What is the etiquette for a Catholic funeral?

[spumoni215]

Hello,

I’m Jewish (although not observant) and will be attending a Catholic funeral this week. I’ve been to Catholic funerals before and am never sure what to do when I get there.

Could you please tell me what is appropriate for a non-Catholic to do? Should I still approach the casket and say a prayer, etc.? I’m not concerned about doing anything that conflicts with Judaism, rather I want to be respectful of the deceased and their family.

Thanks for your help,
R

 

[Fr.Eric_Filmer]

Greetings.

I commend you for your thoughtfulness in looking into this. If a provision is made during the funeral for the congregation to approach the casket, it is customary to do just what you described (spending a brief moment in prayer). Nevertheless, approaching the casket is not considered a mandatory action.

I also recommend that you review the following material. Note that if the funeral happens to be a funeral Mass (i.e., it includes the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the reception of Holy Communion), the first link will specifically address what the expectation is for non-Catholics (under the heading of “The Mass of Christian Burial”).

The Catholic Funeral
Etiquette for a Catholic Church Funeral