My fellow blogger, Fr. Austin Fleming, has an ongoing discussion on the topic of funeral Masses. It all started when Eunice Shriver passed and Fr. Austin decided to address the issue of Catholic funeral guidelines as set forth by the Church. The spectacle exhibited by the Kennedy family for Ted Kennedy was very much in line with his very large ego. But the conversation on the Concord Pastor (http://concordpastor.blogspot.com/) is very interesting. I am a huge proponent of fairness and I agree that the lavishness of Ted Kennedy's funeral could possibly create an entire new industry, the Mega-Funeral, complete with requisite Funeral Planner. But the fact is that the rules have now been annihilated and the excuse given is that it is up to the discretion of the local pastor. Fr. Austin's comments notwithstanding, the Catholic Church has not done a good job conveying to the observant what we are to expect when we lose a family or friend and must plan a funeral Mass. The limitation on having one person speak for no more than 5 minutes after communion and before the final commendation seems to be very cold. I understand that the focus should always be on Jesus in the form of the Holy Eucharist but the purpose for the Mass is to celebrate the life of the recently departed. In this instance, I think it is time that the Church took a look at the rules and alter them somewhat. A funeral is often a time when friends and family members are attending a Catholic Church for the first time. It is a great opportunity to illustrate everything that is wonderful about living as a Catholic Christian. I think we might be missing an opportunity here to evangelize. What do you think?
The release of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s note, Mater Populi Fidelis , on November 4, 2025, seems to have sparked some immediate and widespread confusion, driven largely by sensationalist headlines from secular sources. In response to requests, particularly surrounding a potential Fifth Marian Dogma of Spiritual Maternity , the DDF addressed the usage of titles like Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix. Unfortunately, this has led to a large contingent online and in the media claiming that the Church has "tossed out" centuries of doctrine, with some outside the Church even proclaiming a "victory" over Catholic teaching (This may be the saddest part of it all, that we as Christians, are "competing" with each other). It is essential to understand that this doctrinal note is fundamentally about titles and clarity, not doctrine and change according to the Vatican News. The true teachings regarding Mary's unique role in salvation remain inviolabl...
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