For those who have
lived in Christ and with Christ, death is the beginning of
eternal happiness with our Creator. Christians celebrate the
funeral rites to offer worship, praise and thanksgiving to God
for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the
author of life and the hope of the just. The Mass, the memorial
of Christ's death and resurrection, is the principal celebration
of the Christian funeral.
While following the
directives of the Church's ritual in planning the liturgical
celebration, the choice of music, colour of vestments, biblical
readings, homily and altar accoutrements should all take into
consideration the needs and wishes of the family, emphasizing as
well the community aspect of faith which was established in life
and remains unbroken in death.
Church
Law
"The funeral of any deceased
member of the faithful should normally be celebrated in the
church of that person's proper parish" (canon 1177, § 1). It is
in the parish church, the house of God and of His people, that
babies are baptized, youth confirmed, couples married, converts
welcomed and people worship God, week by week, in a community of
faith, hope and love.
"However, any member of the
faithful, or those in charge of the deceased person's funeral,
may choose another church; this requires the consent of whoever
is in charge of that church and a notification to the proper
parish priest of the deceased" (canon 1177, § 2).
"When death has occurred outside the person's
proper parish, and the body is not returned there, and another
church has not been chosen, the funeral rites are to be
celebrated in the church of the parish where the death occurred,
unless another church has been designated by particular law"
(canon 1177, § 3).
Civil Law
Requirements
In British Columbia,
unlike many other jurisdictions, the law expressly provides in
an Order of Priority exactly who has the authority to
control the disposition of the deceased, that is, to conclude
the final arrangements. In the individual case, this may be a
person other than any surviving spouse (Cemetery and Funeral
Services Act, section 51).
The same law
places on the person who has authority under the Order of
Priority the obligation to carry out a written preference of
the deceased as may have been stated in a will, a preneed
cemetery services plan (contract) or a prearranged funeral
services plan (contract), except where compliance with that
preference would be unreasonable or impractical or would cause
hardship (section 53).
Civil Law also requires
both the funeral home and the cemetery or crematorium
authorities obtain written authorization from the person
who, in the Order of Priority, has the right to control
the disposition of the deceased.
