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20 oct 2024

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E. Peters, wbp

Funeral controversies

Overview

There are objectively demonstrable grounds upon which ecclesiastical funeral rites should be withheld from Catholics; these factors, however, yield to very minimal demonstrations of repentance before death.

Law

1983 CIC 1184. § 1. Exequiis ecclesiasticis privandi sunt, nisi ante mortem aliqua dederint paenitentiae signa: 1º notorii apostatae, haeretici et schismatici; 2º qui proprii corporis cremationem elegerint ob rationes fidei christianae adversas; 3º alii peccatores manifesti, quibus exequiae ecclesiasticae non sine publico fidelium scandalo concedi possunt. § 2. Occurrente aliquo dubio, consulatur loci Ordinarius, cuius iudicio standum est.

Eng. trans. 1983 CIC 1184. § 1. Unless they gave some signs of repentance before death, the following must be deprived of ecclesiastical funerals: 1º notorious apostates, heretics, and schismatics; 2º those who chose the cremation of their bodies for reasons contrary to Christian faith; 3º other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful. § 2. If any doubt occurs, the local ordinary is to be consulted, and his judgment must be followed.

1917 CIC 1240. § 1. Ecclesiastica sepultura privantur, nisi ante mortem aliqua dederint poenitentiae signa:1° Notorii apostatae a christiana fide, aut sectae haereticae vel schismaticae aut sectae massonicae aliisve eiusdem generis societatibus notorie addicti; 2° Excommunicati vel interdicti post sententiam condemnatoriam vel declaratoriam; 3° Qui se ipsi occiderint deliberato consilio; 4° Mortui in duello aut ex vulnere inde relato; 5° Qui mandaverint suum corpus cremationi tradi; 6° Alii peccatores publici et manifesti. § 2. Occurrente praedictis in casibus aliquo dubio, consulatur, si tempus sinat, Ordinarius; permanente dubio, cadaver sepulturae ecclesiasticae tradatur, ita tamen ut removeatur scandalum.

Eng. trans. 1917 CIC 1240. § 1. Unless they gave before death a sign of repentance, the following are deprived of ecclesiastical burial: 1° Notorious apostates from the christian faith, or those who notoriously gave their name to heretical sects or schismatic or masonic sects, or other societies of this sort; 2° Excommunicates or those under interdict after a condemnatory or declaratory sentence; 3° Those who killed themselves by deliberate counsel; 4° Those who died in a duel, or from wounds related thereto; 5° Those who ordered that their body be handed over for cremation; 6° Other public and manifest sinners. § 2. If there is any doubt about the occurrence of the above-mentioned in a case, the Ordinary is to be consulted if there is time; if doubt remains, the body should be accorded ecclesiastical burial, but in such a way that scandal is removed

My writings

• Peters' Blog, 17 dec 2018 (1), here. ▪ Defense of the LaCuesta homily at a funeral Mass for a suicide. > Canon 1184.

• Peters' Blog, 15 dec 2018, here. ▪ Provisions relevant to assessing a homily at a funeral Mass for a suicide. > Canon 1184.

• Peters' Blog, 10 nov 2018, here. ▪ Boston officials improperly authorized a funeral Mass for a notorious criminal. > Canon 1184. Bulger. Martin. Daily. Gotti. Signs of repentance. Sueppel.

• Peters' Blog, 25 oct 2017 (2), here. ▪ Persons who have entered a 'same-sex marriage' are ineligible for an ecclesiastical funeral. > Canon 1184. Bp Morlino. Bp Paprocki. Canon 915. Infallibility.

• Peters' Blog, 23 jun 2017, here. ▪ Shine’s attempt to instruct Bp Paprocki about the law on deprivation of ecclesiastical funerals to certain public sinners is hopelessly flawed. > Canon 1184. 'Same-sex marriage'. New Ways Ministry. Credentials.

• Peters' Blog, 23 aug 2017, here. ▪ Correction of several moral and canonical errors published by Fernandez/Ivereigh. > Canon 1184. Divorced-and-civilly-remarried Catholics. Moral principles. CCC 2384. Excommunication. Canonical form. Bigamy. Sacramentals. Sacraments. Funeral.

