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By ZENIT:
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Code: ZE05090624
Date: 2005-09-06
Rehnquist Funeral Set for Catholic Cathedral
WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPT. 6, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Wednesday's funeral for U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a Lutheran, will be in the Catholic cathedral here.
The Catholic directory on interfaith matters says churches are "generally reserved for Catholic worship" but local bishops may permit worship by other Christians who lack a place "for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies," the Associated Press said today.
The Rehnquist family reportedly asked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick for use of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle because of its size and central location, said an archdiocesan spokeswoman.
Rehnquist had been a member at congregations affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
U.S. Appeals Judge John Roberts, a Catholic, has been nominated to take Rehnquist's place on the Supreme Court.
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Perception of Catholicism by American contemporary society has come a long way!
Amado
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The late Chief Justice was a Lutheran, born and raised in Wisconsin, and reported to be an active member of his church.
He was one of two dissenting justices in the infamous Roe v. Wade abortion decision. The other was the late Justice Byron White. They were the last two members of that court to pass away.
May William H. Rehnquist rest in peace.
Blessed Repose and Eternal Memory.
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St. Matthew's is customarily the site for the annual Red Mass (before the Supreme Court comes into session) - named for the vestment color. It's been a tradition since the 1950s, I think. St. Matthew's is a large cathedral, very beautiful, and has a connection to the Supreme Court because of the Red Mass that many of us who work in DC immediately think of.
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Is this permitted? I mean, I cannot think that any Catholic Bishop at least in Mexico, would allow a Protestant service to take place in one of their Churches. They don't even allow (and rightly so) Protestants to build temples next to their churches.
That would be understandable if the Lutheran community had no worship places but this is not true at all in the USA. I don't understand.
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First choice of the family was the National Cathedral, the Episcopal See for Washington, D.C., but scheduling prevented the funeral from being held there. Because of the tie with the Supreme Court mentioned above, St. Matthew's stepped in to help. I'd say it was a good example of economia, to use a more eastern expression. 
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Mex: A Lutheran's funeral or, for that matter, of any other person belonging to another faith confession, in a Catholic cathedral is unusual, but it is permitted under the 1983 Code of Canons and the "Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism" of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Both have provisions that give the local bishop authority to allow services of other faiths in Catholic churches. The ecumenical norms say that while Catholic churches are generally reserved for Catholic worship the local bishop may decide to allow their use by other faiths if they do not have a place available. In the case of the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, there are other considerations which led to the funeral service at St. Matthew's Cathedral. Excerpts from the news release issued by the USCCB: St. Matthew's was made available at the request of the Rehnquist family when the date they wished to hold the funeral conflicted with the schedule for the National Cathedral, the Episcopalian-administered church often used for large funerals of Washington public figures of various denominations.
National Cathedral spokesman Gregory Rixon said the cathedral could have been available later in the week, but not on the family's requested date.
Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick said he was pleased the Catholic archdiocese could make St. Matthew's available.
"Like so many other Americans, I was saddened by the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist," said a statement from Cardinal McCarrick. "I had the privilege of knowing him personally and of being with him many times over the years. He regularly attended the Red Mass, celebrated each October here in our nation's capital, to pray for those in the administration of justice. He was always most gracious and thoughtful in his comments on those occasions. My prayers are with his family as they mourn their loss and with all of us who will miss his wisdom and deep love of the law."
Susan Gibbs [spokesman of the Washington D.C. Archdiocese] noted that Rehnquist was a regular visitor to St. Matthew's, participating in the annual Red Mass there every year at the beginning of the court term. She said he attended the Red Mass in all but two of the 33 years he was on the court. Common sense and Christian charity prevail as it should be! Amado
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