Funeral rite
When someone dies, it is important for Roman CatholicsChristians who accept the Pope in Rome as the head of their church. that they carry out the funeral rite.
- Usually, the funeral rite begins with a vigilStaying awake to keep watch over the sick, to pray or protest during hours usually given to sleep. of prayer the day before a Mass (Christianity)A Roman Catholic service of worship that involves receiving Holy Communion..
- The body is placed in a coffin and taken to church, which represents the deceased being taken back to be with God.
- The coffin is sprinkled with water as a reminder of baptismRite of initiation involving immersion in, or sprinkling or pouring of water; a sacrament marking the start of Christian life.. The following words are said:
In the waters of baptism [name] died with Christ and rose with him to new life. May s/he now share with him in eternal glory.
- The Funeral Mass is enacted, with prayers asking God to take care of the deceased person and prayers for their soul. Prayers are also said for the mourners.
- The Funeral liturgyA set pattern of formal public worship with specific rituals and prayers. often includes Holy CommunionCentral liturgical service observed by most Churches, recalling the last meal of Jesus..
- There are readings centring on Jesus鈥 resurrection and the hope that the deceased will also be resurrected at the Day of JudgementThe last day, when God judges all of humanity according to how they have lived..
- Then follows the committalBurial. The act of putting a dead body in the ground., at which there is a short ceremony in the cemetery as the coffin containing the body is committed to the ground.
- Incense is waved over the coffin, to represent prayers being offered up to God on behalf of the deceased.
- The Lord鈥檚 Prayer is said along with prayers for the deceased鈥檚 eternal happiness with God. Then the coffin is lowered into the ground while the priest recites the following words:
ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
The Catholic funeral service is based on the teachings of the Bible and reflects Christian views on God and the afterlife. The service is designed to honour the life of the deceased and commend their soul to God, but also to provide support to the bereaved. The funeral rite also allows the deceased to be treated with respect and shows that everyone is special to God.
A funeral is an important event because it affirms belief in the resurrection of the body, which is important in Catholicism, while bringing the community together. It also allows believers the opportunity to consider what will happen when they die and to think about whether they are leading the kind of life that will allow them to enter Heaven.