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1. It is right that we do not foist our belief and practice on to people to whom,sadly for them,these things have no meaning.If that is their position,they are welcome to see the deceased off in any manner they want,somewhere else.Let us not ,however,haul down the flag and allow our sacred spaces to be turned in to places where maudlin pagan activities are welcomed ,accepted or encouraged. Even before the terrible extremes referred to in the article,one too often attends funerals where favourite country and western songs override appropriate and prayerful hymns,not to mention endless so called "eulogies" from a variety of people,going on and on. Come on priests and funeral ministers,have a bit of spunk and see to it that our church is not overrun by these sad abuses of what a funeral is really all about.

   Posted By: paul Gleeson

2. I suppose there are people who believe there is only "one way" to mark a funeral.
   Having been to a number of funerals lately I doubt this is the case. The number of people who do not choose Church funerals because of the costs and the issues with burials in "sacred ground", and the absence of Clergy who even knew them as they have been in retirement/nursing homes are important factors.
   How are Clergy or others authorised to make these calls when they haven't been part of a person's life for over 10-15 years?
   What is meaningful to the person and their family and friends surely has to be the measure at this time. I have heard from a number of people of the costs involved in shifting a body from the funeral directors to the Church to the Cemetery and these costs are staggering.
   Also there is the awkwardness of getting older friends who are attending the funeral from one place to another.
   Perhaps there is more importance in the survivors being satisfied with the funeral rather than some antiquated funeral rite determined by some very out of touch Clergy and similar people.
   Maybe the words of the friends and the music of those who are attending is more important to those attending rather than the dreary unknown music of a very long past era and the mechanical words of a Preacher who never knew them.

   Posted By: Laurie Sheehan

3. I believe people are free what they want to do as long as they don't do it in our churches. I've seen people playing pop songs in the churches during funeral services, and that I don't agree with. In our Catholic Churches we believe Our Lord is truly present in the tabernacle and we must show 'respect' and 'reverence' by our attitudes and behaviours. As a child we were taught strictly not to talk or run around in the church so should all the children be taught nowadays too. Sacredness of our churches should be taught, encouraged to people young and old by parents, teachers, people who are in charge of the teaching our faith, without compromising our faith or value.

   Posted By: Betty

4. Can't work out what your problem is Laurie. Nobody, least of all Bp Sproxton, suggested that everybody must have a Catholic funeral or that there is only "one way" to mark a funeral.
   No Catholic clergy that I know of are "making these calls". Catholic funerals are only ever provided if the deceased or their relatives specifically request a Catholic funeral.
   
   People who find Catholic funerals "dreary" because they don't like the music (what, not ANY of the vast range of Catholic music??) or the fact that the deceased's friends can't eulogise him, are perfectly free to choose another type of funeral. Priests have neither the time, the inclination, nor even the permission of the Church, to go around pressing Catholic funerals onto people who don't want them, as you seem to be accusing them of.
   
   The costs of a Catholic funeral are not necessarily more than a non-Catholic or secular funeral. People spend as much as they want to spend on any type of funeral.
   
   I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to with your supposed "issues with burials in "sacred ground".
   
   This and some of your other comments seem to display an attitude of "attack the Church over anything and everything, even if the attack makes no sense".

   Posted By: Ronk

5. This trend is a perfect illustration of the deleterious effect of secular humanism over the last couple of decades in the direction of making a mockery of all-things Christian. The "politically correct" response from the Perth Bishop is alarming.

   Posted By: Metsguy

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