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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Mass of Christian burial for non-Catholic	Sheryl	Monday, May 12, 2008
Question: Can someone who has attended Catholic services for most of their life but is not Catholic received a full mass of Christian burial? This person married a Catholic and has raised children in the Catholic faith but is Protestant. This person has attended Catholic mass regularly and has not attended their own church in a long time. What will happen upon their death? I'm not sure if the current priest knows this. Will he, upon death, look into the file and refuse to perform a mass? What will happen?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Sheryl: The Rite of Christian Burial may only be conducted when the deceased is a Baptist Christian. Those who are baptized Christians, but not Catholic, or those who have not lived in communion with the Church cannot make a strict claim to receive the Catholic Rite of Christian Burial. The Maxim from Pope Leo the Great (448) has come down to us, "quibus viventibus non communicavimus mortuis communicare non possumus" (i.e. we cannot hold communion in death with those who in life were not in communion with us). However, under today's canon law it is possible for a baptized non-Catholic Christian to receive the Church's Funeral Rites. Canon law 1183.3 states: Provided their own minister is not available, baptized persons belonging to a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community may, in accordance with the prudent judgment of the local Ordinary, be allowed Church funeral rites, unless it is established that they did not wish this. Thus, if the minister of the non-Catholic is NOT available, the non-Catholic may receive the Church's Funeral Rites IF the Bishop judges it to be prudent. But, this person is not in communion with the Church, has decided to not to get into communion (which says something), and thus I personally think it would be inappropriate in this case based upon the 1500 year old wisdom of Pope Leo the Great. The decision, however, is the bishop's. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Mass of Christian burial for non-Catholic

Sheryl

Monday, May 12, 2008

Question:

Can someone who has attended Catholic services for most of their life but is not Catholic received a full mass of Christian burial? This person married a Catholic and has raised children in the Catholic faith but is Protestant. This person has attended Catholic mass regularly and has not attended their own church in a long time.

What will happen upon their death? I'm not sure if the current priest knows this. Will he, upon death, look into the file and refuse to perform a mass? What will happen?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Sheryl:

The Rite of Christian Burial may only be conducted when the deceased is a Baptist Christian. Those who are baptized Christians, but not Catholic, or those who have not lived in communion with the Church cannot make a strict claim to receive the Catholic Rite of Christian Burial. The Maxim from Pope Leo the Great (448) has come down to us, "quibus viventibus non communicavimus mortuis communicare non possumus" (i.e. we cannot hold communion in death with those who in life were not in communion with us).

However, under today's canon law it is possible for a baptized non-Catholic Christian to receive the Church's Funeral Rites. Canon law 1183.3 states:

Provided their own minister is not available, baptized persons belonging to a non-Catholic Church or ecclesial community may, in accordance with the prudent judgment of the local Ordinary, be allowed Church funeral rites, unless it is established that they did not wish this.

Thus, if the minister of the non-Catholic is NOT available, the non-Catholic may receive the Church's Funeral Rites IF the Bishop judges it to be prudent.

But, this person is not in communion with the Church, has decided to not to get into communion (which says something), and thus I personally think it would be inappropriate in this case based upon the 1500 year old wisdom of Pope Leo the Great.

The decision, however, is the bishop's.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum