This service, at the cemetery,
is the last farewell with which the Christian community honours
one of its members before the body is buried or entombed. With
priest and mourners accompanying the body to the cemetery, the
rite is celebrated at the grave or tomb or in a cemetery
committal chapel.
When a Catholic is to be
interred in other than a Catholic cemetery, the priest will
bless the individual space, and then follow the usual ritual.
When a non-Catholic is to be buried in a Catholic cemetery, the
ordained minister of the church in which the deceased shared
belief or communion may conduct the burial service according to
the minister's own ritual. If the family of the non-Catholic
deceased person requests a Catholic priest to conduct the burial
service, the priest will provide a rite which is appropriate.
For those involved in civic organizations and those with
additional affiliations, patriotic or fraternal services may
also be conducted following the burial rite.
