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Views from the Choir Loft

Bishop Bans Eulogies

Fr. David Friel · August 25, 2013

NYONE INVOLVED IN SACRED MUSIC, like any member of the clergy, is familiar with the problems surrounding eulogies. The funeral rite makes allowance for “words of remembrance” to be offered, but the approach taken on a practical level differs widely among pastors and parishes and dioceses.

What are some of the problems? They can be too long, too personal, or too mumbled. They can be sappy, disedifying, or even blasphemous. They often become more a personal test of strength than an integral part of the sacrifice being offered. They rarely include anything prayerful or related to faith, and there is no guarantee that the theological underpinnings of the reflection will be orthodox.

Just this month, Bishop Michael Smith has issued new guidelines concerning what is permissible in the Diocese of Meath. In his statement (available here), he expresses his earnest desire to uphold “the dignity and intent of the funeral liturgy, often in difficult circumstances.” Although the focus of the statement surrounds “panegyrics and eulogies,” the bishop ventures into some other aspects of the funeral Mass, including sacred music. He writes: “Secular songs, poems and texts devoid of a Christian content are out of place in the Funeral Liturgy.”

Bishop Smith is wise to recognize the potential troubles that eulogies can cause. He is even wiser, I believe, to notice that funeral music really matters. If one is truly concerned about preserving “the dignity and intent of the funeral liturgy,” one must account for the music that is sung. Speaking about the funeral rites, the bishop rightly observes, “A dumbing down of their integrity does no service to the faith.”

The propers for the funeral Mass are quite beautiful, including those which have become available in English in recent years. Is the intrinsic “dignity and intent of the funeral liturgy” well served by Be Not Afraid, Prayer of St. Francis, On Eagles’ Wings, and How Great Thou Art? It would be difficult to argue that these and other songs encourage prayer for the deceased in the same way as Lux Aeterna. Any “dumbing down” of our sacred music—even if it was Josephine’s favorite song—is deleterious to the integrity of the funeral Mass.

I am generally disposed to think that diocesan directives are rather ineffective. In this particular case, however, I am pleased and grateful to see Bishop Smith’s new directive, since it provides pastors with authority higher than their own by which to eliminate eulogies that would be more appropriate to the funeral luncheon.

Would a similar statement from your diocesan Ordinary be useful?

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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    26 January 2023 • FEEDBACK
    “Jeff, I wanted to personally thank you for your spiritual witness at the Symposium & often blogs that you write too. Praying that prayer in the mornings My God, my Father and my all (by Cardinal Merry Del Val), mentioning saints’ stories of Brébeuf, Jogues, John Vianney, monks who fought in WWII, their hard work in spite of terrible conditions, their relentless zeal for the faith, their genuine love for the laypeople they served, etc. Overall though—more than anything concrete I can point to that you did or said—it was your demeanor at the Symposium. I could tell you really absolutely love and believe the Catholic Faith. You don’t get that everywhere, even in Church circles. And your humility is what then makes that shine even brighter. It is super inspiring! God is working through you probably way more than you know.”
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    Those who head over to the Symposium Website will notice the tentative schedule for 2023 has been released. This is all very exciting! Very soon, we will begin accepting applications, so please make sure you have subscribed to our mailing list. If you are subscribed, that means you'll hear announcements before anyone else. (It’s incredibly easy to subscribe to our mailing list; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.)
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    Good Friday Polyphony by L. Senfl
    The editor of the Sacred Music Magazine recently made available to the public this splendid article by our own Charles Weaver. It includes an edition of polyphony for the GOOD FRIDAY “Reproaches.” Renaissance composers often set the various offices of Holy Week; e.g. readers will probably be familiar with the beautiful TENEBRAE setting by Father Tomás Luis de Victoria (d. 1611). From what I can tell, Ludwig Senfl (d. 1543) was originally a Catholic priest, but eventually was seduced by Luther and ended up abandoning the sacred priesthood.
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“The plea that the laity as a body do not want liturgical change, whether in rite or in language, is, I submit, quite beside the point. … (it is) not a question of what people want; it is a question of what is good for them.”

— Dom Gregory A. Murray (14 March 1964)

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