The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 8 (Suicide)

To wrap up this series on Catholic funerals, a word about suicide. 
       Obviously, the taking of a life is evil, whether it is of another person or of oneself. However, for an evil action to be a grave sin requires more than just that. According to The Catechism of the Catholic Church, "for a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present: grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and full consent of the will." Only the person who commits an evil act can assess whether all three are present, and in suicide, that person is no longer able to make that assessment and seek reconciliation. Therefore, the Catechism offers this pastoral insight: "Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives" [emphasis added].
       Thus, a person who committed suicide is not barred from receiving a Catholic funeral.

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Note: The widely respected theologian and author Rev. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI writes frequently about suicide, and his insights are worth examining on this subject. His latest writing on this subject is dated August 16, 2009 and can be found here. Other articles from past years can be found in his archive.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 7 (Rite of Committal)

The final movement of the Catholic funeral is the Rite of Committal. This takes place at the site of the final resting place of the deceased. The Committal has the following parts:

• Invitation. The presider invites all to pray for the deceased and the mourners.
  
• Scripture Verse. The presider reads a short sentence from the New Testament (there are four options in the Rite).
• Prayer over the Place of Committal. There are three options for this: (a) if the place of committal is to be blessed (such as a public cemetery plot); (b) if the place has been blessed already (such as a Catholic cemetery plot); or (3) if the body will be physically committed at a later time.
  
• Committal. The presider then says the Prayer of Committal (there are a number of options). Immediately following this, the remains are physically committed — the coffin is placed in the ground, the urn is placed in the columbarium, the capsule is placed in the ocean, etc. This is an important and very powerful step! The entire committal hinges on this moment. It firmly roots the entire Rite of Committal in the present: the deceased is now gone.*
• Intercessions. The prayers of intercession have two parts — a set for the deceased and a set for those who mourn. Both should be there for the Committal to have the power to heal.
• The Lord's Prayer. 
• Concluding Prayer. Again, there are a number of options that the presider may choose from to best fit the circumstances.
• Prayer over the People. The presider asks God to hear the cries of the mourners, then leads those gathered in the customary prayers for the dead ("Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord..."), and blesses and dismisses those who have gathered. After dismissal, the people gathered may show some sign or gesture of leave-taking, such as throwing flowers or a handful of dirt on top of the coffin.
  

      So concludes the Catholic Funeral.
      To summarize: the Vigil is about the past (the deceased's life); the Funeral Mass is about the hope for the future (the resurrection of the dead); and the Committal is about the present (the deceased is gone and we are faced with loss). Taken together, they address the human and spiritual needs that we all have when faced with the loss of a loved one.

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*I can't overstate the importance of having the mourners watch as the coffin is lowered into the ground, or the remains committed to their spot and the spot sealed over. To be sure, it is gut-wrenching to witness it: I have assisted at two Committals involving young children, and the grief of the parents was almost unbearable. But it was a very holy moment when the winches and the wailing stopped, and all of those gathered joined in the Intercessions that followed. On the flip-side, it has been my experience, families who are unwilling to have the physical committal happen as a sacramental moment have something that is keeping them from addressing some unfinished business, either among themselves or between them and the deceased.True peace can only come about when we come face-to-face with reality, we allow ourselves to forgive and be forgiven, and we embrace the surety of the future resurrection.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 6 (Funeral Mass)

As mentioned in the previous post on the Introductory Rites of the Funeral Mass, there are many options for the prayers of the Funeral Mass. When it comes to the Liturgy of the Word, the same is true — there are many options. The presider (or family) may choose from seven Old Testament readings, ten Responsorial Psalms, nineteen passages from the New Testament letters, eleven Alleluia verses, and nineteen Gospels.* Thus, there is a rich treasure-trove of material from which the Bible can cast light on the life of the deceased.
       Sometimes, the great variety can be overwhelming for the surviving family members to deal with, especially if there is little time to prepare for the Mass. It is always an option for families in this circumstance to ask the presider to pick the most appropriate readings. Also, it is highly recommended that all Catholics plan ahead and choose the readings they would like to use at their own funerals, and make sure that these wishes are known to family members, the chosen funeral director, or the pastor.
       The Mass proceeds as usual, until after the Prayer After Communion. At this point the Rite permits a member or friend of the family to speak in remembrance of the deceased. Note that this should not duplicate the opportunity that was available in the Vigil for many people to tell their stories. It specifically allows for only one such remembrance. I like the way it is done in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where the policy is that this moment in the Funeral Mass should recall the deceased's life of faith — their birth, initiation in the Church, marriage, ordination, ministry, etc.
       Following the remembrance is the Final Commendation. In this part, the presider first invites all to pray for the deceased. After a time of silent prayer, the Song of Farewell is sung while the presider incenses the coffin. If nothing else is sung during the entire liturgy, this part should be sung.† The words are beautiful in expressing our hope for the soul of the deceased: "Saints of God, come to his/her aid! Hasten to meet him/her, angels of the Lord! ... May Christ, who called you, take you to himself; may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham..."
       The priest then says the Prayer of Commendation, in which we commend the soul of the deceased into God's care, ask for forgiveness for his/her sins, and (in some versions of the Prayer) ask for comfort for "us who remain."
       Finally, the deacon concludes the liturgy with the words, "In peace let us take our brother/sister to his/her place of rest." A procession then forms, leading out of the church.

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*For children who died before Baptism, the Rite has two Old Testament readings, one Responsorial Psalm, two Alleluia verses, and three Gospels. 
†Dennis C. Smolarski, SJ has composed a simple version set to a familiar hymn tune which can be sung unaccompanied, if need be. It is routinely published in OCP missalettes.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 5 (Introductory Rites of the Funeral Mass)

The Funeral Mass is the central movement in the funeral rites of the Catholic Church. Just as the Mass is central during our lives, it is also central to the celebration of our hope following our death. 
       If the body is to be received into the church at the start of the Mass, then the Introductory Rites of the Mass are replaced with the reception of the body (see previous post). If the body has been previously received, then the Mass begins in the usual way with an Entrance Procession, Greeting, and Penitential Rite. In any case, the Entrance Procession has a different order than at most Masses. In a Funeral Mass, the procession is led by the cross and ministers (including the presider), then the coffin, and then the mourners. This is unlike the typical Mass, where the presider is the last one in the procession.
       The Introductory Rites then conclude with the Opening Prayer. There are numerous choices for the Opening Prayer, including those if the deceased is a bishop, someone who died suddenly, a young person, even an unbaptized infant. There are also a number of general Opening Prayers (ones that could apply to anyone). In general, a more specific prayer is favored over a general one because it personalizes the liturgy; however, it is important when selecting from any of the options in the Funeral Mass to select prayers and readings that are most appropriate for the deceased. No matter which prayer is selected, they all include the name of the deceased in the prayer.