The celebration of a Funeral Mass is a sacred and prayerful time. It is a time set apart to remember our loved ones in light of the promises of our faith as is reflected so beautifully in the liturgy and its prayers, with special emphasis given to the promises of the scriptures. This emphasis is not and should not be the eulogizing of the deceased at this time. The appropriate time for a eulogy is at the funeral home during the visitation or at a celebration/gathering that often follows the Mass and burial.
It has become customary as of late, that the practice of eulogizing has crept ever more intrusively into our Funeral Masses. Although it is wonderful and often healing to remember our loved ones with quips and stories, doing so in the context of the sacred liturgy is not the appropriate time. Doing so also does not take into consideration the Presider, other ministers and the guests who may, due to time constraints, have additional engagements to attend.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has issued guidelines concerning the giving of eulogies at Funeral Masses. The guideline is as follows: if a family chooses to do so, one person (a family member or friend of the family) will be invited to speak on behalf of a deceased loved one before the beginning of a Funeral Mass. The message should be at the maximum of five minutes in length and should be written and approved by the Presider of the Funeral Mass at least one day prior to the Mass. If not approved in advance, the assumption will be made that there will not be a speaker at the Funeral Mass.
This policy is an attempt to keep our Funeral Masses a sacred and prayerful moment. We encourage you to speak freely of your loved ones in a more extensive way in your gatherings prior to or in your celebrations that follow the Funeral Mass.
