Funeral etiquette

It’s like this Glas. If you want to have your funeral in a Catholic Church you abide by the rules of the diocese. If not you can have a humanist funeral (that’s what I’ll be having). The logistics in many dioceses mean that priests can’t sit around for twenty minutes listening to how the late Pat used to love watching Dancing with the Stars of a Sunday night. They have other people to bury. And of course the likes of @StoneCold have bigger fish to fry.

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Bizarre post.

Priests should respect the fact that the ceremony which they are officiating at, in a church, has nothing to do with religion.

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@glasagusban should the priest have respected Donald Trumps mass the other day instead of making it all about religion?

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Katie Hannon had a debate about it a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know how she has a television programme actually.

There were a couple of zealots in the crowd but Fr. Stapleton who seemed like a reasonable fella made a twee but well made point about having respect in the church. He got a belt on the hand playing hurling and the ref rebuked him for his outburst; it’s the same in the church, you have to play by their rules. He was fine with eulogies once people are aware it’s not just a hall for rent. (Fr. Iggy who was very much in favour of eulogies interjected to say he was glad there’s still hurling in Tipperary.)

I’d say the vast majority of priests have no issue with it once it’s not too long and people are considerate of the environment they are in, but if you are in a diocese where people are repeatedly using poor language, inappropriate music or gifts etc. you can understand why they feel the need to clamp down.

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Glas wants to bring in props and slide shows over a 2 hour recount of someone’s life.

The formula is well trodden and simple.

Per the deceased- A humorous anecdote or two, portray their humanity and how much they’ll be missed by loved ones.

Exit left.

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Theres a little bit of Jimmy in all of us, Lord rest his soul

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Huh?

Seems entirely reasonable. It’s almost like it’s no bother at all for priests to facilitate it.

Logistics is the reason for it is it? Maybe they could just speak with the family and suggest a five minute time limit and talk the family through how it will go? Like they do in every other parish where people people participating in the funeral is just normal practice rather than verboten?

And maybe they could start banging the bell when the family go over the allotted 5 minutes?

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Start the choir singing

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It’s one of the reasons.

If it’s nothing to do with religion then why have it in a church? Can you be buried in a graveyard if you don’t have a church funeral?

Yes. Most of the cemeteries in Dublin are municipal facilities.

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A man cant die now and it’s a right wing conspiracy about who can say a few words about him and where he can be buried.

That’s the way it’s gone now

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You’d think the same reasoning would apply across the country. It’s almost like some bollox bishops and priests are on a complete solo run.

Interesting to see the first reaction of many posters is to tug the forelock to the priest.

Also, believe it or not but having a religious funeral means a hell of a lot to some people - both the deceased and their families.

To write that off as an inconvenience is very arrogant and delusional.

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That contradicts your first post though doesn’t it?

I attended a tan funeral yesterday, the deceased was the father of a neighbour, a man I’d never met (the son is a blow in …only here long enough to start and rear the one family). The arrangements meant everyone was ushered into a church so small i couldn’t turn the sweet in my mouth, then late arrivals shunted me up to the very front of the side aisle. Finally, myself and a few others were firmly invited to sit on rickety chairs alongside the raised alter…an uncomfortable perch for the only taig in attendance. Things started badly with the vicar attempting ā€˜abide with me’- he’d an effeminate voice, was tone deaf and sang at a pitch too high for men and too low for wimmen. So no one could sing along, and he had to abide with himself.
Things worsened during the homily. I discovered that the deceased had progressed through the ranks of scouts and boys brigades, before bravely protecting us all by serving in both the b specials and the udr. I magnanimously sympathised with the hurt and sense of betrayal caused by the disbandment of this fine regiment. I inwardly welcomed the news that he’d once survived ā€œan ungodly gun attack by enemies of her majesty and the people of ulsterā€. I was uncomfortable enough without having to hear all about his loyal membership of both orange lodge and royal black perceptory. It was hard to escape the gnawing sense that i was being accused of having caused an awful lot of the bother in this man’s life.
After the burial i headed across to the hall for handshakes, tea and sandwiches. When i reached the head of the queue, my solemn neighbour gave me a good, warm handshake, pulled me in and whispered, ā€œso much for the ceasefire.ā€

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How?