Being "properly disposed" and divorce

The Church teaches that those who wish to receive Holy Communion must be "properly disposed." There are three explicit requirements and two implicit ones. The explicit requirements are:

1. The person must not be aware of having committed any serious sin.
2. The person must have fasted at least one hour prior to receiving Holy Communion.
3. The person must not have received Holy Communion more than once previously on the same day.

The implicit requirements are:

1. The person must be a Roman Catholic.
   
2. The person must have been a full, conscious, and active participant during the Mass at which they wish to receive Holy Communion.

So why is there often a lot of hoopla about divorced Catholics not being able to receive Holy Communion? There is some basis for this, but there is also a lot of misunderstanding about it.

       People who are living in a civil marriage that is not also a sacramental marriage run afoul of the first explicit requirement: they are deemed to be living in a state of serious sin, and that sin is unchastity — they are living in a (presumably) sexual union with someone who the Church doesn't recognize as their sacramentally-married spouse. 

       This commonly applies to divorced Catholics who remarried outside of the Church. Note that it also applies even to Catholics in their first marriage if their marriage did not take place in the Church. It does not apply, however, to divorced Catholics who have not remarried, and it does not apply to Catholics who have had prior marriages annulled and had their current marriage brought into the Church.

       The short-run solution to this is to sacramentally confess one's sinfulness prior to receiving Holy Communion. However, the long-run solution (which most confessors will encourage) is to bring one's marriage into the Church.

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.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 4 (the reception at the church)

At some point in the three-part funeral liturgy, the body is received at the church. This usually happens at the start of the Funeral Mass, but it will occur at the start of the Vigil if the Vigil is being held at the church.
       The reception of the body is rich with baptismal symbolism. Recall that, at the beginning of our life in the Church, we are baptized. At our baptism, we are called by name, washed with holy water, clothed in a white garment, and given a candle that was lit off the Easter Candle. Symbolically, we believe that baptism is our joining with Christ in his death and resurrection. 
       So this is how it plays out at the other end of life:

• The presider greets the body (and mourners) at the door of the church (presumably near the baptismal font)
• The presider takes water from the baptismal font, sprinkles it on the coffin, and says, "In the waters of baptism, [name] died with Christ and rose with him to new life. May s/he now share with him eternal glory."
• A white cloth called the pall is placed over the coffin. 
• The body is processed into the church while everyone sings, and is placed near the place where the lit Easter Candle stands.

Thus, we enter the church for the last time, in a manner reminiscent of the way we entered for the first time.

The Funeral Rites of the Catholic Church, part 3 (the Vigil for the Deceased)

Prior to the implementation of the current Order of Christian Funerals, it was very common for a gathered group of people to pray a rosary in the presence of the deceased on the night before the Funeral Mass. The concept of keeping vigil with the deceased was established, but the prayer took the form of a pious practice (albeit a good one) instead of the form of a liturgy. This was changed with the current rites.

       The purpose of the Vigil is distinctly about the life of the deceased. It's about the past, with a bit of a foretaste of the Funeral Mass with its expression of hope for the future. 

       The Vigil has the following parts:

INTRODUCTORY RITES

   Greeting

   Opening Song

   Invitation to Prayer & Opening Prayer

LITURGY OF THE WORD

  First Reading

  Responsorial Psalm

  Gospel

  Homily

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

  Litany

  Lord's Prayer

  Concluding Prayer

(OPTIONAL: REMEMBRANCE OF THE DECEASED)

CONCLUDING RITE

  Blessing

  (Optional: song; silent prayer)

A couple of notes about this:

1. The instructions in the ritual book states, "Music is integral to any vigil... [W]ell-chosen music can touch the mourners and others present at levels of human need that words alone often fail to reach. Such music can enliven the faith of the community gathered to support the family and to affirm hope in the resurrection." Well said.
2. Note that there is no dismissal at the end of the Vigil. As mentioned in a previous post, the entire funeral liturgy, like the Triduum liturgy, is a single liturgy in three movements. There will be no dismissal until the very end, after the body is committed.
3. Note that the structure of the Vigil is essentially a Liturgy of the Word, just like we would do at Mass. With its form of prayer, song, and scripture, this makes it far more accessible to non-Catholic Christians than a rosary or other popular Catholic piety. 
4. Most importantly, note that this is the most appropriate place in the three-movement funeral liturgy to have people speak about the deceased and his or her life. This entire Vigil is all about that. So, even though the Remembrance of the Deceased is optional in the rite, it is important that the stories be told at this time. Just as it is important to read the scriptures as the story of our common Christian life, it is likewise important to tell the story of this particular Christian life.

The presider for the Vigil may be a member of the clergy (deacon, priest, or bishop) or a lay person. If a lay person presides, a few parts will be handled differently. A lay presider should be trained in the rite and have permission to preach (permission is handled differently from diocese to diocese). 

       The Vigil may take place in the home of the deceased, in a funeral home, in a chapel of rest, or even in the church. If it is celebrated in church, the Vigil begins with the reception of the body at the door of the church (sprinkling with holy water, placing of the pall, and procession to the place of vigil). More about the reception in a future post.

       The Vigil may take place any time after death until some time before the scheduled start of the Funeral Mass. In scheduling the Vigil and the Mass, there should be ample time between the end of the Vigil and the beginning of the Mass so that the Liturgy of the Word will not seem repetitious.