Protestant than a Jewish person.

 

[emmajanegordon]

It does not matter to me what faith (if any) that the deceased person has had during his or her life, I always show respect for the deceased by making the sign of the Cross upon myself and say a silent prayer for the deceased person and for his or her family.

 

[BeProfOSX]

If you said “yous” I’d know you were from New York.
If you said “yens” I’d know you were from Pittsburgh.
Where do they say “you’ns”?

You’ns (pronounced “yunz”) is the Central PA second person plural.

True story from the mean streets of South Central: One day I came into work and a buddy of mine kept talking about this “white tagger” on the news. I finally asked him what the heck he was talking about and he said, “You know, them magicians out in Vegas with that white tagger. It nearly kilt one of 'em!”

 

[jesuspsr]

I would say that it is OK to make the sign of the cross at most funerals, certainly all Christian funerals. However, I personally would not recommend making the sign of the cross at a Jewish funeral. That is just my opinion.

My Jewish friend asked me to be a poll bearer for his wife funeral, nobody there minded that I made the sign of the cross prayed for her.