Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Should Cardinal Law Have Received the Funeral That He Did?

Should Cardinal Law Have Received the Funeral That He Did?

Last updated on: December 22, 2017 at 12:53 pm by Jennifer Fitz

Should Cardinal Law Have Received the Funeral That He Did? 2017-12-22T12:53:50-05:00 Jennifer Fitz

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A friend posed the question many are asking: Why on earth did Cardinal Law receive the funeral that he did? She was looking for someone to justify that decision in a way that didn’t make her seethingly angry.

I am not the person for that task, since I don’t know the man and have nothing to say in his favor. Nor do I have information on how the funeral rated in comparison to what other men holding similar office are typically given.

Canon Law Made Easy has a post here that lays out when and whether Catholics may be denied a funeral Mass, and also when non-Catholics may be given one. The Church basically allows just what your instincts dictate in both situations.

The difficulty is in the application. Funerals concern not just the deceased but the bereaved, and the fact that we wish to honor our dead with a funeral doesn’t mean we necessarily approve of everything they ever did.

Before we armchair rectors consider Cardinal Law’s case, though, I think it’s helpful to back-up and think through the issue more broadly:

What is your overall approach to funeral masses for notorious sinners?

Which sins do you think are serious enough that some kind of penalty should be imposed even concerning the funeral, and for which do you think one should give the benefit of the doubt and let God do the sorting?

Grabbing some examples from today’s news, what would you suggest would make a fitting funeral for these murderers? How about this thief? How about these people who neglect the care of the vulnerable? This murderer? This rapist? These corrupt officials? This mentally-ill person? The dealers facilitating these overdose deaths? The officials whose policies are starving these children?

The world is full of guilty people. How would you personally decide which get a funeral and which don’t, if their loved ones had to entrust you with that decision? What kinds of crimes would you excuse, and which ones would you tolerate? How severe does the crime need to be?

Would you only question cases where civil laws had been violated, or would you also consider the guilt of those whose sins are state-sanctioned? If you look to the civil law to guide you, how would you distinguish between the mother who sought a legal abortion, a doctor who performed one, the family members who pressured the woman into it — and all that in comparison to a ruthless murderer of a dictator whose office and actions are approved by his nation’s laws and courts?

There are many factors to consider. And then . . .

How much evidence of repentance would you demand before you gave the funeral the green light?

Or would you make no distinctions at all? Were it left to you, would you offer a funeral to anyone who requested it?

And then, having made your general rules, what would you say to the people who disagreed with you? How would you respond to those who felt you were too merciful, and those who found you were not merciful enough?

These questions aren’t easy to decide.

Photo via Wikimedia CC 2.5

Previous Post

December 15, 2017

What's Your Life Worth to You?

Next Post

January 6, 2018 Labor vs. Capital: Should the Poor, or the Rich, Receive Income Without Working?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Catechesis Catholic Q&A Chastity Church Craziness Come See Me Talk Disability & Chronic Illness Economics Evangelization Facepalm Forgiveness Good Things History Homeschooling Human Rights It's All Catholic Listen to Me Survey Series Liturgical Living Marriage Modesty Not Satire. But almost. Rant-o-Rama Sacred Art & Music Satire South Carolina Spark Clutter Stick that Corner Suffering Thinking Topics Writing Stuff

Select a Month September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 January 2026 December 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not _____ or boast...

Select your answer to see how you score.

Envy Scream Fail Brag