• Peters' Blog, 04 oct 2016, here. ▪ Despite a more nuanced treatment of suicide in recent ecclesiastical thought certain suicides should be denied ecclesiastical burial. > Canon 1184. 1917 CIC 1240. CCC 2280. CCC 2282. Canon 901. Family annihilators. State-sanctioned suicide. Canada. Canon 392.

• Peters' Blog, 14 jan 2013, here. ▪ Analysis of eligibility of two deaf Belgian assisted suicides for ecclesiastical funeral. > Canon 1184. CCC 2280. 1917 CIC 1240. Canon 901.

Supplemental discussion. • Edward Peters, "Still trying to get the Kennedy funeral lessons right", Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly 34/1 (Spring 2011) 57-59, here. ▪ Defense of Cdl O'Malley's decision to allow ecclesiastical funeral rites for Sen. Ted Kennedy. > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance.

• Peters' Blog, 9 oct 2009, here. ▪ Repudiating Moloney's rude attempt to portray me as being opposed to granting Sen. Ted Kennedy ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184.

• Peters' Blog, 24 sep 2009, here. ▪ Defending Cdl. Burke against attempts to portray him as being opposed to granting Sen. Ted Kennedy ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184. Cdl. O'Malley.

• Peters' Blog, 9 sep 2009, here. ▪ Responding to some inaccuracies in Carambula's assertions about the canon law on ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184. Canon 915. Kennedy. Funeral Mass. Sanction.

• Peters' Blog, 31 aug 2009, here. ▪ Assessing the canonical significance of a letter sent by Kennedy to the pope. > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance. Benedict XVI.

• Peters' Blog, 29 aug 2009, here. ▪ Criticizing how Sen. Ted Kennedy's funeral was actually celebrated. > Canon 1184. Obama. Prayers for the deceased.

• Peters' Blog, 27 aug 2009, here (in French, here). ▪ Outline of case for granting Sen. Ted Kennedy ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance.

Supplemental discussion. • Edward Peters, "State-sanctioned suicide and ecclesiastical funerals", New Oxford Review (Jun 2009) 39-40, here. ▪ Persons committing suicide in accord with state law leave little doubt but that their decision was culpably made and therefore they are ineligible for ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184.

• Peters, Blog, 20 apr 2009, here. ▪ Family annihilators are not owed an ecclesiastical funeral. > Canon 1184. Sueppel. Wood.

• Peters' Blog, 26 mar 2008, here. ▪ Family annihilators should not be granted ecclesiastical funeral rites. > Canon 1184. Sueppel. Signs of repentance. Canon 901.

• Peters, Blog, 27 jun 2007, here. ▪ Ecclesiastical funeral rites are possible for a priest who commits suicide. > Rosensteel. Clergy sexual misconduct. Canon 1184. 1917 CIC 1240.

Primary argument. • Edward Peters, "Lest amateurs argue canon law: a reply to Patrick Gordon's brief against Bp. Thomas Daily", Angelicum 83 (2006) 121-142, here. ▪ Refutation of a shabby attack against Bp Daily's decision to withhold ecclesiastical funeral rites (but not Christian burial) from Mafia don John Gotti. > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance. Credentials. Canon 16. Canon 17. Canon 1347. Canon 1358. Legislative supremacy. Legislative history. Manifest sinner. Mind of the Legislator. Internal forum. External forum. Matthew XVI.

Ex auctoribus

• Todos estos dejan de ser "indignos" si antes de la muerte hubieran dado alguna señal de arrepentimiento. También esta cláusula recibe una interpretacíon benigna. Señal de arrepentimiento se considera non sólo llamar a un confessor, pedir perdón a Dios públicamente, besar un crucifijo, etc., sino también haber manifestado, pese a su situacíon irregular, signos claros de su adhesión a la Iglesia, v. gr., colaborando en sus obras, enviando a sus hijos al catecismo, participando ellos mismos en iniciativas eclesiales en la forma que les era posible. J. Manzanares, Commentary on Canon 1184, in L. Echeverria, ed., Código de Derecho Canónico: Edición Bilingüe Comentada, 5th ed., (Biblioteca de Autores Christianos, 1985) 573-574, at 574.

