What should I do in this situation NZ

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Hey guys I’m a tongan living in New Zealand and i was wondering if i should do the Sign of the Cross before I kiss my beloved departed relative who was methodist and whose funeral is taking place in a methodist church. It is customed for tongan to go before the casket and kiss goodbye.
 
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Of course! Not only a sweet custom, but one founded on love. Here is some really good information about the sign of the Cross from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:
The Sign of the Cross

The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one’s very body … To seal oneself with the sign of the cross is a visible and public Yes to him who suffered for us; to him who in the body has made God’s love visible, even to the utmost; to the God who reigns not by destruction but by the humility of suffering and love, which is stronger than all the power of the world and wiser than all the calculating intelligence of men. The sign of the cross is a confession of faith: I believe in him who suffered for me and rose again; in him who has transformed the sign of shame into a sign of hope and of the love of God that is present with us. The confession of faith is a confession of hope: I believe in him who in his weakness is the Almighty; in him who can and will save me even in apparent absence and impotence. By signing ourselves with the cross, we place ourselves under the protection of the cross, hold it in front of us like a shield that will guard us in all the distress of daily life and give us the courage to go on. We accept it as a signpost that we follow … The cross shows us the road of life — the imitation of Christ. . .Whenever we make the sign of the cross, we accept our Baptism anew; Christ from the cross draws us, so to speak, to himself. . .We make the sign of the cross on ourselves and thus enter the power of the blessing of Jesus Christ. We make the sign over people to whom we wish a blessing … Through the cross, we can become sources of blessing for one another.

Pope Benedict XVI
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I usually say, if in doubt, do the sign of the cross. There’s literally no time I could think of where signing yourself would be a bad thing. ❤️
 
Talitali fiefia @JustAcatholic

I am saddened to hear about your beloved departed relative. My prayers are with you and your family. 🙏

Yes I would as the sign of the cross reminds us of the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity. Technically, the sign of the cross is a sacramental, a sacred sign instituted by the Church which prepares a person to receive grace and which sanctifies a moment or circumstance.

Some Methodist’s do use the sign of the cross.

With bowing, if it was me;I would bow or genuflect say the Prayer for the Dead quietly to Our Lord Jesus.
Eternal rest grant unto them(name), O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen
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or
Eternal rest, grant unto them (name), O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed
through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Amen.
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If you are still really unsure, then pop into your Parish and speak to your priest about your concerns.’’
 
As a relatively late-coming Catholic, I have it on good authority from a cradle Catholic that you can’t cross yourself too often, and you can’t splash around too much holy water. I was happy to receive that information. Rule of thumb: Do it!
 
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