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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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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 is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The creed at baptism may be said in either Greek or Latin, at the convert’s discretion, according to the Gelasian Sacramentary.”

— Father Adrian Fortescue

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