Funeral eulogies about close friends and relations must now be checked by priests before funeral Masses and kept to a maximum of four minutes at a Co Kildare parish, writes Niamh O'Donoghue.
The move comes as the Newbridge parish tries to reach a compromise on the growing practice of family members requesting to speak at church funerals.
A statement in the parish newsletter this month proposed to offer the chance to speak - even though "it is not the most appropriate time or place" - on the condition that the priest sees the content beforehand and the eulogy is kept short.
"A couple of times they were overlong. Some of them contained inappropriate things because they had not been properly prepared.
"It's to avoid embarrassment because we have had a eulogy where one person unintentionally spoke inappropriately, and it upset the family," said Parish Priest Father Joe McDermott.
He said the decision was aimed at avoiding unnecessary stress to family members who were already trying to come to terms with the death of a loved one.
Father McDermott pointed out that the most appropriate place for eulogies to be given was at the graveside, when the prayers of commitment are completed at the burial.
In its statement, the parish said it trusted that these suggestions would be accepted by parishioners in the spirit in which they were offered.