• Haec clausula restrictiva sedulo notanda est. Signa poentitentiae habentur, si moribundus sacerdotem advocaverit, nomen Iesu devote invocaverit, actum contritionis elicuerit, crucifixum osculatus fuerit, etc. Udalricus Beste, Introductio in Codicem (5° ed., 1961) 662.

• On peut être relevé de la privation de sépulture ecclésiastique, à condition d’avoir donné avant la mort quelques signes de pénitence. On trouve ces signes dans le fait que le coupable a demandé un prêtre avant de mourir, récité un acte de contrition devant témoins, baisé le crucifix, ou fait en public un acte équivalent (cit. omm.). R. Naz, “Funérailles. Refus de la Sépulture Ecclésiastique”, in DDC V (1957): 930.

• I should like to interject a comforting remark at this stage. It should not be forgotten that [even] an error in this matter of denying Christian burial has none of the consequences that could arise from a refusal to grant the sacraments. This law is purely of the external forum, and the [eternal] state of the soul is in no way determined by it. Where the reception of the sacraments may mean the difference between salvation and damnation, Christian burial cannot decide the eternal status of a soul which is already before God, and beyond the power of the Church either to save or to condemn.” Charles Kerin, “Christian Burial Problems” The Jurist 15 (1955) 252-282, at 262.

• Omnes autem hi enumerati digni fiunt, si ante mortem aliqua signa poenitentiae dederint (e. gr. confessarium petierunt, veniam peccatorum a Deo postulaverunt aut simpliciter Deum invocaverunt vel BM. Virginem aut Sanctos, si crucifixum aliamve iconem deosculati sunt etc; vel unus testis sufficit, qui referat de huiusmodi signis.)” Stephanus Sipos, Enchiridion Iuris Canonici, 6° ed. rev. by L. Gálos (Orbis Catholicus-Herder, 1954) 575-576.

• The privation of ecclesiastical burial by this canon [1917 CIC 1240 then, 1983 CIC 1184 today] has the nature of a penalty, and hence is to be strictly interpreted; moreover any sign of repentance before death excuses from the penalty; this means some positive sign, such as calling for a priest, kissing a crucifix, an expressed desire not to die without the sacraments. In doubt the Ordinary is to be consulted, but if the doubt in favor of the deceased remains, the decision should be in his favor. Bouscaren & Ellis, Canon Law: Text and Commentary (2° ed., 1951) 683, original emphasis.

Other

comments

• Mark Brumley, "Signs of repentance or of the status quo?" (Catholic Exchange, 31 aug 2009), here. ▪ While acknowledging the canonical test for granting Kennedy an ecclesiastical funeral were satisfied, Brumley questions whether those criteria are adequate to the wider pastoral issues. > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance. Kennedy.

• Thomas Paprocki, "Presumption as a matter of law and eternal salvation", 45 Journal of Catholic Legal Studies 177-182 (2006). ▪ "Conclusion. Returning to Patrick Gordon's presumption that John Gotti had repented for his manifest sins prior to his death, it is clear that such a presumption is not supported in canon law. Thus, Bishop Thomas Daily of Brooklyn did not abuse his discretion in denying John Gotti an ecclesiastical funeral Mass, since he was acting in accord with the rule of law, specifically, Canon 1184 ... Given the notoriety of John Gotti's crimes and the absence of any signs of repentance, Bishop Daily made the right decision." > Canon 1184. Signs of repentance. A Man for All Seasons. Gordon. Canon 1584. CCC 894. Canon 391. Canon 375.

Materials on this website represent the opinions of Dr. Edward Peters and are offered in accord with Canon 212 § 3.

This website undergoes continual refinement and development. No warranty of completeness or correctness is made.

Dr. Peters' views are not necessarily shared by others in the field nor are they intended as canonical or civil advice.