Are eulogies allowed at Catholic funerals?
Question: I’m confused. My parish priest says that there may be no eulogies at a funeral Mass, but I’ve been to funerals in Catholic churches where a priest allowed eulogies. Are eulogies allowed, or are they not?
Answer: Your priest might have been referring to the Order of Christian Funerals, which is the Church’s guidebook for such celebrations. The guidebook does say that “there is never to be a eulogy” (No 27). But that section is meant to offer guidance to the priest-celebrant with regard to the homily.
It reminds the celebrant that a Catholic funeral is not to consist in the glorification of the deceased (even less, the “canonisation”). The funeral Mass instead is meant to use the scriptural readings to highlight the redemptive power of Christ’s resurrection, to pray for the deceased, and to comfort the mourners by reminding them that eventual reunion awaits in heaven.
The same Order of Christian Funerals says in a later section that “a member or a friend of the family may speak in remembrance of the deceased before the final commendation begins” (No 170). Some dioceses may have their own regulations, limiting the length of those remarks. Three or four minutes would be typical.
Recently, I have noticed that some parishes move these family remarks up to the beginning of the liturgy — perhaps feeling that if the speaker strays from the purpose of the Mass, the celebrant can “rescue” the situation by returning to the themes of resurrection and reunion.
In the end, though, much of this does depend on the discretion of the local priest, who I hope would take into account the feelings and desires of the grieving family.
(Fr Kenneth Doyle)
Asked and answered in the November 2022 issue of The Southern Cross magazine
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