'Drifting from certain Church norms': Bishop of Limerick urges respect for funeral traditions

THE BISHOP of Limerick has raised concerns about the scattering of ashes and extended eulogies, and urged families to uphold the reverence of Catholic rites.

Bishop Brendan Leahy explained in his pastoral letter: “In recent times there has been a drifting from certain Church norms around the funeral Mass and burials.

“For example, eulogies should not be mistaken for long homilies or memorial tributes that are out of tune with the ceremony, nor should we use secular songs that are not appropriate for the liturgy.”

“Regarding cremations, ashes are not to be scattered. Though often well-intentioned, these choices risk obscuring the truth of the funeral Mass and burial.”

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He added that this is not to dismiss the personal expressions of grief and remembrance that accompany bereavement.
Bishop Leahy said: “The Church recognises and honours them but invites families to place such tributes where and how they belong.”

“To uphold the Catholic Church traditions is not rigidity; it is reverence. It is our way of ensuring that, at every Christian funeral, we stand humbly before the mystery of death and affirm together the timeless hope of our faith.”

The pastoral letter explores areas such as facing death; judgement, purgatory, heaven and hell; preparing for a funeral; praying for the dead; burial or cremation; and bereavement support. The bishop also said that “death is not an end but a passage” and that November is the time of year when people remember in a special way their loved-ones who have passed.

“November is the month we dedicate to praying for those who have died. It is a time for us to reconnect with the true meaning of death and, as Christians, what we know above all is that death is not an end but a passage.

“It is a return to the Father, who created us,” Bishop Leahy stated. The Church, Bishop Leahy said, approaches death with both human tenderness and theological depth. “We grieve because love has been interrupted, yet we believe that in Christ, death has been transformed. Every funeral, therefore, is both a moment of sorrow and a proclamation of faith.”

“The funeral rites of the Church are not simply ceremonies of farewell but acts of worship and prayer.”