Should a priest deny a funeral request?

[Scott_Ryan]

I know someone who recently lost her 34-year-old daughter. She claims to be Catholic and is at best a very infrequent participant in a local parish. She asked the pastor to hold a funeral and he declined. As you would imagine, she blames the Catholic faith for rejecting her daughter’s funeral request. What would be the reason for such a denial? I’m sorry, I don’t know the reason cited for the denial.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Without more information, I cannot judge whether the priest was right or wrong to deny this woman’s request for the funeral. I can say that practicing Catholics have priority in being accommodated for services by parishes, and I can say that it is wrong for this woman allow her disappointment to lead her to blame “the Catholic faith” for the actions of one priest. I will also say that it is possible that the priest could have been more pastorally sensitive, perhaps offering to offer the next available memorial Mass for the repose of the daughter’s soul if he could not give her a Catholic funeral. In any case, you could still arrange for memorial Masses to be said for this woman’s daughter, and perhaps your kindness will improve the bereaved mother’s impression of Catholicism.