www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall funeral/burial

Please excuse my ignorance in using this forum -
I have a question -
If she married in a Byzantine Catholic church, divorced, (no annulment) remarried in the Lutheran church - can she be buried within the church and buried in a Catholic cemetary. Please led us in the right direction. Thanks for all responses.

All I know is that in the past 20 or so years, the RCC has taken a more relaxed view of who can be buried in sanctified grounds.

JoeS

It is my understanding that after having remarried (and outside the Catholic Church at that) she would be barred from all sacraments in the Catholic Church, including burial, as one who has excommunicated herself.

Gaudior, who advises that the above be taken with a grain of salt, until a more authoritative source can confirm.

Sue:

This is somewhat clouded.

Are you asking if this person's remains can be taken into church for a Funeral Liturgy?

Are you asking if this person can be buried in a Catholic cemetery?

The first one depends on whether this person died as a Catholic or if this person became Lutheran at the time of the marriage. If this person were reconciled, a Liturgy might be possible; if not, a Liturgy of the Word might happen in church, but not a Liturgy which would include the Eucharist. At this point in time, my understanding of canon law in the Latin Church is that no one is refused Christian Burial except for some very rare cases, such as public repudiation of the Faith--cases that would cause grave scandal.

I haven't heard of any problems with burial either, though one must ascertain what the local diocese has to say, especially in the case of one who had publicly become a member of another Christian body.

You don't provide enough information to make a precise answer, but your best bet is to approach the pastor of the local parish whose cemetery is involved or the diocese if it is the owner.

In Christ,

BOB

BTW, IMHO there is no reason to apologize for asking a question. The only person who need to do that is the one who bumbles along without asking and makes his/her own life worse off because of pride. Smart people ask if they don't know something.

Sue,

According to the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church, as Bob suggested, funeral rites are denied only in the most limited of cases:

Obviously, the local Ordinary has ultimate discretion in this, but the terms "notorious" and "public scandal" hardly seem likely to apply to the circumstances you describe. My experience has been that the Church today is generous in respect to its interpretation of these rules.

As regards the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, the sentiments are similar, although the presentment is a bit more negatively phrased than in the Latin Code:

I would suggest that the person involved speak with the local pastor, whom I suspect will be charitable and sympathetic.

Many years,

Neil

Neil:

I agree with your statment about the Church's generosity in these matters. In my own practice as a funeral director, I have had funerals for Protestants who are married to Catholics done in a Catholic church--Liturgy of the Word with Final Commendation, for example.

There also seems to be no real impediment to having someone interred in their family plot unless they have publicly said or done something that would cause grave scandal. Usually this is stricter in small towns where everyone would be bombarding the pastor with questions about the reasons for generosity. (We still have a lot of people who slog along their whole lives and feel that those who come at the last minute should not have the same reward. Funny, my Scripture still has the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. Maybe it hasn't sunk in yet.)

I have had people denied a church funeral for one reason or another, but that has been years ago and before the establishment of the present codes of canon law.

I have found that when I work with a family who says that they have not been to church for a number of years it often revolves around the fact that some ancestor has been denied Christian burial and the whole family has never gone back. So a tough attitude can do greater spiritual damage than its intention. Discipline for the dead can actually destroy the living.

In Christ,

BOB

To explain a bit further - this person did not leave her Catholic upbringing - she has raised her children Catholic - goes to church every Sunday, holy days of obligation and when her schedule permits daily liturgy. She even volunteers at some church functions and regularly attends bible classes, and faith study sessions at the church. No she has not asked her priest - because she attends an RC church and they have a hard time answering her questions and are concerned if they answer in the wrong way she may get really confused. I was hoping to get some info for her - again thanks for all your responses. I think she plans on contacting the Eparchy for her state but she was hoping to have some discussion to take with her.

Sue

Sue,

I cannot imagine anyone denying Catholic funeral services or burial to the person you've described. To do so would be a travesty of Christian love and charity.

Many years,

Neil, who will keep your friend in his prayers