Dear Catholic Exchange:
Our pastor recently allowed a non-Catholic funeral to take place in our church. The request was made simply because of the size of our building. It was a very secular service conducted by a United Church minister. Our priest did not take any part and was not seen at all during the service. I think the Blessed Sacrament was removed but am not entirely sure. I and many other parishioners were present as the deceased was well known in the community. Is this allowed?
Mary Brown
Dear Ms. Brown,
Peace in Christ! We at Catholics United for the Faith were pleased to receive your question from the Catholic Exchange. You inquired whether it is permissible for a non-Catholic funeral to be conducted in a Catholic church. I hope this response adequately answers your questions.
Let us address whether funerals are permitted according to the guidelines of the Church. There are times when this is permissible, but the decision to allow this is subject to the discretion of the diocesan bishop.
The general principle provided by the Code of Canon Law can be applied here. Book IV, Part III, Title I of the Code provides the norms governing “Sacred Places,” including church buildings. The above mentioned Faith Fact cites canon 1210 which provides:
Only those things which serve the exercise or promotion of worship, piety or religion are permitted in a sacred place; anything not consonant with the holiness of the place is forbidden. In an individual case, however, the ordinary can permit other uses which are not contrary to the holiness of the place.This means that only those things specifically related to faith are permissible. The “other uses” referred to by canon 1210 might include something like a concert of sacred music. A concert of sacred music may not be directly for the “exercise or promotion of worship, piety or religion,” but neither is it “contrary to the holiness of the place.” Thus, the local bishop may permit it.
A funeral, even a Protestant one, is a religious service tied directly to very fundamental aspects of faith. So it would seem that a Protestant funeral would be in harmony with this canon. The Directory on Ecumenism, Ad Totam Ecclesiam, issued 14 May 1967 by the Secratariat for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians (SPUC) addresses your question more specifically. Article number 61 states:
If the separated brethren have no place in which to carry out their religious rites properly and with dignity, the local ordinary may allow them the use of a Catholic building, cemetery or church.The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity released the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism on 25 March 1993, which repeats and expands the 1967 document. Number 137 states:
Catholic churches are consecrated or blessed buildings which have an important theological and liturgical significance for the Catholic community. They are therefore generally reserved for Catholic worship. However, if priests, ministers or communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church do not have a place or the liturgical objects necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies, the diocesan Bishop may allow them the use of a church or a Catholic building and also lend them what may be necessary for their services. Under similar circumstances permission may be given to them for interment or for the celebration of services at Catholic cemeteries.I would highlight just a couple items from these documents on ecumenism. First, the permission must come from the diocesan bishop. Unless prohibited by law, a bishop may delegate the competence to a representative, such as his judicial vicar, for example (canon 391 §2). Second, the non-Catholic minister or community must be lacking their own facility “necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies.”
These norms being observed, it is lawful for a Protestant minister to hold a funeral in a Catholic church and even, if circumstances warrant, bury the faithful of their communities in a Catholic cemetery.
If you have further questions on this or any other subject, please let us know.
United in the Faith,
Kathleen Rohan
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
Editor's Note: To submit a faith question to Catholic Exchange, email faithquestions@catholicexchange.com. Please note that all email submitted to Catholic Exchange becomes the property of Catholic Exchange and may be published in this space. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity. Names and cities of letter writers may also be published. Email addresses of viewers will not normally be published.
