Stephen Gately's Funeral Mass

[Layman]

Justice William Brennan, the “driving force” behind Roe v. Wade, was given a Catholic funeral at St. Matthew’s Cathedral during which Bill Clinton gave a eulogy in the church.
I don’t recall Rome getting involved in that situation.

Exactly. Rome doesn’t get involved. It’s up to the priest or bishop involved. They can have a funeral Mass where a local mafioso is lauded as ‘a great guy, a diamond geezer’ by his henchmen from the pulpit and effectively canonised, instantly. Cue his favourite maudlin tune with dodgy lyrics. From a ghetto-blaster.

Meanwhile, most present know that this is a lie. The odds are good that, at best, he’s roasting in Purgatory, where he really needs solemn prayers and Masses for his release.

**If you want a solemn funeral Mass these days, I think you have to specify it in your will and mention it to your relatives. I recommend the Traditional Latin Mass. ** At the time of writing, any attempt to jazz that Mass up will look like an obvious attempt at meddling.