4 Common Etiquette in a Catholic Funeral

Catholic memorial service is a combination of solemnity, and many rituals and practices. Catholics strongly revere these rituals as they believe that the soul of their departed loved ones can only get to heaven through these rituals.

If you’ve been in a Catholic Memorial Service before, you might have experienced these rituals and funeral rites. If not, then you should definitely consider learning about them. The last thing you would want to do is make a mistake on a memorial service. Here are five of the most common funeral practices being done in a Catholic Funeral service.

Dress code
The mood at a Catholic funeral is generally sombre and polite, so people can dress appropriately. For the Catholic Church, this is translated as dark, semi-formal attire. Men should don formal attire, or at least a black sports jacket. Women should wear a black skirt paired with a black blouse, or a black dress. White can also be worn as a substitute for black clothing. Should you have a problem presenting yourself in black clothes, attendees should try to wear the darkest semi-formal clothing in their wardrobe. Women no longer need to wear hats unlike in the old times, but some still do. Men do not wear a hat in the church at all.

Flowers to Show Condolence
Catholics often use flowers as a sign of condolence. Attendees of a Catholic funeral is expected to bring a funeral bouquet to honour the departed. Not all flowers are fit for funerals, however. Should you wish to give a funeral wreath or bouquet to the grieving family, you should choose the right kind of flowers to include. Experienced florists are aware of these flowers and can make arrangements specifically for funerals.

Funeral Mass
A funeral mass is a common practice in a Catholic funeral. It is conducted by the priest and includes the Eucharistic Prayer and the Holy Communion. During Holy Communion, the grieving families proceed to the front of the church to collect the offerings and present them for the mass.

A Catholic funeral mass is offered to pray over the soul of the departed. It must be a solemn ceremony and commotions are expected to be put to minimal.

Rite of Commital
After the funeral, the Ritual of the Committal will take place at the graveside. A priest normally leads this ritual as he leads the griever to worship, ending in the Lord's Prayer.

Should you need a service of the experienced funeral parlour in Singapore, Eternal Life Bereavement Services offer affordable funeral services for different beliefs and religions.

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