Reaction, both positive and negative, began when the decree was announced last fall in Catholic Ottawa, the diocesan newsletter. After the decree was published in January and came into effect in February, however, the subject of eulogies at funerals became national news.
The decree describes the 鈥渆ulogy鈥� as 鈥渟peech or writing that offers high praise, particularly for one who has died, without reference to God or to faith.鈥�
鈥淚n the Christ funeral, we gather not to praise the deceased but to pray for them,鈥� the decree states. 鈥淔or this reason, eulogies are not given.鈥�
The firm stance has resulted in a CBC online poll, debate on social media and print, radio and television stories.
鈥淲henever there鱿鱼视频app anything about liturgy or church, despite the fact people don鈥檛 go to church, they have something to say about it,鈥� Prendergast said. 鈥淭he policy of the universal Church is eulogies don鈥檛 belong at Mass.鈥�
Other dioceses have similar policies though they may not have put them in writing in the same way, he added.
The archbishop said many ideas from the outer culture had crept into funerals and how we honour the dead.
鈥淚f we spend all our time talking about them saying how wonderful they are and canonizing them as some people seem to do at funerals we don鈥檛 need to pray for them and I think that would be a great loss,鈥� he said, noting how people misunderstand 鈥渢he Eucharist as the sacrifice of Christ鱿鱼视频app presence being offered for the deceased.鈥�
鈥淭he Mass is the supreme gift we can give to a person when they die,鈥� the archbishop said, noting 鈥渢he homily can make some references to the person鱿鱼视频app life of faith,鈥� and the archdiocese will allow a brief, approved three- or four-minute 鈥渨ords of remembrance鈥� to be read by a friend or family member before the funeral Mass begins. Eulogies can be made at the wake, at a reception after the funeral in the parish hall or at graveside, the decree says.
The policy was necessary to 鈥渂alance what had gotten out of hand,鈥� the archbishop said. It took two years of work by the diocesan presbyteral council made up of priests with a wide range of experience and differing views on how to deal with grieving families, he said.
Once the council came to a common conclusion, the archbishop issued the decree.
Prendergast said he believes the implementation of the policy has 鈥済one fairly smoothly鈥� in that he has not heard from priests that they have had problems.
He recalled some 鈥渄isasters鈥� that took place in the past, inappropriate behaviour such as someone taking a beer bottle out in church or 鈥渢oasting the deceased with a fishing rod.鈥�
鈥淭hose things belong in a pub or a bar, but they don鈥檛 belong in a Mass,鈥� Prendergast said.
Just before the policy went into effect in early February, a permanent deacon died and the family had four people lined up to speak at his funeral. Prendergast said he could not allow it. So, one person gave the 鈥渨ords of remembrance鈥� prior to the Mass, while the others spoke at the reception afterwards.
The diocese has to have 鈥渙ne policy for everybody,鈥� the archbishop said. This includes politicians.
鈥淲e are planning to inform protocol officers in the Government of Canada that this is the situation in the archdiocese of Ottawa.鈥�
Those who wish to have eulogies at a service can opt for a Liturgy of the Word and omit the Mass as has happened in the case of some prominent Canadians recently, the archbishop said.
鈥淚鈥檓 not in favour of that in general,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e should have a funeral Mass for a Catholic. That鱿鱼视频app the normal thing. It鱿鱼视频app normal that we pray, and give him the best we have, and the best we have is to offer the Eucharist.
鈥淲hen people say I鈥檇 rather have the eulogy than have Mass then you know we have lost the sense of Catholic life,鈥� Prendergast said.
It鱿鱼视频app important to say we pray for God鱿鱼视频app mercy, to pray for mercy in God鱿鱼视频app judgment, he said. We don鈥檛 take that mercy for granted.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to preserve for people the richness of the Catholic Mass,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 do this now we will lose a great treasure. I don鈥檛 want their children or their children鱿鱼视频app children not to have this.鈥