Against very strong competition, it may be that the transformation from the stark and deep Requiem Mass to the light celebration of the deceased person's life in the Novus Ordo may have been the most catastrophic change of Vatican II - because the people closest to the deceased - their families, their friends - no longer pray for their souls, because they think they immediately arrived in Heaven. Bishop Sanborn has remarked that the theme of these Masses are "Mom's making spaghetti for God," or "Dad's playing golf with God in Heaven."
We can see this change of attitude towards the dead in modern Catholic cemeteries. Instead of images of crosses, rosaries, patron saints, and angels, we see engravings of motorcycles, muscle cars, dogs, cats, fishing rods, even photos of the deceased acting silly. As a student of the History of Religion, this is striking, because it is, whether people realize it or not, a revival of the pagan idea of grave goods to accompany the deceased who will use them in the afterlife. Instead of "On Earth as it is in Heaven," it is the inverse - "In Heaven as it is on Earth."
A few months ago I attended a funeral mass for my cousin and I was appalled. I actually left angry. I can't really add anything else as the post has covered it all.
Yes. And yet, even in this thread, we can see how certain people deny the problem. All I can say is, I've heard HUNDREDS of stories like the ones I shared, and all you have to do is mention funerals to get eye-rolls from serious Catholics.
I never realized that the word “soul” was not in the NO Funeral Masses and I’ve attended countless services for the dead in my past life. Thank you for pointing this out. Modernism is wrong on all levels.
That illustration is charming...except that the servers in their Medieval haircuts look a little too much like "altar girls." On a more serious note: my wife and I decided to sell our cemetery plot where some of my family are buried and buy plots at the traditional chapel where we normally go to Mass. The reason? So we can be sure someone will pray for us after we have died. That accords with my daily affirmation: "I need all the help I can get!"
Total Rubbish. I’ve been playing funerals at a Catholic Church for 32 years. The Latin Mass is the LAST thing the church needs. The Church needs more people. Period. Vatican 2 ensures that this can continue. Going backwards is never the right decision. Prayers for the dead and lost souls are THRIVING in the current Catholic funeral Mass; in America, anyway.
No it’s not. Ive been in the Catholic Church for over 60 years. It’s not a fantasy. Its reality. What YOU are praying for is pure fantasy and antithetical to the Catholic Church.
It truly does come down to how steeped the priest is in Catholic tradition. I attended a proper and dignified Novus Ordo funeral mass as recently as a week ago. However, many if not most do tend to "canonize" the deceased as described in this essay. Trying to put a cheery face on a deadly serious event is a dreadful novelty. Consider attending a traditional Catholic funeral if you have the opportunity and judge for yourself.
Was it a Novus Ordo in Latin? If so, that is not the traditional Latin Mass discussed in Dr. Kwasniewski’s post. Compare your missal side by side to the 1962 Missal for the actual Traditional Latin Mass of All Time.
Against very strong competition, it may be that the transformation from the stark and deep Requiem Mass to the light celebration of the deceased person's life in the Novus Ordo may have been the most catastrophic change of Vatican II - because the people closest to the deceased - their families, their friends - no longer pray for their souls, because they think they immediately arrived in Heaven. Bishop Sanborn has remarked that the theme of these Masses are "Mom's making spaghetti for God," or "Dad's playing golf with God in Heaven."
We can see this change of attitude towards the dead in modern Catholic cemeteries. Instead of images of crosses, rosaries, patron saints, and angels, we see engravings of motorcycles, muscle cars, dogs, cats, fishing rods, even photos of the deceased acting silly. As a student of the History of Religion, this is striking, because it is, whether people realize it or not, a revival of the pagan idea of grave goods to accompany the deceased who will use them in the afterlife. Instead of "On Earth as it is in Heaven," it is the inverse - "In Heaven as it is on Earth."
Brilliantly said. I agree entirely.
A few months ago I attended a funeral mass for my cousin and I was appalled. I actually left angry. I can't really add anything else as the post has covered it all.
Yes. And yet, even in this thread, we can see how certain people deny the problem. All I can say is, I've heard HUNDREDS of stories like the ones I shared, and all you have to do is mention funerals to get eye-rolls from serious Catholics.
In thr Traditional Latin Mass practiced at my Catholic Church, we pray for the dead often
Yes, of course, and thanks be to God!
I never realized that the word “soul” was not in the NO Funeral Masses and I’ve attended countless services for the dead in my past life. Thank you for pointing this out. Modernism is wrong on all levels.
That illustration is charming...except that the servers in their Medieval haircuts look a little too much like "altar girls." On a more serious note: my wife and I decided to sell our cemetery plot where some of my family are buried and buy plots at the traditional chapel where we normally go to Mass. The reason? So we can be sure someone will pray for us after we have died. That accords with my daily affirmation: "I need all the help I can get!"
Total Rubbish. I’ve been playing funerals at a Catholic Church for 32 years. The Latin Mass is the LAST thing the church needs. The Church needs more people. Period. Vatican 2 ensures that this can continue. Going backwards is never the right decision. Prayers for the dead and lost souls are THRIVING in the current Catholic funeral Mass; in America, anyway.
That is a fantasy of your own imagining.
No it’s not. Ive been in the Catholic Church for over 60 years. It’s not a fantasy. Its reality. What YOU are praying for is pure fantasy and antithetical to the Catholic Church.
It truly does come down to how steeped the priest is in Catholic tradition. I attended a proper and dignified Novus Ordo funeral mass as recently as a week ago. However, many if not most do tend to "canonize" the deceased as described in this essay. Trying to put a cheery face on a deadly serious event is a dreadful novelty. Consider attending a traditional Catholic funeral if you have the opportunity and judge for yourself.
I have many times at Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Was it a Novus Ordo in Latin? If so, that is not the traditional Latin Mass discussed in Dr. Kwasniewski’s post. Compare your missal side by side to the 1962 Missal for the actual Traditional Latin Mass of All Time.