www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Can a RC be buried through an Eastern Church/Rite?

Glory To Jesus Christ!
I cannot find anything on this forum after using the search engine about a RC allowed to be buried through a Ukrainian (or any other) Byzantine Church. Does one have to switch rites to be able to receive this honor? Also: What does the 40 days mean? Is a person believed to be in heaven after this? I am not clear; I have looked it up online, and it just seems to be a 'journey' - when does this journey end? I realize this is a different theology as East vs. West is concerned in the Catholic Church. Just trying to learn. I thank you in advance for your kind answers. many Happy Years! - Gv.

Your question raises many more.

Why would he/she want to be buried in another Church other than his/her own?

Was/is there a problem in his/her own church that is preventing him/her from being buried there?

I think it is more that "switching rites"; it is more of a matter of switcing churches that use another rite.

There are guidelines that determine such things. It is best to contact one of the clergy who would be responsible for such things.

Thank you, Joe.

Just asking. - GV

Yes - I know of at least a 'few' such cases. These Roman Catholics (and in some cases Orthodox) who were the spouses of Eastern Catholics and breathed most of their lives through the 'Other Lung' but just never converted. In the end the Roman Catholics wanted to be buried next to their spouses in the Eastern Catholic cemetery. The EC priest performed the rites and that was it.

I.F.

Jean,

Thank you - actually, I am considering switching rites, and I also know someone older, who is awaiting news as to his change of rites. In the meantime, we were wondering if, God be Meriful, we would pass before the formality came through. Our Pastor is great, but has been in and out of town, and I thought this is a great place to ask some of these q's as they come up. Sometimes I am embarrassed to corner him with 20 q's everytime he comes back. He has to cover for other priests as well as his own parish. God Bless! - Gv

I would imagine that the funeral arrangements would be made in the church where the person was registered and/or active as a parishioner. Registration and participation in a different church sui juris are both possible without a change of canonical enrollment. The most important thing is to make sure your family members are clear about your wishes, and to put them in your will if possible. The problem will not so much be the church but the remaining family members who might not know about your affiliation with a different church, or who might not respect it.

If you have been active at that church and passed away, and your family contacted the priest and asked him to perform the funeral according to your wishes, I can hardly imagine a priest saying no. The problem is when well-meaning but thoughtless relatives call up the local funeral parlor or their own Protestant pastors to arrange the services and the church is never notified. Then you are guaranteed that you won't have a Catholic or Orthodox funeral.

GV,

There is absolutely no canonical impediment to a Latin being buried from an Eastern or Oriental Catholic church in which he or she has been involved, despite the disparity of Rite or Church.

Many years,

Neil

Thank you Wondering - you did bring up some good points about family - putting it down in writing would be a good thing to do. Thank you Neil, as well. That answers my questions well. God Bless you, Gv.

Why would anyone want to be buried in a church they were not part of in life. Most odd to my mind.

As the request may have political overtones (church ones)I suspect a byzantine priest would be wise to check with the other Parish Priest of the persons parish so see if there was anything going on, so as not to buy into anything nasty.

Pavel,

Grapevine has been active in the Ukrainian church and is considering a formal change of canonical enrollment. She also referenced a friend who has actually submitted paperwork for same. Their concern is if they happen to pass away before the paperwork is completed. She is talking about people whose spiritual and physical home is in the east, but whose paperwork (for what ever reason) does not reflect that.

There is no canonical impediment to prevent an Eastern Catholic priest burying - from his own Church - a Roman Catholic, provided that this accords with the request of the deceased and/or his immediate family, or possibly because there is no other Catholic church available for the purpose within a reasonable distance.

One word of caution - one's wishes regarding one's own funeral should be set down in writing, witnessed and notarized, and given to the relevant people (clergy, undertaker and next of kin) making well sure in advance that those who will be responsible are aware of these plans and will not interfere (oddly enough, one is not the owner of one's own corpse).

If this information is only contained in the will, the funeral will normally take place before the will is opened and it will be discovered too late that the deceased had expressed wishes which were not carried out, not because of bad faith but because the right people did not know about them in time - this even happened to President Franklin Roosevelt.

Sometimes prudent people will go to the trouble of "paying in advance" - arranging with the undertaker and the church to pay a suitable sum of money to each, with the details pertaining to each specified in writing. This can be a great kindness to one's own family, who will then not fall victim to unscrupulous undertakers who will propose expensive and completely unnecessary embellishments. For details of what can happen in such cases, cf. Jessica Mitford, The American Way of Death. Or ask any priest: we've all seen it happen too many times.

Fr. Serge

Glory To Jesus Christ!

Thank you Father Serge! I plan to do just that.
And thank you, too, Wondering; you have articulated my situation better than I have, which I blame myself for any misunderstandings. Thank you both for your kindness.Many Happy Years.- Gv.

If thats what you want to do then Grapevine tell everyone who will be involved in sending you off in style, what you have written in terms of your funeral in the will. This way there are no surprises for anyone. Hope you will not be needing that service just yet.

To repeat what I said a couple of posts ago: do not rely on funeral instructions in your will!

Your funeral instructions belong in a separate, witnessed and notarized document, making well sure that this document is known to - and, if possible, accepted by - your next-of-kin, others who may be in charge of your funeral, the undertaker of your preference and the priest of your church (meaning the church you choose to attend, not necessarily the church some canon lawyer things you "belong" to).

As a rule, your will won't be opened until after the funeral.

Fr. Serge

Fr. Serge,

Thank you. This conversation made us discuss such end-of-life planning as well. We were concerned that a next-of-kin would not respect our wishes, so we sought the guidance of an estate planner who pointed out to us that there is a legal document which one can use to go through the process of designating someone else to make such arrangements other than the next-of-kin. Those who have similar concerns might want to consult their lawyers.