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Catholics furious at funeral songs ban
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
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A new row has erupted over Catholic Church rules for funerals. It flared up after jazz musician Paddy Cole revealed yesterday that he was not allowed to play at his mother's funeral Mass.
The flames had earlier been fanned when priests in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan circulated a leaflet at the weekend setting out the rules for funeral Mass from the Bishop of Clogher, Joseph Duffy.
The leaflet states that specially composed poems and favourite songs are in breach of the diocesan regulations.
And even the traditional practice of mourners lining up to shake hands with bereaved families in church is banned during Requeim Mass, although it is still permitted during the removal ceremony.
Mr Cole's comments sparked a rash of calls to a radio show from bereaved families who had been banned from playing "goodbye songs" or giving funeral eulogies.
The jazz star, who comes from the area, said he had played at funerals of friends in Dublin and other parts of the country but had been banned from performing a musical tribute at his mother's funeral.
Listeners then called RTE's 'Liveline' to vent their anger that they were not allowed to recite their memories of loved ones from the altar.
Meanwhile, a survey carried out yesterday by the Irish Independent found there was no specific set of rules applied by all of Ireland's 26 dioceses.
The Bishops Media Office in Maynooth did not have a rundown of the practices followed in each diocese -- and instead referred enquiries to a little-known document issued in November 2003 by the National Institute for Liturgy.
Titled 'Celebrating a Catholic Funeral', it stipulates that the text of the Roman Missal should be used at funerals and that the readings are taken from the sacred scriptures.
"However, some poems are better kept to the less formal stages of the funeral rites, either in the home or at the graveside," the document says.
The document lays down that the homily is to be given by the priest but should be prepared in consultation with the family of the deceased. But it states there should be occasions when a member of the family may speak to the mourners.
"Only one family member should speak. It should be undertaken with the agreement of the celebrant and the prepared text should be discussed with the celebrant at a suitable time before the morning of the funeral. A separate microphone should be used, rather than the ambo, which is reserved for the Word of God."
The first rumblings in this funeral controversy go back to 2000 when the Archbishop of Armagh, Sean Brady, deplored "over the top" eulogies "going on for ever" as "unnecessary duplication" of the more formal aspects of the Catholic rite.
Fr Paddy Jones, of the Liturgical Centre, said that he did not know the specific cases involved, but knew a similar stance was taken by the Bishop of Meath, Michael Smith.
Yesterday, one Co Monaghan undertaker said : "This ruling has caused quite a stir", but nobody wanted to appear disrespectful to the clergy. He added that the playing of a favoured piece of music at the end of the funeral was a "long-standing tradition" which was now being "knocked on the head".
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I am finding it really difficult to understand how some of the greatest things that man has created: music and poetry trivialises death.
Funerals are not just about religion. Religion has hyjacked death for it's own benefit. Isn't about time we celebrated someone's life at these ceremonies?
To be honest though if your years are spent on your knees mumbling nonsense chants perhaps you don't have a life worth celebrating...
Posted by Jack Cade | 18.07.08, 09:03 GMT
"long standing tradition" regarding the favoured piece of music at the end of a funeral ---- The current funeral rite in the Roman Catholic Church has only been in use less than 40 years and for the previous 1900+ years favoured vernacular and secular music was unheard of in the Roman Rite. Common sense dictates that 1900 years would be a long standing tradition while 40 years would be an extremely short term diversion from the standard course.
Posted by John Fernandez | 17.07.08, 21:39 GMT
I wish the priest at my father's funeral had followed such guidelines. A Catholic funeral Mass is primarily for praying that the soul of the departed loved one be united for eternity with God. It is not the time for eulogizing and effectively canonizing the deceased. Death is trivialised by relatives believing it is more meaningful to hear some favourite music or poem than to recognise the power of the Catholic liturgy itself. Secular music and poetry and testimonies to the deceased should be heard outside the Church service (e.g., when the relatives and friends meet afterwards).
Posted by John S | 17.07.08, 17:22 GMT
"Long-standing tradition?" I doubt it's more than, say, about forty years old...
...the playing of a favoured piece of music at the end of the funeral was a "long-standing tradition" which was now being "knocked on the head".
Posted by nw | 17.07.08, 16:20 GMT
Does the devil own all of the best music?
Posted by Windy M | 16.07.08, 16:17 GMT
PJF -San Francisco
Don't apologise for stating the obvious, apologise for being being wrong.
Correct me if I am wrong but this seems to be the logic you have used.
Premise 1- Jazz and poems are a bit weird and I don't like them
Premise 2- Drugs are a bit wierd and I don't them.
Premise 3- I heard somewhere that some jazz guys and poets have taken drugs
Premise 4- I like Mass and the way it is quiet and not very weird.
Conclusion- Mass and Jazz/Poems don't mix.
Your suggestion is laughable. In fact drugs are responsible for much more religion than jazz! Have you ever read Revelations? St John must have been off his head!
Frankly, I think your life without poems and Jazz will be colorless and hardly worth getting up for. I would rather celebrate someones life with some of the most wonderful things in this world - music and poetry.
Posted by Jack Cade | 16.07.08, 11:23 GMT
IF THE GIFT OF BEING A GOOD jAZZ PLAYER WAS BESTOWED ON
THIS MAN, WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT ?. FOOTBALLERS BLESS THEMSELFS BEFORE A GAME.THIS IS A SORT OF OFFERING FOR THE GIFT AS A PRAYER TO GOD. IS THERE ONLY ONE WAY TO PRAY?.I DONT THINK SO.
Posted by H DUFFY | 16.07.08, 02:10 GMT
With the re introduction of the Latin Mass...I agree that poems and such are best left out of church celebrations.
We have become very petty and duffer from the American bout of entitlement in Ireland. I connect this madness with a drug culture mentality and I offer no apology for stating the obvious.
Posted by PJF -San Francisco | 15.07.08, 13:22 GMT