Priest at funeral

[JugglingReferee]

Situation:

A man is born into an EC family, and as an adult, becomes a non-denom/Benny Hinn style Christian.

At his funeral, two people did most of the speaking, one being a Catholic Priest.

Why does the man’s funeral include a Catholic Priest if for the majority of the man’s life, he didn’t attend Mass, and often (afaik) argued against the CC?

 

[Corki]

Was it a Catholic funeral or was the priest merely a friend of either the deceased or his family?

 

[Apryl]

Situation:

A man is born into an EC family, and as an adult, becomes a non-denom/Benny Hinn style Christian.

At his funeral, two people did most of the speaking, one being a Catholic Priest.

Why does the man’s funeral include a Catholic Priest if for the majority of the man’s life, he didn’t attend Mass, and often (afaik) argued against the CC?

My impression is that funerals are not for the dead, but for the livng.

We have an obligation to bury the dead, but the words that are spoken are for those of us who are left to mourn.

 

[Onedayatatime]

Situation:

A man is born into an EC family, and as an adult, becomes a non-denom/Benny Hinn style Christian.

At his funeral, two people did most of the speaking, one being a Catholic Priest.

Why does the man’s funeral include a Catholic Priest if for the majority of the man’s life, he didn’t attend Mass, and often (afaik) argued against the CC?

The priest is his brother.

 

[JugglingReferee]

The Priest was a friend of the family.

 

[puzzleannie]

Situation:

A man is born into an EC family, and as an adult, becomes a non-denom/Benny Hinn style Christian.

At his funeral, two people did most of the speaking, one being a Catholic Priest.

Why does the man’s funeral include a Catholic Priest if for the majority of the man’s life, he didn’t attend Mass, and often (afaik) argued against the CC?

well it does not sound like a Catholic funeral, and there is no reason anyone who knew the deceased could not speak at his funeral (eulogies are not supposed to happen during a Catholic funeral, but afterward, or at the wake). What problem do you see might arise with a priest speaking or even offering a prayer at the funeral of a non-Catholic. There are also certain situations where a Christian or even catechumen can have a Catholic funeral, by the way, although that does not arise in the present case.

This priest might be a relative, a friend of the deceased, a friend of the family or even in an extreme case the only Christian clergyman available such as might happen in wartime.